Q Thanks, Dana. Two questions on AIG, to get us started. Can you do a little bit of tick-tock on the President's role -- when and how he signed off on this decision, and just kind of lead us through what his involvement was yesterday?

And then, secondly, can you also talk about how a bailout like this, another one after Fannie, Freddie, and Bear Stearns, sort of squares with the President's economic philosophy? I mean, how do we continue to put taxpayer money into companies that have made bad financial decisions?

MS. PERINO: Okay, so there was a lot of activity yesterday, but that followed a lot of activity over the past several weeks. I think we've kept you pretty well informed about the President's briefings that he has had with Secretary Paulson and other of his key economic advisors.

Yesterday, the President talked to Secretary Paulson in the morning, and then they had the President's working group in yesterday afternoon. Certainly, the topic of AIG was discussed. The President asked a lot of questions. Secretary Paulson came in with a recommendation. And the President agreed with that recommendation, and he told Secretary Paulson and Ben Bernanke to go forward and implement their plan as they saw fit.

As to -- I can understand why a lot of Americans would be confused as to why this company, and not another company, would get access to federal --

seen at 09:00, 17 September in Whitehouse Press Briefings. Email this to a friend.
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