Washington's "shock" over AIG's post-bailout junket

Politicians from both parities, including President Bush and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, expressed indignation over the AIG affair.

Typical were the remarks of Max Baucus, the Montana Democrat and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who sent a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke declaring, This kind of behavior is an insult to taxpayers whose dollars are used to protect and preserve private companies. Provisions must be in place to end frivolous expenses, limit executive compensation and protect taxpayers from unnecessary risks.

Obama condemned the AIG junket during last Tuesday nights presidential debate. The Treasury should demand that money back and those executives should be fired, he said.

The final voice of moral authority came from the White House. Bushs press secretary, Dana Perino, pronounced the junket pretty despicable and informed the world, The president did not want to move forward on this rescue package to help anybody in the top positions on Wall Street. He was concerned about everyday people like you and me.