Fannie, Freddie bailout would imperil budget, dollar

Fri Jul 11, 2008 1:32pm EDT

By Pedro Nicolaci da Costa - Analysis

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's rapid slide into the center of the global financial crisis has Wall Street frantically talking about a possible government takeover of the government-sponsored mortgage agencies.

But many also worry that a bailout of the GSEs would be so costly that it would cripple the budget and threaten an already badly bruised U.S. currency.

"A perception that the U.S. is no longer a safe haven for capital could produce tremendous strain on the dollar, as would fears of ballooning Treasury commitments associated with a bailout," said James Hamilton, economics professor at the University of California, San Diego.