This is a time when average people who normally don't focus on Wall Street minutiae have a lot of questions and that's understandable. Clark could bore you all day with talk of CDOs and SIVs -- just a few of the investment schemes that helped bring about the breakdown in trust between financial institutions and the freeze in credit markets.

One thing is clear: This is a "made in America" mess that we're going to have to clean up. It won't be easy, but it won't be all gloom and doom. Now we have to take on debt to deal with the foolish debt that the wealthy took on with their high-stakes gambles that failed. This is a problem with many layers and the solution won't be as simple as flicking on a light switch.

In the aftermath of 9/11, we were told it was our patriotic duty to buy cars with 5-year loans that we didn't need, and to buy on credit in the stores. But Clark wants to hear the president say that we're living on borrowed money and we have to stop -- beginning in Washington D.C., corporate America and our households across America.

We need to get back to basics.