There are times when I'm truly sickened by the total lack of economic acumen possessed by today's so-called journalists.
On PBS's McLaughlin Group this weekend, Newsweek's Eleanor Clift once again said something so totally ignorant that she had to be corrected by US News & World Report's Mort Zuckerman (video follows with transcript and commentary):
ELEANOR CLIFT, NEWSWEEK: To the extent that Brazil ups its oil production, anything that diminishes the Middle East is a good thing. But we can't just funnel oil from Brazil. And I think what they're upset about in Brazil is the tightening down of the sanctions on Iran because they see that disrupting the oil market. So when these leaders get together, they each come at it from their own perspective, and I think it's a good thing that the president has good relations with this country. It's an emerging power.
Please notice the quizzical look on Pat Buchanan’s face as he also must have realized what a totally absurd statement Clift just made as did Zuckerman:
MORT ZUCKERMAN, US NEWS & WORLD REPORT: I have to say with all due respect, what’s happening with Iran has raised oil prices, which raises the revenues that Brazil gets from selling their oil.
Exactly. Clift didn’t agree:
CLIFT: Yeah, it was one of issues that she raised.
ZUCKERMAN: I'm sure it is. She's hoping that they raise prices even more.
CLIFT: Well, I don’t know about that.
The "she" in question was Dilma Rousseff, the president of Brazil who Obama met with last Monday, and as oil is a major industry for her nation, she most certainly is thrilled when energy prices go up regardless of what Clift does or does not know.
Honestly, the depths of this woman’s ignorance know no bounds.
Readers are reminded that in January, Clift said something so dumb on this program that Zuckerman did a double facepalm.
Good thing she’s got Newsweek and numerous television platforms to most effectively misinform the public from.
