Since you seem obsessed with this question, I'll give you an exgregous example of public funds profiting private companies.

Citigroup was bailed out by the taxpayers. Citi would have gone bankrupt were they not bailed out by the taxpayers. Are we on the same page? Good.

A few years back the New York Mets inked a 20 year $400,000,000 contract with Citi for the naming rights to the Mets new baseball stadium. Had Citi gone bankrupt the Mets would be out 400 million bucks. Instead, because the taxpayers bailed out Citigroup, the contract stays valid, and Citi forks over 400 million to the New York Mets. The last time I checked, the Mets are privately owned and operated.

Essentially, as soon as the government bailed out Citi, it bailed out the Mets. Now, our taxpayer dollars are going to pay Carlos Beltran.

That, Bill_H, is a massive example of taxpayer dollars going directly to a private company.

You understand that... don't you?

(I suspect this very issue is why Hank Paulson made sure that no one would disclose where the bailout money actually went. Because it went to the owners box at Citi field. Straight from the IRS to the owners box at Citi field)

Refute me. Please please refute me. Tell me I'm wrong. Because I would love to be wrong about this, becasue it's just so absurd. You Bill_H, are paying Johan Santana's salary. And you seem excited to do so.

Tell me that I'm wrong about the half a billion dollars that went from the IRS to the Mets. Tell me I'm wrong! I need to be wrong about this. Explain to me how I'm wrong.

Almost half a billion dollars!

Engage me and tell me why this cash transfer is in the best interest of the American public.

I'll be hitting 'refresh' until I read your reply.

Bingo. You're dead on. Now Barack needs to go on TV and clearly explain that to everyone. You're dead on. Bingo.

I've been grasping around that idea for a while. Great job distilling it. Now just find a way to be louder.

Good characterization - with the border collie line. I'm jumpy, you're right.

But I only got that way because it reads that you don't believe that private interests gain from public funds.... which makes me foam at the mouth.

Excuse me while I crap on a republican's lawn.

If we don't fix healthcare, the majority of Americans will end up bankrupt.... and that's the end of America. It's kind of a big deal. It's almost ironic if it weren't so tragic. Republicans, who swear to be the most patriotic Americans, oppose universal healthcare.... but neglect to aknowledge that the lack public healthcare will accelerate us toward the fall and demise of America. God bless America indeed.

Designer handbags and gorgeous clothes. Substitute shelter and food and Ashley is calling a lot of 19th century female Americans prostitutes. Substitute anything other than 'true love' and you're calling someone a prositute. I guess there is a kernel of truth somewhere in her words.... a kernel too microscopic to mind looking for - as far as I'm concerned.

I think it's sad that being outed as a prostitute is a savvy way of launching a career.

Move along, nothing negative here.

At the very least if some women give up diets full of meat and alcohol, it's a net good. The practicioners may even avoid some debt along the way.

I see young women trying to make sense of a city which is putting less value on materalism. If some other chick wants to buy her way in... so be it.

Yes.YES!

Reread East of Eden

Not too close to the story, but I get the 'mining the internet' at work stuff...

Still, reread the book

Hear me out.

Ulta-monied republicans put a lot of their cash in hedge funds. And, let's agree, these guys care more about making money in the short term than about insurance company profits in the future. Greed really is good here.

Republican politicians (that this monied group supports) are losing ground on this debate because Americans are starting to figure them out. The web of lies is being exposed.

So, these hedge funds are going to start shorting the mega insurers simultaneously.... and you know what happens then. It could be spectacular.

I'm comfortable with a relativley small group of uberweathly republican investors making money off the failed republican strategy of obstructing progess.

We are going to accelerate toward reform this year, and by God we're going to get the public option!

Republican politicians really hate to look stupid - and this issue is making them look very very stupid. Their stance is so illogical it's bound to fail, and other Republicans are going to be right there raking in the cash because of it.

And we all win.

We don't want these mega-insurers going under for many reasons (just yet). But I wouldn't mind denting their immorally derived profits.

Back to GK - fine fine article.

I've been urging everyone to short major healthcare stocks. The hedge funds did it to Bear, we can all do it to the health insurance industry..

Or I kind of said this last wednesday in a keillor letter. I felt like tooting my horn.

Keep swinging Andrew! You're hitting a lot of linedrives.