These days it seems everyone and every company are in need of a government bail-out. That is, everyone except Google, who continues to rake in the cash at figures us mere plebians can only dream of. While Google continues its upward climb, another industry - the newspaper industry - continues to hasten its downward slide, and is now looking towards the Mountain View, CA company for a rescue plan. If Google CEO Eric Schmidt has anything to say about it though, they'll need to look elsewhere.

Google will undoubtedly continue to over search on newspapers' websites, and even broker ads for them, but that's about it. When asked why they don't just buy up the newspaper industry, Schmidt told Fortune

"I don't think our purchasing a newspaper would solve the business problems. It would help solidify the ownership structure, but it doesn't solve the underlying problem in the business. Until we can answer that question we're in this uncomfortable conversation.... The fundamental question you're asking is, Why does Google not write large checks to newspapers? We're careful at Google with our money. We write large checks when we have a great strategy. And we don't yet have that strategy.

Even one of the world's most innovative companies can't figure out how to bail the newspaper industry out of their mess, which doesn't bode well for their future. "I wish I had a brilliant idea, but I don't," said Schmidt.