conservatorship

The Fannie/Freddie "Conservatorship": Sometimes abject despair is appropriate

I've been asked what my thoughts are about the Fannie and Freddie bailout leaked by the Treasury to the NYTimes and the Washington Post late Friday afternoon.
Since the actual details haven't been released, and you can click over to Tanta and Barry Ritholtz as easily as I can, I suggest you go there for the best exposition so far of the proposed details. In fact, Ritholtz' "The Big Picture" has a pretty good multi-point presentation, which forms the basis for my comments below.
This story is MAJOR, in multiple ways, and almost none of it good, particularly for the long-term. Some points below.