CNBC super-star Jim Cramer said the loss of either Fed Head Ben Bernanke or Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner could cause the Dow to immediately drop a thousand points. If either happened un-expectedly, Cramer might be right, but I doubt either will happen. Ben Bernanke is clearly guilty of not seeing the recession coming, but very few economists did. However, once it happened Bernanke was extraordinarily innovative combating it. He used everything in his toolbox and then invented some more. If only to unwind what has been done, it is in the best interest of the United States that he be re-appointed, and I’m confident he will be.
I’m more agnostic about Tim Geithner. There is no pending Senate action on him anyway. However, he has done a good enough job to keep his job, but this is an election year, and a sacrificial lamb may be required. The market will most assuredly not drop a thousand points if he resigns “to spend more time with his family”. He will then be inundated with job offers and become a wealthy man.
President George H. W. Bush used to talk about a “thousand points of light” illuminating our nation’s future. Two of them would be Bernanke and Geithner.
