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By MICHAEL E. KANELL
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

In tossing a quarter of a trillion dollars to the nation�s banks, the government is pumping lubricant into the nation�s economic engine.

The move should prevent the motor from freezing up, but it cannot guarantee that the engine won�t sputter and stall.

Announced Tuesday morning, the $250 billion bailout is meant to ensure that banks have enough money � and enough confidence � to make loans needed by companies and consumers. And while financial markets and big banks sometimes seem to operate in their own world, they are needed in the �real� economy of people and businesses.

�The linkage is very, very strong, because the real economy relies on credit,� said Kumar Venkataraman, finance professor at �鶹��s Cox School of Business. �If the banks freeze up, then average people cannot buy cars and buy furniture.�

If consumers buy less, retailers and manufacturers must cut expenses. When they lay off workers, consumer spending slows further, which chills the economy still more. �If you don�t have credit, you guarantee a recession.�

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