Tony's Blog

Jim Cramer's a smart guy. He's host of CNBC's Mad Money, commentator for TheStreet.com, "Bottom Line" columnist for New York Magazine, a graduate of Harvard, an attorney, and former founder and owner of Cramer Berkowitz, a hedge fund that made him more money than God. And, at 53, he's a boomer whose got a lot left in the tank.

He's pretty hard not to like. He's passionate, entertaining, and amid all the bluster when he's guiding viewers in what to buy and what to sell --- you get the sense that he's not in it to take the money and run. I mean, the guy really seems to care.

But, with Wall Street having a great time seeing to it that investors pop an ever increasing amount of Prozac, Cramer's had a bad couple of weeks.

Newsweek slammed Cramer for, in its words, "four months after advising viewers to "buy buy buy," hysterical CNBC stock picker Jim Cramer says oops, it's time to pull your money out the market." And, in a self-serving advertising campaign, Fox pulled no punches in attacking Cramer. "The last thing you need is bad advice," Fox concluded. "The last thing you need is CNBC's Jim Cramer."

These attacks are unfair and irresponsible, and stir up even greater fear at a time when investors are frightened enough. Right now, we need calm, measured guidance, not hyperbole. In my opinion, Cramer's advise last week on NBC's Today Show (the root of this criticism) to sell ahead of the market's worst week since the depression was, well, sound advice.

What do you think?