DALLAS, Texas The torch and pitchfork manufacturing industries were riding high last week as politicians and pundits in this faultering free-market economy scrambled to one-up the other in a game of out sickout the outragers of American International Group (AIG).

The game started over the weekend as word spread that the same AIG executives that sold toxic credit-default swaps would receive $165 million in bonuses after accepting a $173 billion welfare check from U.S. taxpayers. The largest bonus to one top employee is around $6.5 million, according to reports.

The populist fires had already been lit months ago after the first of AIG’s handful of welfare checks. Like smoke that fills backrooms, jokes swirled such as “What’s the ‘G’ in AIG stand for? Greed!”

But that was only the beginning.

At first, the language of this latest outrage was firm but levelheaded. Take the words of Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA), for example.

“This decision by AIG is offensive to the American taxpayer and at odds with the free-market principles they claim to support. I opposed the bailout for these banks as bad policy and I oppose these bonuses as bad morality. I am outraged that middle-class taxpayers who have worked hard and played by the rules are watching their retirement savings and home values shrink, while those who caused our economic pain continue to prosper,” he said in a statement.

Perriello continued, “AIG hides behind claims of contractual obligations, but the car companies who received bailout funds found a way to cut wages to line workers. Why is it okay for companies to force cuts on workers but not scale back million dollar bonuses for the executives who knowingly caused us this mess?”

Perriello was not the only member of the newest Populist Caucus of the Democratic Party to voice outrage with civility and more “I-told-you-so’s.” Rep. Mike Michaud (D-Maine) also issued a public statement last Monday.

“The only reason AIG is in business today is because taxpayers’ money was used to bail them out over and over again to the tune of $170 billion,” said Michaud. “I voted against the bailout last year because it did not contain adequate safeguards and it did little to protect the investment of the taxpayer. Now we’ve seen the result the very business unit of AIG responsible for driving the company into the ground is being paid millions for it.

Michaud added, “The fact that this is allowed to happen is an outrage. But there is a difference between expressing outrage and acting to fix this problem. I appreciate President Obama’s willingness to explore ways to stop these bonuses, but it is time for Congress to step up to the plate and make sure taxpayers are not paying for executive bonuses. I’ve supported reform of how bailout funds are spent. These reforms passed the House, but the Senate has failed to act on them. I’ve also called on the House Financial Services Committee to close loopholes in the current program that allow for excessive executive compensation while companies are being subsidized by American taxpayers.”

“It is simply unconscionable that American families are subsidizing executives who have contributed to the economic mess we are now in.”

It almost sounded like Michaud was going to do something other than lull us to sleep with all this langauge.

But then came Sen. Char