WaPo, apparently a few fucking minutes ago:

At the White House, press secretary Dana Perino said positive and negative developments have led to “challenging times” for the U.S. economy.

“It’s not clear-cut, in terms of all the — is it all positive, is it all negative,” Perino told reporters at the daily press briefing. “There’s a mixed picture. But we do have the strength to be able to deal with it.”

During the press briefing, Perino also addressed the question of why President Bush, an avowed free-market advocate, has now presided over a series of unprecedented federal bailouts with the backing of taxpayer money, including the takeovers of mortgage giants Freddie Mac Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, Fannie Mae the Federal National Mortgage Association* and the rescue of AIG.

“I can understand why a lot of Americans would be confused as to why this company, and not another company,” Perino said. “. . . The president’s economic advisers had determined that there were some — some of these companies were so big that to allow them to fail would have caused even greater harm and damage to the economy.” (emphasis mine)

Seriously?  It’s plain as day!  Put two and two together!!  MATH, motherfucker, math!!

Sometimes, man.  Sometimes…

(* - No cutesy euphemisms.)