Crypto-Gramm
EmailConservative columnist Robert Novak reports today that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and former Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, have patched things up since Gramm made his clunky comments about the U.S. being "sort of…a nation of whiners," and in a "mental recession."
"Gramm apologized to McCain for his remarks that gave Democrats an opening against the Republican presidential candidate and provided several days of ammunition for blogs, cable television and radio talk shows," Novak writes. "McCain told Gramm not to worry about the expected pitfalls of a campaign surrogate. Gramm will continue as an adviser and surrogate. Gramm remained a steadfast supporter last year when it appeared that McCain’s campaign had collapsed. McCain was a loyal backer of Gramm’s failed 1988 campaign for president and did not leave until the candidate dropped out of the race."
Actually, Sen. Gramm ran for president in 1996, not 1988. But it’s true that McCain was a big backer of Gramm’s back then.
Earlier this week, I asked Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., chair of the House Financial Services Committee, what his take was on Gramm’s comments.
"That’s who he is," Frank said. "And John McCain supported him for president. Obama never supported Jeremiah Wright for president. John McCain supported Phil Gramm for president, he’s a major influence on McCain. This is a mean guy, who thinks if you’re poor it’s your own fault, and has also been a contributor to the regulatory problem. He’s the scariest part of John McCain and I think that it’s very helpful that people know about it."
- jpt
Sen. DeMint: GOP Race Could Go Until Convention 
Obama Avoids Questions on Contraception Rule
Oh great does that mean if we elect mccain grahm will be his economic adviser great we will go from whining to down right drenching tears wake up people be smart this time for your own goods vote obama 08
Posted by: angie | July 18, 2008, 9:59 am 9:59 am
Ex Senator Gramm is now the financial advisor to the McCain campaign. They are both very tight. Gramm is also a VP for USB. The bank that hides millions for rich US citizens looking to hold out on Uncle Sam’s taxes.
“if you’re poor, it’s your own fault.”
Kinda funny, the two of them together like that!
Posted by: DAVID NH | July 18, 2008, 10:01 am 10:01 am
If McCain loses, look no further than this decision by McCain. In a year when the economy is the most important issue for Americans, he is sticking by someone who called the electorate “whiners” and thinks we are in a “mental recession”. This is the biggest gift he could give the Obama campaign and my guess is they hammer McCain on this every day from October 1 until the election.
Posted by: 1percenter | July 18, 2008, 10:07 am 10:07 am
Things like this can come out and there are still idiots who say they want McCain for president. These two men don’t think there is anything wrong with the economy. WOW….
Posted by: truthtell | July 18, 2008, 10:12 am 10:12 am
I hope someone in the media puts half the level of scrutiny on this as they would on Barack Obama. Carly Fiorina on Meet the Press said “I don’t think Senator Gramm will any longer be speaking for John McCain, and I think John McCain was crystal clear about that this week.”
Flip-Flop?
Posted by: Sean Braisted | July 18, 2008, 10:15 am 10:15 am
I’ve never seen a party more intent on throwing an election… NEVER!!!
Posted by: jeez! | July 18, 2008, 10:28 am 10:28 am
Whiners will be the Republican party
when this White trash administration and
chicken wing MCcain lose to the American
publics presidential vote .
Posted by: slimjim66 | July 18, 2008, 10:33 am 10:33 am
You can’t trust McRove. One minute Gramm’s under the bus, next minute he’s back driving it.
Posted by: Snarxon | July 18, 2008, 10:35 am 10:35 am
Bob Novak lies about everything.
You Obama supporters were always saying he lies.
McCain’s campaign just confirmed to politico that Gramm will not be a surrogate any longer.
Posted by: Sam | July 18, 2008, 10:38 am 10:38 am
Sounds as if for McCaine, the whining Grahm flap, did not derail his determination to appoint Mr. Graham to lead economic policy in his administration. The preelection period is just a positioning period, before the deed is done and its just a question of politics.
Unfortunately, for most struggling Americans, the question that arises now is how will the appointment of Mr. Graham to treasury secretary produce economic policies that are in some way different from those of George Bush?
Sounds a lot like an admission by McCaine that he believes, what the country needs is four more years of the Mc Same OLD.
Posted by: Stuart MS | July 18, 2008, 10:39 am 10:39 am
To Jake Tapper
McCain campaign just told Politico that Bob Novak’s story is false and Gramm won’t be a surrogate.
Jonathan Martin of Politico has the story of McCain campaign saying the Novak story is false and Gramm is no longer a surrogate.
Bob Novak always gets stories wrong.
McCain has got to be infuriated by all the misinformation out there.
McCain is getting hurt badly by all the misinformation out there.
Posted by: Sam | July 18, 2008, 10:40 am 10:40 am
Obama, whose campaign jumped on Robert Novak’s suggestion earlier this year of Clinton dirty tricks, mocked Novak’s column today that Michelle has nixed Clinton as a vice president, Carrie Budoff Brown reports.
He dismissed it with a flit of his hand. He nearly didn’t say anything, but then offered: “My wife does not talk to Bob Novak on a regular basis.”
Communications director Robert Gibbs suggested afterward that the article should be set aside “in case of a toilet paper emergency.”
This was a previous story of Novak saying Michelle Obama had taken Hillary off the VP list.
You Obama supporters were saying it was false.
Novak is a horrible reporting that is always spreading misinformation.
Novak has no credibility.
McCain’s campaign just told Politico that Phil Gramm is no longer a surrogate and Novak’s story is false
Posted by: Sam | July 18, 2008, 10:46 am 10:46 am
McCain wants to cap the pay of CEO’s.
McCain wants a cap and trade on global warming.
McCain wants to fine companies for global warming.
McCain is far more populist that Phil Gramm.
McCain calls pharmacuetical companies greedy.
McCain is hated by big tobacco.
McCain is hated by big ethonol.
McCain is against subsidies for ethanol. Obama panders to ethanol.
McCain wants to allow drug importation from Canada.
McCain is hated by big business.
Obama gets more from big business than McCain.
McCain wants to allow negotation as part of Medicare to bring down drug prices.
Obama was the one who said he is ok with higher gas prices.
I hate this election it isn’t about the candidates because Obama won’t have town hall meetings.
McCain has 20 economic advisors.
McCain campaign didn’t set up Gramm’s talk to the washington times. He went on his own.
Gramm was talking about congress who is whining not average americans.
But the truth doesn’t count in politics. Gramm was talking about how Congress says we can’t compete with Mexico.
Posted by: Sam | July 18, 2008, 10:50 am 10:50 am
Imagine a liberal Dem congressman saying something negative about the Republican presidential nominee.
It seems…not shocking to me.
Posted by: MayBee | July 18, 2008, 10:51 am 10:51 am
Its too bad Sam wasn’t on the Sunday
talk shows instead of the Governor of South Carolina who was a McCain surrogate. Sam clearly knows the economic policy differences between John McCain and Phil Gramm. Of course, Governor Sanford was asked the differences between McCain and Bush and couldn’t think of any.
Posted by: Ricky | July 18, 2008, 10:56 am 10:56 am
Who cares if they patched things up. Gramm is the culprid of evil greedy legislation and he has the extreme audacity to insult the (we are in a recession). Of course Gramm will tell us the sky is indeed green with purple polka dots, but is it? No, and I resent the fact that that man is still walking free let alone still part of McCains campaign advisors. McCain has the worst thugs in the the world as his campaign advisors. That is a very bad omen for him!
Posted by: eyeonyou | July 18, 2008, 10:57 am 10:57 am
Sam
McCain and Gramm are part of what got us here.
do yuo even know who Gramm is and what issues he pushed through and who he has lobbied for…
Obviously not
He is McCain’s most long held advisor on economic choices…
like the big push for deregulating the mortgage industry
or the enron loophole
or lobbying for the banks
or deregulating some of the trade regulations
or …the list is long why this guy is attached to every problem we have now…
MCain has surrounded himself and built his entire campaign on the guys who got us HERE.
The guys whose focus was not to get us off oil but keep us on.
Posted by: dl | July 18, 2008, 11:00 am 11:00 am
I’m really confused. Today, McCain talked about extending his gas tax holiday plan.
If the tax can be shifted like this, why not eliminate it altogether? That money must not be going towards bridges, roads, and levees.
In fact, if lowering taxes helps the economy, let’s eliminate all taxes.
Posted by: Dan | July 18, 2008, 11:02 am 11:02 am
Sam you forgot one more: McCain is HATED by REPUBLICANS!!!
Posted by: jeez! | July 18, 2008, 11:03 am 11:03 am
and sam
“Gramm was talking about how congress says we can’t compete with Mexico”
your right the “truth” ddoesn’t matter with YOUR politics.
Listen to the words when he is saying them…he was complaining that the people in the country (bologne about the congress…he would have said congress …not “the country”) sucking it up
but yeah keep spinning the bull.
McCain said this guy is a hero of his…do you get that. He fought for him because he agrees with his economics.
so stop trying to spin that he doesn’t agree with Gramm and his horrible policies that he pushed through that got us here…
if that were the case the guy wouldn’t be one of …if not arguable the closest and longest held advisor to him on the economy.
Posted by: dl | July 18, 2008, 11:06 am 11:06 am
Considering that Gramm is the architect of the Mortgage Meltdown with his Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, if McCain is elected, we are all screwed.
Posted by: Jane Hussein | July 18, 2008, 11:07 am 11:07 am
dl
McCain voted to close the enron loophole.
Gramm is a former senator with a big mouth who went on his own to speak to the washington times.
Just remember Obama had father pfleger on his campaign.
You want to play guilt by association.
Fine then Obama stands by whatever wright, rezko, ayres, hamid, pfleger has ever said.
Posted by: Sam | July 18, 2008, 11:07 am 11:07 am
Sam
Gramm has been campaigning for McCain and McCain for Gramm for years.
Gramm has campaigned for McCain continuously as a surrogate for McCain this whole past year.
Gramm and McCain have agreed on lots and lots of issues…
and Gramm’s loud-mouthed behavior does not minimize who this guy is that Mccain has chosen as one of his top advisors.
Now one small advisor down the list…
McCain has Black fighting for oil and Gramm fighting for the banks and deregulators (and oil)…
Gramm authored the Loophole, pushed through deregulation and the loophole (2 of his bnig accomplishments) and now Mccain not only has him on his team…but has him as one of the main voices and surrogates for him on his team.
This is the difference McCain’s team is made up of the people who got us here.
Obama’s is not… so I guess McCain’s experience and judgement is based on that team huh?
Your arguments are spin…unfortunately this time the facts are overwhelming…
McCain’s “team” is overwhelming.
and just wait until he picks Romney and we start to look at the mess Romney left in Mass.
the choice is ging to be overwhelmingly clear…
especially as we see the people that are linging up to be on Obama’s team…
a potential administration team we have not seen in decades.
Posted by: dl | July 18, 2008, 11:16 am 11:16 am
Sam
mccain never voted to close the enron loophole
and if he did it was years and years ago, and he would do no such thing today
Posted by: bhrandon | July 18, 2008, 11:18 am 11:18 am
and sam if you want to do guilt by association people care more right now about the fact that the oil companies with their windfall profits and deregulation lobbyists have been directing this countries direction for almost 8 years…
Who are the people authoring his policies and RUNNING McCain’s campaign?
Posted by: dl | July 18, 2008, 11:24 am 11:24 am
Whining, complaining etc., activities common to many good folks, does no harm. In fact, some experts believe it is actually helpful. It certainly doesn’t make you a bad person. Mr. Graham’s comment, which accurately describes many Americans, brings to mind the Jack Nicholson line in the movie “A Few Good Men”. You know, the exchange where he says “You can’t handle the truth”. I’m still undecided, but this issue will not be a factor when I vote.
Posted by: Independent | July 18, 2008, 11:46 am 11:46 am
It really does take a maverick like McCain, to base his campaign on continuing the economic policies that caused a recession.
Posted by: AkaDad | July 18, 2008, 11:52 am 11:52 am
Phil Gramm…of USB which has recently advised certain of its staff not to enter the United States lest they be subject to arrest. Phil Gramm…deregulation maniac who helped give us the mortgage meltdown. Phil Gramm…who was McSame’s candidate for President in 1996.
Phil Gramm…should give you a pretty good indication of where we’re headed if McSame’s elected. More of the same…the rich will keep getting richer and the poor will be blamed for their moral deficiencies.
Posted by: Brooklyn Democrat | July 18, 2008, 11:55 am 11:55 am
Indy,
The whining line is not what should concern you. it’s the continuation of Gramm’s “trickle down economics” that is the real problem. Giving the lion’s share of our taxes to corporation and the wealthy, in the hopes that they will throw a bone to the “little people” is what has ruined this economy. Every time I hear the words “free market” I cringe. That is code for “lobbyists at work”.
Posted by: Jane Hussein | July 18, 2008, 11:57 am 11:57 am
ABC News/Wash. Post withheld results of poll favorable to Obama
The media wants to keep this race close, thats why there are tons of stories of scrutiny over obama about every little boring thing, meanwhile mccain gets slammed only when he does or one of his surrogets does something so outlandish that not reporting it makes the news media look stupid… LOL anyway
this is the summary to the article
Summary: ABC News and The Washington Post issued staggered releases of the results of their latest poll, withholding from their first release results favorable to Sen. Barack Obama, including the finding that 50 percent of registered voters would vote for Obama for president versus 42 percent for Sen. John McCain. The next day, the Post ran an article headlined “Poll Finds Voters Split on Candidates’ Iraq-Pullout Positions,” which did not mention Obama’s 8-point lead over McCain. Later that day, ABC News and the Post issued a second release with additional poll results that stated: “Obama continues to hold most of the advantages in the presidential race.”
Posted by: bhrandon | July 18, 2008, 12:03 pm 12:03 pm
Carly S. Foster Wrote:
Who has a better vision and judgment?
1) On August 1, 2007 Senator Barack Obama stated that, “If he wins the election in November and an actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets in Pakistan become available and President Musharraf won’t act, he will.”
Senator Obama was of course immediately labeled as being politically “naive”. However on January 29, 2008 our military implemented Barack Obama’s “new” foreign policy. Using good intelligence and on-the-ground cooperation by local informants, we launched a drone into Pakistan and killed a highly-place al-Qaeda leader. President Bush did this without coordinating or in cooperation with Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf.
2) In October of 2007, Senator Barack Obama in reference to Iran stated “We’ve done incredible damage to our security and standing around the world for lack of diplomacy”. Senator Barack Obama stated that as president, he would use direct diplomacy as part of working toward putting a stop to Iran enriching uranium.
As the first step in implementing Senator Obama’s “new” foreign policy, the Bush administration plans to send an envoy to talks with Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator in Geneva this weekend. William J. Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs and the administration’s point man on Iran, will accompany European Union foreign policy chief in persuading Tehran to stop enriching uranium. In addition, the government is considering opening an embassy that has been closed for over 20 years.
3) In November of 2006, Senator Barack Obama said the Iraq war has had “disastrous consequences” for the battle against the al Qaeda terrorist network and thus called for some of the troops now in Iraq to be sent to Afghanistan. In August of 2007, Senator Obama called for two additional brigades to be sent to Afghanistan. He has also consistently called for a phased withdrawal from Iraq.
Obama’s position on phased withdraw is shared by the U.S. recognized Iraqi government. In addition, top U.S. defense officials now say they hope to send more forces to Afghanistan sooner than planned to tackle rising violence there and have recommend a cut in troop levels in Iraq. And of course, for the very first time on Tuesday of this week Senator John McCain joined with Senator Barack Obama in his call for more troops in Afghanistan.
4) In an October 2002 speech, Senator Barack Obama also stated: Let’s fight to wean ourselves off Middle East oil, through an energy policy that doesn’t simply serve the interests of Exxon and Mobil.”
It seems everyone in the United States is now embracing this “new” thinking in energy policy.
Posted by: JESSE | July 18, 2008, 12:06 pm 12:06 pm
I say, Phil Gramm for president! This IS a nation of whiners! What happened to “reach down and pull yourself up by your bootstraps”? Now it is reach up from the gutter and hope for a handout. If the attitude of today had existed in the great depression, this country would have ceased to exist. People used to deal with hardships, and prided themselves on their self-reliance. Not anymore! Everybody thinks the government should feed, clothe, house, educate, and protect them. The only good thing about this is that if we have another major depression, where the government cannot give out handouts, maybe the worthless whiners and leeches of our society will either learn to take care of themselves or will die out. Either way fixes the problem!
Posted by: Carcajou | July 18, 2008, 12:45 pm 12:45 pm
Senator Obama has made humongous promises about fixing everything that is wrong; the war, the economy, the cost of energy, etc. The only problem, he will not follow through on any of his promises if his previous history is repeated. He is all talk and no accomplishments. He can’t even hold a senate hearing and now the National guard is having to come in to police his former state senate district for heavy crimes. He is a dud. This man still has not been properly vetted.
Posted by: Mary | July 18, 2008, 1:14 pm 1:14 pm
mary
what has mccain done?
he basically said he would fix the whole world before his first term is up
LOL
obama has never given a timetable like that because he knows all teh things that are broken cant just be undone so easily but he has vowed to get the country on the right path
so when you criticize obama try to make sure your guy mccain doesnt end up looking twice as bad for what you are criticizing obama for
because now it looks like you just dont pay attention what so ever….
lol
yea mccain… unicorns will be off the endangered list!!!!
Posted by: bhrandon | July 18, 2008, 2:22 pm 2:22 pm
Why is McCain’s economic plan so ugly?
Because it’s author is Phil Gramm.
Posted by: Ricky | July 18, 2008, 2:53 pm 2:53 pm
Earlier a McCain supporter wrote:
“Gramm is a former senator with a big mouth who went on his own to speak to the washington times.”
You’re right. It was the next day, at the Wall Street Journal that Gramm was speaking for the McCain campaign while McCain was in Michingan telling the press “Phil Gramm doesn’t speak for me.”
Might as well have said “I did not have advice with that adviser,…Phil Gramm.”
Posted by: Ricky | July 18, 2008, 3:03 pm 3:03 pm
In 2005, McCain told a Wall Street Journal columnist that Gramm was his economic guru.
Posted by: obamamama | July 18, 2008, 3:47 pm 3:47 pm
McCain = Bush
Just like Bush, McCain stays loyal to his long time friends no matter what they do.
Gramm is McCain’s Karl Rove
Posted by: Jim | July 18, 2008, 3:53 pm 3:53 pm
Repubs DO think Americans are “WHINERS”.
So, why wouldn’t McCain embrace Gramm, is more the question.
Posted by: Sam | July 18, 2008, 4:06 pm 4:06 pm
mccain is not really serious about being president of the united states, he just wants to be president of war, the media got us into this iraq mess by listening to bush and not asking serious questions the media just goes after gotcha politics thats why we are in this mess in iraq because of not being smart enough to ask the president about the war in iraq, they are now doing it with mccain,
Posted by: tabitha | July 18, 2008, 4:09 pm 4:09 pm
Not a suprise that McCain picks someone who also does NOT understand economy.
Posted by: No-McCain | July 18, 2008, 4:09 pm 4:09 pm
Allow me to clarify what Phil Gramm was clumsily trying to say. The Republicans love America, they just hate the American people.
Posted by: Dutt | July 18, 2008, 4:18 pm 4:18 pm
Jane,
Mr. Graham is well known for his conservative economics, but in the interest of accuracy, it’s more complicated than you outlined. As a lifelong Democrat, my mantra was the same as yours. The Republicans will help the rich and the Dems will help the poor. It’s just not that simple. Independent voters will most likely determine the outcome in November. Your loyalty is admirable, but the left wing sold us out again.
Posted by: Independent | July 18, 2008, 5:17 pm 5:17 pm
Move over Phil, Bud Day is going to need a seat under the Straigh Talk Express Bus.
Posted by: Jane Hussein | July 18, 2008, 5:24 pm 5:24 pm
Gramm is gone. I guess McCain did not agree with him. I believe McCain will do more to help the middle class than Obama who’s church he went to for 20 years had a policy against “middleclassness”. It was one of their core beliefs.
Posted by: rrow | July 18, 2008, 10:00 pm 10:00 pm
Does this mean MCain will not appoint Gramm as ambassador to Czechoslovakia?
Posted by: ericmiami | July 19, 2008, 8:00 pm 8:00 pm