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Cramer's 'Mad Money' Recap: The Hideous $6 Billion Tax Rebate

TheStreet.com Staff

Click here for an archive of Cramer's "Mad Money" recaps.

Jim Cramer told viewers of his "Mad Money" TV show on Friday that the recent decision by Congress to give a $6 billion tax rebate to the country's largest homebuilders is "a conspiracy that's sabotaging the value of your home."

Cramer called the decision a "big mistake" because it's giving money away to the very group that helped create today's housing crisis. "If you're looking for someone to blame for the housing crisis in this country, the homebuilders should be at the top of the list," he said.

According to Cramer, the major homebuilders, along with their mortgage subsidiaries, sold hundreds of thousands of homes to unqualified and speculative buyers in deals that have destroyed home values across the country.

To make matters worse, the homebuilders will probably use their new found windfall to build even more homes, and thus depress existing home values even further, he says.

Cramer strongly advocated not rewarding the homebuilders with huge tax breaks. Instead, he said, Congress, in a throwback to President Franklin D. Roosevelt who subsidized farmers to hold back production, might consider paying homebuilders "to do nothing until home prices stabilize."

Cramer, though, reserved his harshest criticism for Congress, calling their actions "outrageous and immoral."

Cramer speculated the rebate might have something to do with the decision of homebuilders to hold back their political contributions after they were not included in the stimulus package.

"This is the same Congress," he reminded viewers, "that refuses to help the hard working homeowner by allowing the Federal Housing Administration to back home loans and help keep people in their houses."

He urged all of his viewers to call and write their elected officials and demand that the $6 billion tax rebate be repealed.

Sticking With Schering-Plough

Cramer once again welcomed Fred Hassan, Chairman and CEO of Schering-Plough SGP, to the show to discuss the ongoing controversy surrounding the company's anti-cholesterol drug Vytorin.

Cramer said Schering-Plough, which he also owns for his Action Alerts PLUS portfolio, earlier this week announced it would cut costs by $1 billion, on top of a previously announced $500 million in cost cuts.

He said Schering's stock now trades at just 9.7 times the new greatly reduced earnings estimates after it was crushed by the negative Vytorin news last weekend. He also noted that Schering still has the second highest number of expected drug approvals between now and 2012.

Hassan said he saw the groundswell surrounding Vytorin as a natural, emotional reaction to the negative news, adding the truth is now starting to come out.

He said that it's difficult to comprehend the panel's reaction to what he calls a non-scientific study or the resulting negativity. "Patients should stay on their meds," he said. "There is no science behind these few, vocal critics."

Hassan also reminded viewers that he is committed to shareholder value. In addition to the aggressive cost cutting, he said the company still has over $15 billion in sales from other products.

Cramer reiterated his buy on Schering-Plough, saying that while he may not have called the exact bottom in the stock, it continues to be a great company with sizeable potential. "I'm sticking with Schering," he said.

A Porfolio for the Times

Cramer unveiled a new, diversified dividend portfolio for investors.

In "a period of incredibly low interest rates," he advised investors not try and hit home-runs with their stock picks, but instead just try and get on base.

The new portfolio includes Dow Chemical DOW, with a 4.2% yield and 65% of its business residing outside of the U.S.

It also includes Permain Basin Royalty Trust PBT, a U.S. Energy Trust split 50/50 amongst oil and natural gas, yielding 9.8%.

The third stock in the portfolio is World Wrestling Entertainment WWE. With a 7.8% yield, Cramer said this entertainment giant is a steal.

Fourth is CPFL Energia CPL, the Brazilian electric utility yielding 5.9%.

The fifth is HCP HCP with a 5.2% dividend yield.

Altogether, Cramer said this portfolio yields three times that of the S&P average, which translates to a 4.7% yield after taxes.

"In a low-growth world, we want stocks with stability and consistency," said Cramer. "That's why these stocks are perfect for your 401k."

Mad Mail

Cramer told a new investor that that the first $10,000 of his portfolio should be invested in an index fund, and not in individual stocks.

Afterward, he said, investors should stay away from speculative stocks like Darling International DAR and stick with stable stocks like Goldman Sachs GS.

Lightning Round

Cramer was bullish on Goldman Sachs GS, Urban Outfitters URBN, VF Corp VFC, Jones Apparel JNY, Target Corp TGT, Potash POT, Mosaic MOS, Agrium AGU and Southwestern Energy SWN.

Cramer was bearish on China Finance Online JRJC, Merrill Lynch MER, Tata Motors TTM, Best BUY BBY, Cherokee CHKE, Terra Industries Inc TRA, Southwest Airlines LUV, Vasco Data Security VDSI, ING Group ING and Riverbed Technologies RVBD.

Want more Cramer? Check out Jim's rules and commandments for investing by clicking here.

For more of Cramer's insights during the Lightning Round, click here.