Critical Mass:TODAY'S PAPERS

The Washington Post, New York Times, and Los Angeles Times each lead Congress' late-night progress toward agreement on an economic bailout plan on Saturday. Yesterday's talks were propelled by the need to act swiftly, and focused on adding strict oversight to the $700 billion as well as exploring new ways to pay for the measure that would avoid sticking taxpayers with the bill."We're moving, we're moving," Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) told the WP after last night's session, from which Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson emerged around 12:30 a.m. (Both he and Sen. Nancy Pelosi called the evening's work "great progress.") Congress did reach a tentative agreement, the NYT's reports, with congressional staff working around the clock to finalize language that will hopefully be ready for a Monday vote. The new plan includes some limits on executive pay and provides for strict oversight of the rescue monies. Additionally, the LAT reports, the updated accord is "expected to call for the money to be made available in installments instead of one enormous lump sum." Democrats and Republicans seem to both agree that the bailout should not take place "on the backs of taxpayers," the WP reports, and even the conservatives most strongly against it expect the "critical mass" forming behind the current agreement to push it through Congress. To continue reading, click here.