Toxic Asset Plan (Part 2)

I've been thinking for some time that because the Government hasn't been able to come out and say this is our 3,4,5, etc. part plan to save the economy, that the markets have been in this perpetual tailspin, and the Obama administration has taken a flogging in the press

But today the tune seems to be changing with the release of Treasury Geithner's Public Private Investment Program (PPIP).  With futures skyrocketing (so much for that sell-off I was talking about), Wall Street seems to like the plan, but the real test will be if we can hang on to these gains throughout the trading day without traders trying to fade the rally

On the same note, the idea that private equity will shy away from the PPIP because of the fear of reciprocity by Congress from possible gains, seems to be a bit overblown, considering the fact that the Government is practically offering "free" money to finance toxic asset purchases.  There is some concern, but surely everyone can see the difference between AIG, and a private equity fund that works with the Government to buy toxic assets

Finally, a thought on populism, which seems to be the buzzword as of late.  The negative connotation the word often infers has been a bit insulting to Americans.  The word is very much associated with an anti-intellectual thought process, as if the uproar about AIG is morally ambiguous, instead of unjustifiable wrong.  Thus using the phrase "populist anger" to characterize the AIG situation discredits the populists (myself included) from the very beginning, comparing us to a mob with pitchforks and torches (thanks newsweek)