Paulson plan could cost $1 trillion

Mike Allen reports at Politico.

Congressional leaders said after meeting Thursday evening with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that as much as $1 trillion could be needed to avoid an imminent meltdown of the U.S. financial system.

Reacting to the news, the ghost of Senator Everett Dirksen (R-IL) was quoted as saying "A trillion here, a trillion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money."