We're a Nation of Whiners, says McCain Advisor

Former Senator, Phil Gramm, now McCain's economic advisor, says that this recession is "mental" and that we have become a nation of whiners...

Gramm stirred up controversy when he called the nation's economic malaise a "mental recession," then added, "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."

And today:

"I'm not going to retract any of it. Every word I said was true," Gramm said.

Source

McCain's campaign initially stood by Gramm, saying that Gramm's comments were a preview of the coming economic agenda...

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.

Source

But when the "whining nation" disapproved of the comments, McCain stepped in and put distance between himself and Gramm's comments:

Only after the fallout from Gramm's statement did the McCain campaign fully backtrack.

"Phil Gramm's comments are not representative of John McCain's views," read a campaign statement. "
...
The two statements - the first one issued to Politico and the one offered to the press list this morning - are diametrically different. And they seem to reflect recognition, by the McCain camp, that Gramm's remark on the economy is simply un-spinnable.

Obama's response:

"Today, one of [McCain's] top economic advisors, former Sen. Phil Gramm, said that we're merely in a 'mental recession,'" Obama told a crowd of about 2,800 today at a town hall meeting in Fairfax, Va.

"He didn't say this but I guess what he meant was that it's a figment of your imagination, these high gas prices. Sen. Gramm then deemed the United States, and I quote, 'a nation of whiners.' Ho! A nation of whiners. This comes after Sen. McCain recently admitted that his energy proposals for the gas tax holiday and the drilling will have mainly, quote, 'psychological benefits,'" Obama said.

"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. "We need somebody to actually solve the economy. It's not just a figment of your imagination, it's not all in your head."

He cracks me up!

Source

For some reason I get this mental image of a brute of a father yelling at his kid saying, "I'm going to give you something to cry about."

Maybe they are saying everyone is whining now because they know what's really going to be happening in future, and what people complain of now will seem like luxury down the road.

*shrugs*

Gordon Brown is spewing some of the same crap in the UK.

I agree with him. Too many people live out of their means and than expect some kind of "get out of jail free" card. This country needs to cut back and continue on with their lives. Unfortunately we have a media that has an agenda of fear mongering on the economy until their fears are fulfilled.

yeah, american people are whining

what are they whining about?

The problems the Bush administration has left us with

Bush 'tries' to make up for 7 years of crap with a 600 dollar check? And even then, a lot of people didnt even get the full amount

Violation of our privacy ?



Yeah, we're a nation of whiners.

McCain and his advisors would be too - if they didnt have money handed to them on silver platers.

reply to post by Dronetek


We are a nation of whiners. Although the current administration may not have been the best for this country, the American people have brought a lot of the suffering on themselves.

Let's get real.....all the people that have been caught up in the sub prime mortgage fiasco....they knew they could not afford a house for the amount of money they were borrowing, but they did it anyway. And I'm sure those same people were already up to their eyeballs in credit card debt.

reply to post by quaple_pouge


you're absolutely right about the sub-prime thing, but keep in mind, the businesses that lended that money got screwed too, they made a mistake too, but the government wants to buy them out

and leave the people hanging.

Where's the fairness in that?

A business is a living, breathing, entity, that lives and dies on the decisions made by its CEO's, COO's, etc.

So if the committee of a large bank makes decisions to loan money to a bunch of people who CANT afford it

how is that our fault as a nation?

You let that business go OUT OF business, like any other business or indivdual, because the market will correct its self

it always does


did we all go to hell in a handbasket over Enron?



It sort of goes like this

Something mundane happens
a business smells the opportunity for more money based off the mundane occurance

the business "supports" political candidates with "under the table money" and campaign contributions

the politican gets elected

supports bills and makes votes that favor the businessman who supportd the politician


the american people get screwed.




How is this the fault of the American people?

We voted them into power? Yep

What choice did we have?


Nation of whiners? Yes.

We're whining about the Bush Administration, and the steaming pile of *snip* that we're handed inbetween two halves of maggoty bread and told to enjoy the nourishment, because it might not taste good, but it'll get us by.

This nation IS a bunch of whiners, and fat ones at that.

It's not about the content of the complaints, it's the lack of doing anything about it other than talk. Personally, I think we have been deeply impacted by the media and their 24 hour talk talk talk talk talk talk talk about nothing mentality.

We seem to forget, ignore, or fight against the idea that our "civilized" society is held by nothing more than our willingness to perpetuate it. It's a facade, a superficial construct many pull around themselves like a security blanket.

Is the economy bad? Depends who you ask and what their financial position is. Personally I don't think it's really that good, but I don't base that on gas prices and other minor issues like most.

As for Americans though, I'm about fed up with our complete lack of thought into much of anything of value. This nation was founded by rebels, traitors, and terrorists, but god forbid we remember history or the lessons we were left.

God forbid people even read a book, let alone one of substance.

Originally posted by KrazyJethro


God forbid people even read a book, let alone one of substance.

One of substance, i would assume you mean something that one coudl learn something, possibly non-fiction?

Regardless, would you say that "internet detectives" do not benefit from the same thing that "book worms" do?

Regarding the brain stimulation of "reading books"

If anyone in the Obama campaign had come up with this gem, the usual suspects would be posting page after page of screeds about how he's an "arrogant elitist constantly expressing his derision for hard-working Americans" or some such nonsense...

Instead, nothing.

Awesome

Originally posted by Andrew E. Wiggin

One of substance, i would assume you mean something that one coudl learn something, possibly non-fiction?

Regardless, would you say that "internet detectives" do not benefit from the same thing that "book worms" do?

Regarding the brain stimulation of "reading books"

Mostly, no, but it certainly can happen. Can it provide the same benefit? Sure, rarely. I've noticed that when people read online, they tend not to stick to one thing, but rather jump around (checking facts, etc).

Research, to me, is something else entirely. It's more like a jigsaw puzzle rather than a linear narrative, history, etc. The same is true to a lesser extent when researching in books due to the readiness of information.

Two different brain exercises in my book, but both are important.

When not online, I generally tend to read one fiction book, one non-fiction, one fiction, one non-fiction, etc. I enjoy Sociology, Economics, History (especially surrounding the writing of the Constitution), and dabble in some law and philosophy.

I find today's American, while not much different historically, is mentally lazy, cares very little about politics despite the "excitement" of this election, and have extremely superficial views on politics.

Scratch the surface of most American's political views and you'll find a vacuum underneath.

I agree with the statement. There is too much whining about practically everything. Individual irresponsibility with personal finances has put people in untenable positions of their own making.

He told the truth. There is no reason for him to apologize.

we do whine alot, it's not like a little extra hard work and some serious consideration wouldn't get us through all of this

Originally posted by mopusvindictus
we do whine alot, it's not like a little extra hard work and some serious consideration wouldn't get us through all of this

This is the truth. Unfortunately, the democrats in this country prey on victims. The more victims, the more voters. They have made saying things like that a bad thing.

I guess I would have to look at Gramm's context to know if I agree with him or not. Somehow I doubt him when he said he only meant the "leaders" in this country are whiners. He was talking about the people who are "whining" about high gas and grocery prices. The many who have lost their jobs, insurance and homes. The people who are caught up in this "mental recession".

And maybe they are whining. But with good reason. This recession is not in our heads. The people in tent cities are not just camping.

Who is "Foreclosure Phil" Gramm?

Who's to blame for the biggest financial catastrophe of our time? There are plenty of culprits, but one candidate for lead perp is former Sen. Phil Gramm. Eight years ago, as part of a decades-long anti-regulatory crusade, Gramm pulled a sly legislative maneuver that greased the way to the multibillion-dollar subprime meltdown. Yet has Gramm been banished from the corridors of power? Reviled as the villain who bankrupted Middle America? Hardly. Now a well-paid executive at a Swiss bank, Gramm cochairs Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign and advises the Republican candidate on economic matters. He's been mentioned as a possible Treasury secretary should McCain win. That's right: A guy who helped screw up the global financial system could end up in charge of US economic policy. Talk about a market failure.
...
Gramm's record as a reckless deregulator has not affected his rating as a Republican economic expert. Sen. John McCain has relied on him for policy advice, especially, according to the campaign, on housing matters. The two have been buddies ever since they served together in the House in the 1980s; in 1996, McCain chaired Gramm's flop of a presidential campaign. (Gramm spent $21 million and earned only 10 delegates during the gop primaries.) In 2005, McCain told a Wall Street Journal columnist that Gramm was his economic guru. Two years later, Gramm wrote a piece for the Journal extolling McCain as a modern-day Abraham Lincoln, and he's hailed McCain's love of tax cuts and free trade. Media accounts have identified Gramm as a contender for the top slot at the Treasury Department if McCain reaches the White House. "If McCain gets in," frets Lynn Turner, a former chief sec accountant, "we'll have more of the same deregulatory mess. I like John McCain, but given what I know about Phil Gramm, I wouldn't vote for McCain."

Pretty interesting article. And to think he's McCain's Economic Advisor and knowing McCain doesn't know much about Economics??? Scary.

Gramm's so out of touch with regular people who live and work in this country, he has no business saying they're "whiners". This is someone I'd LOVE to see a "48 Hours" swap done on.

here's an interesting tid bit of information (not sure if anyone has covered) but could really be made into its own thread

After exiting the presidential race, Gramm defeated school teacher Victor Morales of Dallas in November 1996 to win his third and final term in the Senate. Morales ran a low-budget campaign in an effort to make contact with the Democratic grass roots. Gramm was one of five co-sponsors of the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000,[2] which critics blame for permitting the Enron scandal to occur.[3] At the time, Gramm's wife was on Enron's board of directors. Gramm left his Senate seat a few weeks before the expiration of his term in December 2002 so that his successor, fellow Republican John Cornyn, could gain seniority over other newly-elected senators.

Source

It seems as if John McCains "advisor" has a wife who was on the board of directors for (get this) ENRON!

Sounds like some pretty shady company?

First - John McCain wants to bail out Bear Stearns (bank under federal investigation for criminal acts)

Then, John Mccain defends the ENRON loopholes Source


and now we find out his "advisors" wife was chair of ENRON.




[edit on 7/11/2008 by Andrew E. Wiggin]

Typical GOP thinking.No matter how bad things are you have no right to complain.People are hurting jobs are closing gas prices are out of control,and this clown calls those who have worked hard pay taxes (his salary included) whiners.Typical.

Gramm's statement is just transparent electioneering trying to shore up
McCain's dwindling supporters. True conservatives are bailing on Mc's
campaign due to his stance on immigration.
Women are bailing due to the way he treated his first wife.
And moderates are bailing because he has proven not to have good contact with reality. ex. poor, sell on ebay.
Evangelicals and some GOP diehards are about all he has left.

And that may be just enough to get him elected/selected.

reply to post by Sleuth


I can understand why McCain would distance himself from it, but yes, there is at least some truth to what he says. You hear people whine and complain in this country all the time about how bad the economy is, and even Gramm admitted that it is slow. But I think his point is this: you've got it a lot better than an awful lot of other people on this planet, even if you're 'poor' by US standards. Stop whining, stop complaining and make the best of what is actually a pretty decent hand you've been dealt in this world.

Originally posted by quaple_pouge
all the people that have been caught up in the sub prime mortgage fiasco....they knew they could not afford a house for the amount of money they were borrowing, but they did it anyway. .

The Flippers and Speculators caused a huge housing bubble that HAS TO BREAK in order for the average person to be able to afford a home. The market is going through a necessary correction. The Gov't shouldn't interfere by bailing out people with my tax money.

Originally posted by Andrew E. Wiggin
what are they whining about?
The problems the Bush administration has left us with

... AND the democratic congress which has an even lower approval rating then the Bush Administration.


We seriously need to vote out EVERYONE and get a whole fresh bunch into Washington.

As far as Phil Gramm .... that's pretty darn pathetic of him and I'm not surprised at the McCain connection.

Originally posted by Tricky63
Typical GOP thinking.No matter how bad things are you have no right to complain.People are hurting jobs are closing gas prices are out of control,and this clown calls those who have worked hard pay taxes (his salary included) whiners.Typical.

We are dastardly aren't we? Muhahahaha!

You guys crack me up with your mustache twirling, evil white man image of Republicans. Do you really think we hate the earth and humanity in general?


[edit on 11-7-2008 by Dronetek]