The Washington Post has been publishing articles since Sunday about the Bush stock sales at Harken, and the Cheney stock sales (much, much larger) at Halliburton, without actually suggesting legal wrongdoing, or calling for an investigation. Not so coincidentally, the Democrats are not calling for much of an investigation either (likely because they would have to come clean themselves about conflicts of interests in THEIR big business dealings).

Nonetheless, there does seem to be a widespread perception that with Bush/Cheney at the helm, we really do have some very paranoid foxes guarding the Wall Street henhouse. Jitters aren't just at the NYSE either--European and Asian markets are now free falling like a set of dominoes.

My question is, how serious do people think this issue is? Will there ever be a meaningful housecleaning under Bush/Cheney when they are obviously part of the problem, not part of the solution? How damaging will this stock market scandal be to the economy as a whole in the US, and around the globe? Will Bush/Cheney be able to ride off into the sunset on their ill gotten white horse on election day, and come out unscathed in the morning?

What is people's sense of public opinion (no, not the polls, I mean the "on the street" opinions) on this one?