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I am totally against bailouts on principle. True, you make bad decisions, suffer the consequences. Especially when those bailouts affect only business and capitalists, ie the airlines, S&L, etc.

However, we need to be pragmatic. Living on principle is preferable, but look at what's going on. Whether we think its mostly panic, is irrelevant at this point. Facts on the ground matter. People who were completely responsible and not involved in the crisis and have perfect credit cannot get a mortgage, even with 50% down. I have a HELOC, that I've been very smart with with and safe and its been frozen. if you have any credit card debt, good luck. Hope you don't have to send a kid to college and find student loans eliminated (they have been frozen too). I feel secure, but I also don't need credit right now. I don't aggree with this plan, (but the green and AMT credits in the amendment are awesome) something has to be done. To do nothing and let it ride would be disatrous.

The credit tightening on both callers: the real estate developer, and the woman with mortgage problems; are appropriate. He's in a business that is *very risky* now, and she sounds like she's broke. Its appropriate their credit should be more difficult to obtain and more expensive. This does not indicate a "credit crisis" but rather prudence by lenders.

The trend of lenders cutting credit lines is troubling. I am a credit counselor and part of your credit score is what percentage of your credit lines you are using. So when they cut the credit line, they are also hurting that person's credit score, which could lead another lender to cut the credit line and so forth.

YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LIVE ON CREDIT! That's the problem with America and that's why we're in this mess. Live with your means!!!

I have a small business. So far we are okay. I am nervous because all of the talk of a down turn. But, so far business is good, and my lines of credit are still there for me.

Wait, small business owners with good credit and good prospects can get loans.

If you are in construction or have bad credit, then you get turned down.

Isn't the way it should be and all this talk is just fear mongering? Maybe we should give booze to the alcoholics.

Isn't it the way it should work - if you don't have good credit, you don't get the loan. I'd like to see it all shake out, THEN look at a possible bail out package. Give it a little more time.

There are segments of the economy being positively affected by the credit crunch. My husband and I own two apartments and have great tenants who would, under normal circumstances, be buying homes. Instead, we are lucky enough to have them stick around because it's too difficult to get a mortgage.

We (small business) been experiencing a credit crunch of another variety for several years now, in the form of usurious interest rates. The only place for credit has been available has been through companies like Chase and American Express, who are apparently still strong enough to buy out ailing white collar money companies.. We've been struggling (successfully) to pay our monthly payments.. How about bailing out the small guys with fixed rate mortgages and Federal limits on APR's