On the July 1 edition of "Martin Bashir," the MSNBC anchor after which the show is named made a statement that reveals a great deal about his worldview.
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"Next, Tim Geithner says he's staying in charge of the U.S. economy for now," proclaimed Bashir. "But should he? Stay with us."
Teasing an upcoming segment with Washington Post liberal blogger Ezra Klein, Bashir described Tim Geithner not as U.S. Treasury Secretary, his official title, but as the executive "in charge" of running the world's largest economy.
Not even the Treasury Department views itself as "in charge of the U.S. economy." According to the department's website, the Treasury sees its mission as more of a "steward" than central planner:
Maintain a strong economy and create economic and job opportunities by promoting the conditions that enable economic growth and stability at home and abroad, strengthen national security by combating threats and protecting the integrity of the financial system, and manage the U.S. Government’s finances and resources effectively.
The former ABC "Nightline" anchor only joined MSNBC a few months ago, but he's already developed a penchant for making bizarre claims about issues ranging from arguing Sarah Palin's bus tour was "in breach of federal law" to asking if Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was suffering from "mild dementia."
--Alex Fitzsimmons is a News Analysis intern at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow him on Twitter.
