Wash Post Erases AIG Bonuses ‘Details’

You may have read the following story from Messrs Shear and Kane of the Washington Post.

But if you read the reprint of this article in the San Francisco area Mercury News, you would have seen some details that have been (subsequently?) deleted from the Washington Post version:

(Click to enlarge)

Anger over AIG bonuses depletes president’s political capital

By Michael D. Shear and Paul Kane

Washington Post
Posted: 03/16/2009

… Obama sought to channel the public’s sense of disbelief Monday. "How do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat?" he said, declaring the bonuses an "outrage" that violate "fundamental values."

Attorneys working for the Fed had been examining the matter for months and determined that the bonus payments couldn’t be touched because AIG would face costly lawsuits and be subject to penalties from states and foreign governments. Administration officials said over the weekend that they agreed with that assessment.

AIG disclosed its retention-payment program more than a year ago, and the amount of the bonuses had been widely reported. But as the payments were coming due in recent days, the White House began to express its indignation.

Monday, White House aides grasped for actions that could soothe sentiment on Main Street and in the halls of Congress, where the fate of the new president’s sweeping agendas on health care, climate change and education will be decided. They suggested that the government will use its latest pledged installment of $30 billion for the ailing company to recover the millions in bonuses paid Friday.

But the damage control did not seem to satisfy incredulous lawmakers in both parties, who said the image of financial executives taking huge bonuses from a taxpayer-funded rescue puts the president in a politically impossible position…

But behold how the purportedly same article now appears in the Washington Post:

(Click to enlarge)

Anger Over Firm Depletes Obama’s Political Capital

By Michael D. Shear and Paul Kane
Tuesday, March 17, 2009; A01

… Obama himself sought to channel the public’s sense of disbelief yesterday. "How do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat?" he said, declaring the bonuses an "outrage" that violate "fundamental values."

White House aides grasped for actions that could soothe sentiment on Main Street and in the halls of Congress, where the fate of the new president’s sweeping agendas on health care, climate change and education will be decided. They suggested that the government will use its latest pledged installment of $30 billion for the ailing company to recover the millions in bonuses paid Friday.

But the damage control did not seem to satisfy incredulous lawmakers in both parties, who said the image of financial executives taking huge bonuses from a taxpayer-funded rescue puts the president in a politically impossible position…

Why would the Washington Post edit out such a salient (and mitigating) detail from their own story?

Related Articles:

• Democrats Threaten AIG Bill Of Attainder
• Grassley Says AIG Execs Should Hari Kari
• Pelosi: Congress Will Recover AIG Funds
• AIG Gets Another $30B Taxpayer Dollars
• 'FactCheck' Defends Dems 10 More Times
• AP Says Bush Overpaid Banks In 'Bailout'
• $5M Gift To Rangel Bought AIG Tax Cuts