YET MORE BAILOUT….When Barack Obama asked President Bush to request the second $350 billion in TARP money, I got sort of a sinking feeling. After all, he wouldn’t do that unless he figured the 
economy was still in such dire shape that there was a good chance he might need the money right away. Apparently that’s the case:
On Tuesday, [Ben] Bernanke publicly made the case that one of the most unpopular and most scorned programs in Washington — the $700 billion bailout program — needs to pour hundreds of billions more into the very banks and financial institutions that already received federal money and caused much of the credit crisis in the first place.
The most glaring example that the banking system needs even more help is Citigroup. Though it already has received $45 billion from the Treasury, it is in such dire straits that it is breaking itself into parts.
….Since last September, no major banks have failed and the credit markets have thawed somewhat. But analysts said the problems are still acute, if less apparent on the surface. Banks have received $200 billion in fresh capital from the Treasury since last fall and have borrowed hundreds of billions of dollars more from the Fed. But in the meantime, the economy fell into a severe downturn last fall that is likely to continue until at least this summer.
….Citigroup is not alone. JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and most other big banks all expect enormous losses as millions of consumers default on their mortgages, credit cards and automobile loans. Other losses are expected on loans made to commercial real estate developers, small businesses and for highly leveraged corporate buyout deals.
It’s not as if this is a big surprise or anything, but still. Crikey.
