US insurance giant AIG paid out a total of $218m (£150m) in bonuses after accepting bail-out cash, according to a senior US official.

For much of the week the total amount AIG paid out in bonuses was reported at $165m.

But documents obtained by Richard Blumenthal, Attorney General of Connecticut, now appear to raise that figure by some 32%.

Connecticut was among 19 states demanding that AIG reveal details of bonuses paid to executives, in an effort to begin recovering the funds.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7956903.stm

Wall Street and organized religion together again.

First they gave us George W. Bush now they have given us Bush Dark, another frat boy who has lived his life in a bubble and doesn't have a clue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNu9xjUwPEk

Given his decision not to accept public financing, Mr. Obama is counting on his bundlers to help him raise $300 million for his general-election campaign and another $180 million for the Democratic National Committee.

An analysis of campaign finance records shows that about two-thirds of his bundlers are concentrated in four major industries: law, securities and investments, real estate and entertainment. Lawyers make up the largest group, numbering roughly 130, with many of them working for firms that also have lobbying arms. At least 100 Obama bundlers are top executives or brokers from investment businesses: nearly two dozen work for financial titans like Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs or Citigroup. About 40 others come from the real estate industry.

The biggest fund-raisers include people like Julius Genachowski, a former senior official at the Federal Communications Commission and a technology executive who is new to political fund-raising; Robert Wolf, president and chief operating officer of UBS Investment Bank; James A. Torrey, a New York hedge-fund investor; and Charles H. Rivkin, chief executive of an animation studio in Los Angeles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/us/

Given his decision not to accept public financing, Mr. Obama is counting on his bundlers to help him raise $300 million for his general-election campaign and another $180 million for the Democratic National Committee.

An analysis of campaign finance records shows that about two-thirds of his bundlers are concentrated in four major industries: law, securities and investments, real estate and entertainment. Lawyers make up the largest group, numbering roughly 130, with many of them working for firms that also have lobbying arms. At least 100 Obama bundlers are top executives or brokers from investment businesses: nearly two dozen work for financial titans like Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs or Citigroup. About 40 others come from the real estate industry.

The biggest fund-raisers include people like Julius Genachowski, a former senior official at the Federal Communications Commission and a technology executive who is new to political fund-raising; Robert Wolf, president and chief operating officer of UBS Investment Bank; James A. Torrey, a New York hedge-fund investor; and Charles H. Rivkin, chief executive of an animation studio in Los Angeles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/us/

I've been told by the owner of a brokerage house in Manhattan that even if stocks go down they still make money.

It's no different than gambling in a rigged casino except sometimes Wall Street gets to use public money.

Given his decision not to accept public financing, Mr. Obama is counting on his bundlers to help him raise $300 million for his general-election campaign and another $180 million for the Democratic National Committee.

An analysis of campaign finance records shows that about two-thirds of his bundlers are concentrated in four major industries: law, securities and investments, real estate and entertainment. Lawyers make up the largest group, numbering roughly 130, with many of them working for firms that also have lobbying arms. At least 100 Obama bundlers are top executives or brokers from investment businesses: nearly two dozen work for financial titans like Lehman Brothers, Goldman Sachs or Citigroup. About 40 others come from the real estate industry.

The biggest fund-raisers include people like Julius Genachowski, a former senior official at the Federal Communications Commission and a technology executive who is new to political fund-raising; Robert Wolf, president and chief operating officer of UBS Investment Bank; James A. Torrey, a New York hedge-fund investor; and Charles H. Rivkin, chief executive of an animation studio in Los Angeles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/us

Not to mention his increase of the military budget, his increase of the faith based initiative, and the incredulous $780 billion corporate welfare bill.......if anything, Obama is the president of the status quo.

there are not many ways to protest.

If this is too silly for Barney maybe something a little more confrontational is in order?

then blame someone else.....that is how the American government "works".

I guess increasing the faith based initiative and hanging with Rev. Rick Warren wasn't enough?

how could I forget Prop. 8

that makes Bush's 7 minute break during "My Pet Goat" seem not so bad.

I think Obama has had enough surprises for awhile.