The Federal Reserve swooped in quickly to prevent Wall Street titan Bear Stearns from going bust and triggering a panic. It's not a bailout in the sense of a taxpayer rescue of a corporation. But it is part of a more activist approach to the credit crisis by both the Fed and the Bush administration's economic team.

Some observers praise the Fed for its aggressive moves to prevent a broader meltdown in financial markets. But others say it isn't doing enough to address the underlying problem.

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