Friday, December 25, 2009

U.S. Move to Cover Fannie, Freddie Losses Stirs Controversy

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126168307200704747.html?mod=rss_Today's_Most_Popular

How many more miles can they get off of the excuse that it's for the continued strength and stability of one of the subcategories of the financial recovery?
How much money can they print and who's left to buy the debt so that they can do it?


strong><"necessary for preserving the continued strength and stability of the mortgage market," the Treasury said. /strong

The Obama administration's decision to cover an unlimited amount of losses at the mortgage-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over the next three years stirred controversy over the holiday.

The Treasury announced Thursday it was removing the caps that limited the amount of available capital to the companies to $200 billion each.

Unlimited access to bailout funds through 2012 was "necessary for preserving the continued strength and stability of the mortgage market," the Treasury said. Fannie and Freddie purchase or guarantee most U.S. home mortgages and have run up huge losses stemming from the worst wave of defaults since the 1930s.

"The timing of this executive order giving Fannie and Freddie a blank check is no coincidence," said Rep. Spencer Bachus of Alabama, the ranking Republican on the House Financial Services Committee. He said the Christmas Eve announcement was designed "to prevent the general public from taking note."

Treasury officials couldn't be reached for comment Friday.