McCain campaign originally stood by Gramm’s comments.
McCain campaign originally stood by Gramm’s comments.
Earlier today, Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) presidential campaign tried to distance itself from top economic adviser Phil Gramm’s claim that America is a “nation of whiners” by claiming Gramm’s words were “not representative” of McCain’s views. But as Huffington Post’s Sam Stein reports, the McCain campaign originally had a different response, in which a campaign official told Politico that Gramm was “simply saying that we are laying out the economic plan this week”:
But in an initial statement published by Politico and then, seemingly, removed from its site, a McCain campaign aide actually stood by Gramm’s remarks, saying the interview as a whole was merely meant as a preview of the Senator’s economic agenda.
“Mr. Gramm was simply saying that we are laying out the economic plan this week,” the piece quoted a “McCain official” as saying. “The plan is comprehensive, providing immediate near-term relief for Americans hurting today as well as longer-term solutions to get our economy back on track, secure our energy future and deliver jobs, prosperity and opportunity for the next generation. We’re laying out that plan this week with an emphasis on the critical importance of job creation, and it’s been a great success so far.”
Gramm is standing by his comments, telling the Washington Post, “I’m not going to retract any of it. Every word I said was true.”
"The whiners are the leaders, hell, the American people are victims, but it didn’t quite come out that way in the story,” Gramm said. These national and congressional leaders “blame speculators and oil companies for our problems, instead of presenting concrete programs for using energy more efficiently, or leaders who don’t think we can compete with Mexico."
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Jayzus, can McDepends be any more addled?
He is making Dubya look like an actual Yale graduate!
I guess when you finish 5th from the bottom of your class at the Naval Academy, we shouldn’t expect A Rhodes Scholar to emerge.
July 10th, 2008 at 2:09 pm“Mr. Gramm was simply saying that we are laying out the economic plan this week,” the piece quoted a “McCain official” as saying. “The plan is comprehensive, providing immediate near-term relief for hedge fund speculators hurting today as well as longer-term solutions to get our economy on it’s back, secure our personal fortunes and deliver jobs, prosperity and opportunity for the Chinese. We’re laying out that plan this week with an emphasis on the critical importance of job deletion, and it’s been a great success so far.”
July 10th, 2008 at 2:11 pm.
I’ll bring the cheese for Johnny McWhiner.
I know there’ll be plenty of crackers there.
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July 10th, 2008 at 2:14 pmLemme guess — all the talking points in this campaign are written in pencil, aren’t they?
July 10th, 2008 at 2:16 pmSorry for the O/T but is that McCain’s niece in the “The Progress Report” ad on the upper right on this page?
July 10th, 2008 at 2:18 pmAnd next week we’ll be laying out another economic plan that will probably be the opposite of this week’s plan, but it won’t be a flip-flop because it will still be based on pure fantasy and therefore it will be exactly the same! So neener neener!
When is the MSM going to acknowledge how erratic clueless, disingenuous and dishonest ( not to mention politically inept and downright stupid) McCain is? Should I hold my breath?
July 10th, 2008 at 2:22 pmNow Gramm is whining about being misquoted. Excellent. Amazing how these people can keep talking with both feet in their mouths.
July 10th, 2008 at 2:22 pmA-Pat…
funneee! :)
July 10th, 2008 at 2:23 pmGramm is standing by his comments, telling the Washington Post, “I’m not going to retract any of it. Every word I said was true.”
Sometimes, that right-wing “steadfastness” can actually work to their detriment, and to the advantage of the American people.
Gramm is gonna stick by his claim that the economic pain of ordinary Americans is all in our heads. Hell, if things is so bad, why don’t we all dip into our trust funds? That’s what they’s there for, right?
July 10th, 2008 at 2:27 pmThe Gramm Economic Plan: Let them eat cake.
July 10th, 2008 at 2:31 pmThe last thing a public figure, celeb, politician etc. wants to do is poke an already pissed off public. Can you imagine the insular self righteousness of this boob? Some 80% of the American public think the country is going wrong and he tells us basically to go stuff it and stop whining.
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Off topic questions:
(sorry, not satisfied with the lack of coverage)
~ Does the vote and signing today mean that Richard M. Nixon was correct?
~ Does it mean it’s not illegal when the president does it?
~ Was Watergate a sham?
~ How will Obama work to override his vote as a Senator IF he becomes president?
~ Who can guarantee that ANY Congress will pass a legislation that undoes this unconstitutional violation of the Republic’s Right, Freedom and Liberty?
~ Who can guarantee that the Supreme Court will ever take up a case challenging this law?
~ Who can guarantee that a Supreme Court will find this law, unconstitutional, thus undoing it.
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July 10th, 2008 at 2:33 pmGramm has all that money the fat cats stole from Enron investors and employees. The world probably does look just fine from his perspective.
July 10th, 2008 at 2:47 pmPolitico removed the statement?? They are such freaks over there…its like a dignifed version of Drudge.
July 10th, 2008 at 2:47 pmGramm is entirely correct. The economy is in good shape with increasing exports. Actually, the balance of trade deficit is only about $700 billion down from nearly $800 billion. GDP is growing. THIS IS THE POINT TO REMEMBER, REPUBLICAN ELITES ONLY CARE ABOUT THE GROSS ECONOMIC NUMBERS AND NOT ABOUT PEOPLE.</strong>
What is the purpose of the economy? Republicans believe that it is to generate the most amount of money and growth for a certain segment of the population. It does not matter whether individuals do well. Democrats believe in economic growth as well. However, they also believe that the economy should grow in a manner which enhances the economic well being of the people in general.
How do we get the point across?
1. We have had the most anemic economic growth coming out of a recession since WWII. Bush has lagged behind in term of GDP growth, employment growth and income distribution.
2. We have seen the benefits of this economy go almost exclusively to the to .05% of the United States.
3. Republican economic policies have been good at growing certain areas: Poverty, the uninsured, the unemployed, the under employed, foreclosures.
4. How can we measure the success of lare tax cuts to the wealthy and to corporations?
a. We have seen low levels of retained earnings used for investment.
b. We have seen most investment in operations overseas along with the offshoring of our jobs.
c. We have seen retained earnings go to buy back stock and enrich the wealthy.
d. We have seen a failure to develop new industries and new products for the rest of the world. MFG accounts for only 12% of our economy. The financial industry (giving those wonderful credit card debts, subprime mortgages and Enron style stock valuations) accounts for more than 20%.
The economy exists to better enhance all people and not the small, selfish rich. Look at our deficits. Who will pay for those? Not those who can best afford or benefit from our corporate oriented government and military ventures. It will come from the wage earners.
July 10th, 2008 at 2:50 pmNot only did he insult everyone, when given the opportunity to at least take back the insults, he refused. McCain should totally separate from this ass, including discontinuing all contact for advise.
Mr Gramm, there’s a Rev. Wright on the phone for you.
July 10th, 2008 at 2:54 pmRe #4:
More like an Etch-A-Sketch, or one of those kids’ drawing boards with the plastic film — write, lift the film to erase, write again.
July 10th, 2008 at 2:55 pmGramm could be caught with farm animals and John McCain would still have him in his campaign.
July 10th, 2008 at 2:55 pmFunny, but I do not recall this much flip-flopping by anyone, yet the MSM keeps trying to paint Obama doing more of it than ol’ Johnny boy.
Hard to believe the polls are as close as they are.
Maybe Gramm will be his running mate. Seeing as how Jesse Helms kicked the ol’ Bigot Bucket.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:06 pmBut in an initial statement published by Politico and then, seemingly, removed from its site….
If this isn’t proof positive that Political is a right wing tool, I don’t know what is.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:35 pmEvery time we the people see the dollar drop further in value, we know where the problem is. Every time we see Exxon Mobil post record profits, we know where the problem is. Every time we see Congress pass another trade agreement, we know where the problem is. The problem is with the Bush Crime Family. They can try all they want to place the blame for the tanking economy on everyone but themselves, but “we the people” know what is going on, finally….
July 10th, 2008 at 3:39 pmWell, of course McLame stood by what Phil Gramm said!!
Until someone told him that it pissed people off…
July 10th, 2008 at 3:46 pmFirst, Gramm claims that America is a “nation of whiners.” When it finally dawned on him that his remarks had ignited a fire storm, he backtracked and told us that what he really meant was that “the whiners are the leaders.”
Yeah, right. What an clueless moron!
If the “fruit” of seven years of brain-dead, Republican policies, i.e. stagnant wages, run away inflation, a tanking economy, and $4/gallon gas, upsets you, then you’re a whiner.
So, according to Gramm, over 80% of the American people are whiners. Good to know.
And the McSame campaign stood by that remark — until they flip-flopped… again.
It think McSame should make Gramm his running mate. He’s a bigger horse’s ass than Holy Joe Lieberman!
July 10th, 2008 at 4:52 pmTalk about flip-floppers! McCain and Gramm are both weasels. They should either say what they mean, and mean what they say on the first try of they should shut the hell up!
July 10th, 2008 at 5:39 pmGeesh! Am I bitter or a whiner? Why doesn’t anyone in power like me?
July 10th, 2008 at 6:48 pm