Fed faces political heat over Bear Stearns deal

-Reuters

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Federal Reserve walked into a political firestorm by pledging $30 billion in taxpayer money to guarantee Bear Stearns' assets while struggling homeowners at the core of the financial crisis default on their mortgages.

To be sure, the central bank could hardly sit idly by while the fifth-largest U.S. investment bank collapsed, potentially dragging down other financial firms with it. But by throwing out a lifeline believed to be the biggest single Fed bailout on record, it opened itself up to some pointed criticism.

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