'What We Need Are a Few Public Hangings'

The masses are agitated, and so is Congress. How dare Henry Paulson ask for so much money to bail out those greedy Wall Street evil-doers? The truth, writes Charles Krauthammer, is that Paulson is a lame duck doing his best to save the economy, and that the crisis was mostly caused by well-intentioned subprime lending. But heck, “if some really good catharsis will allow a return of rationality to Capitol Hill—yielding a clean rescue package that will actually save the economy—go for it.”

Capping corporate pay will only drive talented executives overseas, and besides, it’s not bloody enough. “Pick a few failed investment firms, lead their CEOs in chains through the canyons of Manhattan and give the mob satisfaction,” suggests Krauthammer. “The ratings would dwarf American Idol, and the ad revenue alone would make the perfect downpayment on the $700 billion.”   (More Congress stories.)