Well, the original 3 page proposal for the "bail-out" is now up to 400+ pages. And those 400+ pages were voted on and passed by the senate today. Now I am a fast reader, and can knock off a novel in a single sitting of 3 to 4 hours. But even so, I am SURE that I couldn't read that bill in the time available to the senators. So, in fact, they are essentially voting blind on this most important bill.

And in this "the world is ending if we don't pass this bill NOW, RIGHT NOW" bill, here are a few of the other things included:

A few examples of those earmarks:

New tax breaks earmarks in Bailout bill

• Film and Television Productions (Up to $15,000,000.00; Sec. 502)
• Wooden Arrows designed for use by children (Sec. 503)
• 6 page package of earmarks for litigants in the 1989 Exxon Valdez incident, Alaska (Sec. 504)

Tax break earmark "extenders" in the bailout bill

• Virgin Island and Puerto Rican Rum (Section 308)
• American Samoa (Sec. 309)
• Mine Rescue Teams (Sec. 310)
• Mine Safety Equipment (Sec. 311)
• Domestic Production Activities in Puerto Rico (Sec. 312)
• Indian Tribes (Sec. 314, 315)
• Railroads (Sec. 316)
• Auto Racing Tracks (317)
• District of Columbia (Sec. 322)
• Wool Research (Sec. 325).

It sure is hard to see how this is anything but just another "handout to our friends" bill.