"The Whole Truth and Nothing but..."
By Jim Cramer
RealMoney Columnist
2/10/2010 11:45 AM EST
"Testimony" to Congress from Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman:
"With the economy weak, I think we should keep rates down permanently and if the economy begins to recover, we should also keep them down permanently. In fact, rates must remain at zero, because as a country, we have to adopt a reckless policy of appeasing those who think that we are never going to have a recovery. We should also pour several trillion dollars more into futile stimulus, which we will augment by keeping mortgage rates low in order to refuel a housing bubble."
There. Doesn't that seem to sum up what the market allegedly wants? How stupid would that be? And yet, that's what the market must be calling for, judging by the reaction we have seen to the obvious statement Bernanke made: "as long as the economy stays weak, we will accommodate, and when it gets back on its feet, we will stop accommodating."
What we should have feared is either the bogus release above, OR a statement that says the economy had turned around already and we need to raise rates, because that's just not true. Bernanke knows that a stimulus package that actually creates jobs is about to be passed and he wants it to be targeted and not to bust the budget.
It is all good.
That said, it is 2010, which means a thin market with a downward bias. That's the theme of this year, augmented by commodity prices and dry bulk indices that alternately put us at the precipice and then pull us back, depending upon when oil goes below $70.
It is a thicket, a gauntlet and a serpentine. But, believe me, Bernanke is a helpful GPS, not a dangerous obstacle a la the President of the United States. "
(in
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