where does the bailout money come from?

The money doesn't exist. It is being borrowed from my grandchildren and they'll have to pay it back with interest when they grow up.

Edited to add:

You know that huge national deficit that you keep hearing about? That's money that we've borrowed from other countries and need to pay back with interest. Since we are already in debt, that is where it will come from.

It's like in your family. You already have credit cards charged up and want to go on vacation. So you decide to go on vacation anyway and charge up the credit cards even more. But the debt is so big that you know that you won't have the time to pay it back in your lifetime. Your heirs will get the debt when you die. But that's okay because you'll be happy today.

I know it's sad, but that's about how it is.

Editing to add (again):

I was just sitting in my dining room and I noticed an article in last Sunday's newspaper on this topic and I thought of your question. The articles lists the countries that own the most US debt.

Japan 585.9 billion

China 541 billion

United Kingdom 307.4 billion

OPEC nations 179.8 billion

Caribbean banking centers 147.7 billion

The article lists the source as US Department of the Treasury Federal Reserve.

http://www.parade.com/news/intelligence-report/arc...

We get loans from other countries. If we print more US Dollars, it will cause inflation, so we don't want to do that. If we get money from other countries, it will boost our economy, but keep our dollar relatively strong. As far as paying it back, we kind of pay it back on our schedule. If the world let the US go 'bankrupt', the entire world economy would collapse. Other countries won't let that happen. Our current financial situation isn't about there not being enough money, it is that the money is not moving. Once it gets going again, we will be fine.

Taxpayers

It comes from the Federal Reserve...A PRIVATE Banker that is in cahoots with the U.S. Government and prints all of our paper money...They LITERALLY are printing this money out of thin air. and the Federal Reserve does this based on the "good faith" of our government. notice those green paper dollars/U.S. currency say FEDERAL RESERVE NOTE. Our money USED to be backed by Gold and Silver. REAL MONEY...Now, our money is WORTHLESS PAPER. it is called Fiat money. and ALL fiat money FAILS sooner or later because it is NOT backed by anything. You used to be able to return your paper dollars for actual Gold or Silver but in the 70's they ENDED the "Gold Standard" making our money WORTHLESS PAPER...Our government is in SUCH a state of debt and crisis, our economy hasn't been this bad since the great depression and unless we change our ways it will ONLY GET WORSE. The money Won't be paid back. Because our government is in unbelievable debt.. But the private banks of the world will CONTROL our government because they've got them "over a barrel"

You. Because businesses that are poorly managed shouldn't be able to go under and be replaced by fresh startups that know how to do a good job. Oh no. Bad businesses have to be kept afloat. Forever. By you.

Because in Soviet America, car drives YOU!!!

Taxes, and its not paid back what do you think the president is gonna walk into AIG and say Hey the US needs its money back?

sheesh.

OBAMA 08 its a good thing.

2 Places

First is that they sell bonds to all the people that yanked their money out of the stock market, like myself, except I did it last April.

Second, Ben Bernanke changes some numbers on his PC, thus creating more money.

Taxpayers.

And don't count on getting paid back.

the taxpayer (presumably your one) god knows how it will be paid back. hopefully with investment in public services and not gross executive bonuses

Apparently it grows on trees these days.