Dilemma

And so we had to step in. And it [the bank bailouts] was the right thing to do -- even though it's infuriating, even though it makes you angry, because you're thinking, I was responsible, and these folks are irresponsible, and somehow I'm paying for them -- it was the right thing to do to step in.

The same is true with AIG. It was the right thing to do to step in. Here's the problem. It's almost like they've got -- they got a bomb strapped to them and they've got their hand on the trigger. You don't want them to blow up, but you got to kind of talk them -- ease that finger off the trigger.

--President Barack Obama, March 18, 2009, town hall meeting, Cosa Mesa, California