McCain's Campaign Time to Stumble . . .
<font size="5"><center>
Gramm Comment on ‘Nation of Whiners’
Draws Condemnation</font size></center>
Former Sen. Phil Gramm, a John McCain adviser,
drew criticism for saying the country is in a "mental
recession." (AP Photo)
FOXNews.com
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Barack Obama ridiculed a John McCain economic adviser Thursday who said the United States has become a “nation of whiners” suffering from a “mental recession,” as McCain distanced himself from the remarks.
Phil Gramm, who now is the No. 2 at the Swiss bank UBS, told The Washington Times the U.S. has benefited from globalization but most Americans are misguided by constant reports that the economy is at its worst in 30 years.
“You’ve heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession,” Gramm, a former Texas senator, told the newspaper, adding that the presumptive Republican nominee will face an uphill battle fighting those perceptions.
“We have sort of become a nation of whiners,” he said. “You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in ‘decline’ despite a major export boom that is the primary reason that growth continues in the economy.”
Gramm later told a cable network that he was calling the country’s leaders whiners, not the American people as a whole, but stood by his “mental recession” remark.
Obama, speaking about economic security to a women’s group in Fairfax, Va., said Gramm’s comments show the McCain campaign has no remedy for the nation’s economic woes.
“This comes after Senator McCain recently admitted that his energy proposals … will have mainly ‘psychological’ benefits. I want all of you to know that America already has one Dr. Phil. We don’t need another one when it comes to the economy,” he said.
“Let’s be clear, when people are struggling with the rising costs of everything from gas to groceries, when we’ve lost 438,000 jobs over the past six months, when the typical family has lost $1,000 in income … since George Bush took office … this economic downturn is not in your heads.
“It isn’t whining to ask government to step in and give families some relief.”
Minutes later McCain disavowed the Gramm comments, saying, “We are experiencing enormous economic challenges as well as others. Phil Gramm does not speak for me. I speak for me. So I strongly disagree.”
Asked if Gramm might be in line for a job as treasury secretary, McCain joked: “I think Senator Gramm would be in serious consideration for ambassador to Belarus, although I am not sure that the citizens of Minsk would welcome that.”
But McCain has touted Gramm’s economic insights as among the nation’s best.
“There is no one in America that is more respected on the issue of economics than Senator Phil Gramm,” he said in February.
And while McCain was saying Gramm doesn’t speak for him Thursday, Gramm was in fact speaking for McCain — during a meeting with the Wall Street Journal editorial board.
But McCain tried to stay on offense, using the “Dr. Phil” jab to repeat his criticism that Obama indiscriminately shoots down all his energy proposals.
“You’re talking about Dr. Phil — he’s Dr. No,” McCain said. “He’s against offshore drilling, he’s against offering a reward for the development of the electric car, he’s against everything we need to do to make this nation energy independent.”
Gramm said earlier that all the reporting on trade deficits, illegal immigration, housing and credit problems and record oil prices have not stopped the economy from growing. Still, McCain will face a difficult public relations job.
Gramm also said that President Bush and Republicans in Congress are to blame for the damaged Republican image. He told the newspaper that he believes voter’s opinions on issues remain the same but that they have lost faith that lawmakers in Washington, D.C., care about them. He blamed the blurring differences between Republicans and Democrats on government expansion and spending over the past eight years as a major cause of the problem, the paper reports.
A McCain campaign official said the Republican presidential candidate does not share Gramm’s view.
“Phil Gramm’s comments are not representative of John McCain’s views. John McCain travels the country every day talking to Americans who are hurting, feeling pain at the pump and worrying about how they’ll pay their mortgage. That’s why he has a realistic plan to deliver immediate relief at the gas pump, grow our economy and put Americans back to work,” the official said.
A spokesman for Obama said Gramm’s analysis ignores facts on the ground.
“One of Senator McCain’s top economic advisers may think that when people are struggling with lost jobs, stagnant wages, and the rising costs of everything from gas to groceries, it’s merely a ‘mental recession’. … But the American people know that our economic problems aren’t just in their heads. They don’t need psychological relief -– they need real relief – and that’s what Barack Obama will provide as President,” said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/07/10/gramm-us-has-become-nation-of-whiners/
<font size="5"><center>
Gramm Comment on ‘Nation of Whiners’
Draws Condemnation</font size></center>
Former Sen. Phil Gramm, a John McCain adviser,
drew criticism for saying the country is in a "mental
recession." (AP Photo)
FOXNews.com
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Barack Obama ridiculed a John McCain economic adviser Thursday who said the United States has become a “nation of whiners” suffering from a “mental recession,” as McCain distanced himself from the remarks.
Phil Gramm, who now is the No. 2 at the Swiss bank UBS, told The Washington Times the U.S. has benefited from globalization but most Americans are misguided by constant reports that the economy is at its worst in 30 years.
“You’ve heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession,” Gramm, a former Texas senator, told the newspaper, adding that the presumptive Republican nominee will face an uphill battle fighting those perceptions.
“We have sort of become a nation of whiners,” he said. “You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in ‘decline’ despite a major export boom that is the primary reason that growth continues in the economy.”
Gramm later told a cable network that he was calling the country’s leaders whiners, not the American people as a whole, but stood by his “mental recession” remark.
Obama, speaking about economic security to a women’s group in Fairfax, Va., said Gramm’s comments show the McCain campaign has no remedy for the nation’s economic woes.
“This comes after Senator McCain recently admitted that his energy proposals … will have mainly ‘psychological’ benefits. I want all of you to know that America already has one Dr. Phil. We don’t need another one when it comes to the economy,” he said.
“Let’s be clear, when people are struggling with the rising costs of everything from gas to groceries, when we’ve lost 438,000 jobs over the past six months, when the typical family has lost $1,000 in income … since George Bush took office … this economic downturn is not in your heads.
“It isn’t whining to ask government to step in and give families some relief.”
Minutes later McCain disavowed the Gramm comments, saying, “We are experiencing enormous economic challenges as well as others. Phil Gramm does not speak for me. I speak for me. So I strongly disagree.”
Asked if Gramm might be in line for a job as treasury secretary, McCain joked: “I think Senator Gramm would be in serious consideration for ambassador to Belarus, although I am not sure that the citizens of Minsk would welcome that.”
But McCain has touted Gramm’s economic insights as among the nation’s best.
“There is no one in America that is more respected on the issue of economics than Senator Phil Gramm,” he said in February.
And while McCain was saying Gramm doesn’t speak for him Thursday, Gramm was in fact speaking for McCain — during a meeting with the Wall Street Journal editorial board.
But McCain tried to stay on offense, using the “Dr. Phil” jab to repeat his criticism that Obama indiscriminately shoots down all his energy proposals.
“You’re talking about Dr. Phil — he’s Dr. No,” McCain said. “He’s against offshore drilling, he’s against offering a reward for the development of the electric car, he’s against everything we need to do to make this nation energy independent.”
Gramm said earlier that all the reporting on trade deficits, illegal immigration, housing and credit problems and record oil prices have not stopped the economy from growing. Still, McCain will face a difficult public relations job.
Gramm also said that President Bush and Republicans in Congress are to blame for the damaged Republican image. He told the newspaper that he believes voter’s opinions on issues remain the same but that they have lost faith that lawmakers in Washington, D.C., care about them. He blamed the blurring differences between Republicans and Democrats on government expansion and spending over the past eight years as a major cause of the problem, the paper reports.
A McCain campaign official said the Republican presidential candidate does not share Gramm’s view.
“Phil Gramm’s comments are not representative of John McCain’s views. John McCain travels the country every day talking to Americans who are hurting, feeling pain at the pump and worrying about how they’ll pay their mortgage. That’s why he has a realistic plan to deliver immediate relief at the gas pump, grow our economy and put Americans back to work,” the official said.
A spokesman for Obama said Gramm’s analysis ignores facts on the ground.
“One of Senator McCain’s top economic advisers may think that when people are struggling with lost jobs, stagnant wages, and the rising costs of everything from gas to groceries, it’s merely a ‘mental recession’. … But the American people know that our economic problems aren’t just in their heads. They don’t need psychological relief -– they need real relief – and that’s what Barack Obama will provide as President,” said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/07/10/gramm-us-has-become-nation-of-whiners/
