Sebelius says increased oversight should accompany Wall Street bailout

? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on Monday urged the Bush administration and Congress to make sure that any bailout of Wall Street also would establish governmental oversight, the lack of which, she said, has helped lead to the current financial problems.

On Sunday, the Bush administration insisted that Congress move quickly to approve a $700 billion proposal to buy bad mortgage debt in an effort to stabilize the nation’s markets.

Sebelius said great attention needs to be paid to the details of any rescue plan.

“The worst of all worlds is to spend too much money, giving golden parachutes to folks who caused this in the first place,” Sebelius said in a brief talk with reporters after a state employee service award ceremony.

Sebelius, a Democrat who has been campaigning for presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, said Obama wants to make sure the bailout “looks at the turmoil on Main Street as well as Wall Street.”

She added, “So we need to look at how to craft the system going forward that stabilizes the economy, puts in place some important regulatory oversight, which clearly has been dismantled over the last eight years.”

She said the government needs to stand behind private markets to restore confidence in the system, but added, “It’s important that some time be taken to look at the details of the plan.”

Meanwhile, Senate Democrats have proposed adding government help for homeowners and limits on executive compensation to the legislation. Their proposal would also give the government a stake in the companies helped by the unprecedented rescue. And it would add layers of congressional oversight to keep an eye on the program.

In the House, U.S. Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan., whose district includes east Lawrence, said he would push for a bipartisan plan.

“Congress must work quickly this week and focus on what matters most right now: Restoring confidence in our shaken financial markets and stabilizing our economy,” said Moore, a member of the House Financial Services Committee.

“This emergency requires a significant response, and I will work with Republicans and Democrats to ensure we execute a balanced plan that minimizes taxpayer money exposure in the long run,” he said.