"Am I not merciful?"

Uncle Sam has decided that some banks eager to repay his handouts to avoid being subject to his extra rules, may do so. This is the first time I've heard of the lender getting to decide when the borrower may redeem his debt and thus, his freedom.

The Treasury Department has approved 10 of the nation's largest banks to repay $68 billion in government bailout money.

The department on Tuesday said the banks, which were not named, will be allowed to repay the money they received from the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program created by Congress last October at the height of the financial crisis.

The banks have been eager to get out of the program to escape government restrictions such as caps on executive compensation.

Regulators want to avoid letting a bank repay its TARP money only to have it return months later in worse shape, seeking another handout.

Well, hey, here's a brilliant idea: make it clear there won't BE any more handouts, the last round being an abomination to begin with. The real reason most companies won't be allowed to repay their debt is that this has been an unprecedented opportunity to snap up government ownership of a broad swath of the economy, all in the name of economic 'relief.' Seize power while claiming benevolence. Kinda reminds me of a scene from a movie: