Frobes just put up an article (http://www.forbes.com/home/2008/09/23/bailout-paulson-congress-biz-beltway-cx_jz_bw_0923bailout.html) about this. (Skip the intro screen to get to the article.) Apparently, among other things, the Treasury department admitted they just chose the $700 billion number "as a data point" with no hard evidence to back it up. A counter proposal to the bill calls for execs of the failing companies to cut back on perks and for the Treasury dept to have an equity stake in the firms, but it is being pushed aside.

Sense make not. Head hurt now.