Cramer’s been known to rail against elected officials. As a matter of fact, this whole week has been dedicated to helping viewers sidestep the damage caused by meddlesome governments. But every once in a while he forms a Vulcan mind meld of sorts with a politician over an issue that’s important to both of them.
On Thursday, it happened again. Cramer desperately wants the US government to sell $2 trillion worth of 30-year Treasurys to help this country avert a liquidity crisis. And Senator Tom Coburn, R-Okla., agrees with him.
Cramer is worried that the US could be in a tough position when all of the short-term debt it has been selling to finance its budget comes due in one, two or three years, and the country is forced to refinance at much higher rates. Instead, he wants the US to refinance now and lock in the low rates presently offered on long-term debt. He thinks that, with the current flight to safety, the US could sell that $2 trillion in 30-years, capturing a good rate the same way a responsible homeowner might on a 30-year mortgage.
Unfortunately, Treasury Secretary Geithner is dead set against the idea. But that’s just shortsightedness, Coburn told Cramer today. That shorter-term debt may pay out lower interest rates – say, 3% or 4% -- than long-term notes at 6%, but the cost will soar “ever higher,” Coburn said, if the US has to scramble to raise cash in the face of a crisis.
“They’re afraid to spend a dollar today,” Coburn said, “to prevent us from spending $10 or $12 in the future.”
“And the liquidity crisis is going to come on within the next 18 months to two years,” he added. “There’s no question about that.”
Coburn wants to spend more than $2 trillion, too, he said. He’s pushing for another $1.6 trillion to bail out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as a way to help keep struggling homeowners from defaulting on their mortgages. For more on that, watch the full interview.
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