EDITORIAL

The American public is being treated to two things it seems to enjoy most: entertainment and sporting events.

How ironic that the circus is back in town. But not even "The Greatest Show on Earth" at Madison Square Garden offers the kind of tug-of-war that is now on the public stage and not to be missed, even if one would prefer it that way.

Consider the contestants at either end of the rope. On one end stands the now-branded-as-greedy corporate dragon known as the American International Group.

On the other are the we-didn't-know-it-was-happening knights of Washington, who really are the enablers of companies like A.I.G.

In truth, these are the politicians who made it possible for the corporate beast to receive billions of tax dollars as part of an intervention to offset the imminent collapse of the company.

Bolstered by the government's bailout, A.I.G. rewarded its own failure by handing millions of dollars in bonuses to top management staff. Instead of a single dragon, the monster looked more like a bunch of hungry hogs.

However, the politicians—who actually built the bonuses into the tax-money package they gave to the company—feared that the American public might wake up and pay attention long enough to realize that a colossal blunder had been made. So they did what politicians do best: they denied any knowledge of the deal.

Of course, the elected officials didn't disclose that in 2008, A.I.G. had contributed a total of $644,218 to the campaign chests of almost all the then-candidates for office.

The contributed sums started with $104,332 to the campaign of then-Sen. Barack Obama, down to $500 to Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House.

This was not quite the millions given to A.I.G. employees in bonuses. But there are laws that determine how much money can legally be given to political candidates.

Once the media got wind of the bonuses, the cat was out of the bag and the politicians had to respond with the kind of outrage that is their trademark act of distraction.

Picking up their side of the tug-of-war rope, they bellowed for the return of the bonus money. With a collective pull, they dragged the bonus recipients into the mud.

But suddenly, as though they were under attack in their own fairy tale, the little pigs at A.I.G. replied, "Not by the hair of my chinny, chin, chin!"—and tugged back.

With that, the contest went full tilt. The American public was hooked and started keeping score.

New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo stepped in to give a yank on the rope that managed to get much of the bonus money returned. But he was pushed to the rear by the Washington enablers.

In the sport of politics, the players will make the rules, changing them as often as needed. As for the game's spectators, just keep paying those tax dollars that keep the circus called Washington open for business.