By Dave Lindorff

The idea of bailing out Wall Street for the results of a decade or more of greedy and even criminal behavior, using almost $1 trillion in borrowed money that will jeopardize everything from Social Security to school funding to medical research, and further drive the dollar into the ditch, cannot be justified.

The president has tried to stampede Congress into throwing this colossal pile of money at the bankers who caused the crisis, by using fear-mongering, instead of by following President Franklin Roosevelt's example of urging calm and coming up with a sensible response.

Congress, which is beholden to Wall Street's bankers because of all the campaign funds they bestow on its members, Republican and Democrat, is buying into the president's nonsense.

But like lipstick on a pig, no amount of window dressing, such as protection for homeowners facing foreclosure or limits on bank executive pay, can make this bailout acceptable.

This proposal is simply out and out theft from taxpayers to reward bankers and investors who have been on a binge for too long.

There are plenty of things that can be done to rebuild the economy and protect the public without rewarding the crooks and gamblers who created this mess.

Meanwhile, the American people need to make it clear that we will not allow this disastrous ripoff to occur.

The answer is to finally tell Congress that we're holding them accountable. No one who votes for a massive bailout of Wall Street gets re-elected. No one.

How do we do it? Go to this website:

www.ThrowThemAllOut.com

and start a non-partisan viral campaign to get every voter to reject any senator or representative who supports the bailout.

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DAVE LINDORFF is a Philadelphia-base journalist and columnist. His latest book is "The Case for Impeachment" (St. Martin's Press, 2006 and now available in paperback edition). His work is available at www.thiscantbehappening.net