I read the news today - oh boy (Thursday edition)

Alternate heading: Republicans recall what it once meant to be Republican

For all of corporate media's blundering, sensationalism, bias and under-reporting; these little news blurbs that land in my inbasket each morning are a useful weather vane. I can grasp the general tone - the ambiance of the day - without reading any further.

For example, this CNN Quicknews alert:

AIG BAILOUT UPSETS REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS

Key Republicans on Capitol Hill blasted the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve on Wednesday for orchestrating an $85 billion bailout of insurance giant American International Group, and the White House for not informing them of the plan.

FULL STORY...

Key Republicans. Hmm. I'm actually curious this time, so I decide to take the bait.

Which 'key' Republicans actually remember that their traditional party platform doesn't include... well, bailouts? (The concept of 'small government' used to be a party platform cornerstone before the Neocons invaded.) And how interesting that they are willing to challenge their GOP-in-Chief in a public forum rather than a back room.

Key lawmaker number one comes to bat:

The criticism came a day after lawmakers were surprised by the news that taxpayers would again be called on to shore up a member of the struggling financial sector.

"Once again the Fed has put the taxpayers on the hook for billions of dollars to bail out an institution that put greed ahead of responsibility and used their good name to take risky bets that did not pay off," said Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Kentucky, a member of the Senate Banking Committee.

Kentucky weighs in: 'Heartland America,' old-school Republican values (similar to Indiana.)

Next at bat, key lawmaker number two:

A spokesman for Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the top Republican on the committee, said the senator "profoundly disagrees with the decision to use taxpayer dollars to bail out a private company" and is upset the government has sent an inconsistent message to the markets by bailing out AIG after it just refused to save investment bank Lehman Brothers from bankruptcy.

"The American taxpayer should not be asked to unwillingly assume the inordinate risks that financial experts knowingly undertook, particularly when taxpayer exposure is increased by the ad hoc manner in which these bailouts have been engineered," said Shelby's aide, Jonathan Graffeo.

Alabama weighs in. Its going to be a lot harder to avoid raising taxes when we are bailing out bloated, greedy corporations right and left. Another old school and core Republican value: never raise taxes.

Key lawmaker three comes to bat:

Republican Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri complained about not getting a heads-up about the bailout and said House Republicans are struggling to "understand a coherent strategy" about which firms get rescued and which ones don't.

Hmm. Appears - at least from the story - that Missouri is more concerned about not receiving a heads-up in advance. Well I can understand that, especially in an election year.

Key lawmaker number four comes to the plate:

Rep. Adam Putman of Florida, the third-ranking Republican in the House, said the cost is "unnerving" and called on the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve "to dispatch an envoy to the Hill to bring members of Congress up to speed."

"The communications lines are not operating efficiently," he said.

Florida - like Missouri - is more concerned about the fact that he wasn't warned in advance.

And yes... the cost is quite unnerving. When you add up all of the costs flying out of our Treasury (wars, storms, bailouts) it is very, very unnerving. And we haven't even mentioned our staggering national debt and crumbling infrastructure.

Alas... so many things going wrong - and in an election year! Chickens finally came home to roost?