On Wed, 22 Aug 2007, Doug Henwood wrote:
> [This is a little odd: we're borrowing from the discount window to
> show it's ok? Not because we're strapped for cash and don't want to
> say that lest we scare the hell out of everyone? According to the FT,
> Deutsche Bank did a similar thing last Friday, and for similar reasons.]
I think the point is that they are supposed to borrow billions from the discount window and use it to buy asset-backed commercial paper. They'll pass all the risk onto the fed by using them as collateral, so it will be like printing money for them on the difference. They can't quite say that so instead they are mouthing this post-game interview cliche about how we're all one big family. But the point is to advertise to each other and to the market that they've all got fresh new billions and this is where it came from so that when the large scale commercial paper purchases happen it feels like a wave of confidence backed by endless funds.
I think the post-game cliche was basically written by Paulsen and the Fed -- that they told them to say this to forcibly overturn the received image of the discount window. They want the window to now mean: this is where fed gives money to the seven sisters of banks to steer the economy. It's a mark of honor rather than shame -- it means you're one of the big boys.
Michael