Yesterday, Hillary Clinton told the world that if she becomes President of the United States, she won’t rely on economic experts for advice about how to run the economy, because economic experts are just offering “elite opinion”.

When it came to crafting economic policy, “I’m not going to put my lot in with economists,” said Clinton. Hillary Clinton failed to describe any alternative to relying on economic experts for advice on crafting economic policy, other than just making things up as she goes along - the kind of George W. Bush approach to the economy that has left America in a mess.

The context was the McCain-Clinton proposal of a gas tax holiday for three months, taking just 18 cents off a gallon of gasoline when the price has gone up by over a dollar in the last year and is still rising higher. You see, economists had been saying that the gas tax holiday didn’t make any sense, because it would just drive gasoline prices higher by increasing demand. Thus, the federal budget deficit would become bigger, and Americans wouldn’t save any money.

Who would benefit from the McCain-Clinton plan? Big oil companies would - by charging the same old prices, but without having to pay the government any taxes. Why on earth would Hillary Clinton do such a big favor for the oil companies, without doing American drivers any good? So went the economist critique, and today, over 230 economists sent a letter to Hillary Clinton, asking her just that.

From the Washington Post article quoting the letter: “First, research shows that waiving the gas tax would generate major profits for oil companies rather than significantly lowering prices for consumers,” they wrote. “Second, it would encourage people to keep buying costly imported oil and do nothing to encourage conservation. Third, a tax holiday would provide very little relief to families feeling squeezed.”

Could it be any more clear? The gas tax holiday won’t save consumers any money, and big oil corporations would make out like bandits.

I know why John McCain won’t listen to the economists. He’s a Republican, and he only cares about the rich and the corporations the rich invest in.

But why won’t Hillary Clinton listen? Is she just afraid of admitting that she’s wrong? That’s a frightening personality characteristic to have in a presidential candidate.

Besides, the truth is that Hillary Clinton does quote economists all the time - when it suits her needs. Jim over at Irregular Times has put together a long list of quotes of Hillary Clinton citing the opinions of economic experts - elites, as she puts it.

So, not only is Hillary Clinton just plain wrong on the gas tax, and stubbornly refusing to admit it, she is flip flopping on whether economic experts know what they’re talking about, or are just useless elites. It’s political opportunism at its worst.

Thanks to Barack Obama for treating American voters with respect, and saying from the start the simple truth that Hillary Clinton passed up in order to pander.