CNN host Wolf Blitzer admitted on the air Monday that while he may not know what a marijuana plant looks like, he'd certainly be able to identify the smell.
Retorting, co-anchor Jessica Yellin jokingly asked, "How would you know what it smells like?" -- a question that drew more than a laugh from CNN pundit Lou Dobbs.
Both hosts were engaged in a discussion of Rep. Barney Frank's (D-MA) recent comment that because he is not an "outdoorsman," he would not recognize a marijuana plant if he came across one. The aside was made in response to a follow-up question by a reporter who discovered that Frank was present when his partner was arrested for possession of marijuana in 2007.
"Frank says he did not see the plants and wouldn't know what they were anyway," said Yellin during the CNN segment. "Who knew that only outdorsie types know a marijuana plant when they see it? So, Wolf, would you know a marijuana plant if you saw one?"
Blitzer seemed flustered.
"I'm not sure, I, I ..." he began. "Not sure I would know. I could smell it, I think. I know what it would smell like. But I think, I'm not sure --"
"How would you know what it would smell like?" Yellin interjected.
"Let's check in with Lou Dobbs," Blitzer said. "He's got a lot more coming up on this story, I'm sure, at the top of the, er, I ... You can smell marijuana Lou, but you probably wouldn't recognize a plant. Am I right or wrong?"
Dobbs was already wearing an open-mouth smile.
"Well, you're dead wrong," he said. "I would recognize it rather readily."
Blitzer laughed. "Alright, good!" he said.
"I think we've got to give Barney Frank great credit for -- I love the fact that he said that he's not an outdoorsman," Dobbs continued. "I mean, that's funny as it can be!"
He concluded: "Well, thanks a lot. I mean, you and Jessica got out of that just in time to save both your careers."
This video was broadcast by CNN on Monday, Nov. 9, 2009.
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