From The Road
July 10, 2008 2:57 PM

McCain Response To Gramm Flap: Exile Him To Belarus

By
John Bentley
Topics
John McCain
(CBS)
From CBS News' John Bentley:

(BELLEVILLE, MICH.) "Phil Gramm does not speak for me," John McCain said today at a town hall meeting when asked about Gramm's comments that the U.S. had become "a nation of whiners."

"I strongly disagree," McCain said.

McCain added Gramm would play no role in his administration, other than being exiled to a former Soviet republic.

"I think Sen. Gramm would be in serious consideration for ambassador to Belarus, although I'm not sure the citizens of Minsk would welcome that."

"You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession," Gramm, a McCain national co-chair, told the Washington Times. McCain repudiated the former Texas senator, saying America is experiencing "enormous" economic challenges.

"I believe that the person here in Michigan that just lost his job isn't suffering from a mental recession," McCain said. "I believe the mother here in Michigan or in America who's trying to get enough money to educate their children isn't whining."

At his own town hall meeting in Fairfax, Va., Barack Obama responded to Gramm's comments saying, "America already has one Dr. Phil. When it comes to the economy, we don't need another."

Add a Comment
by splainin2do July 11, 2008 3:15 AM EDT
Sorry CBS. While you dutifully report what John Mc Cain says about Phil Gramm not speaking for him, Phil Gramm is a few blocks from your HQ in NYC along with the McCain Campaign staff meeting with the Wall Street Journal. Speaking for John McCain.

How many Murrow Awards?
Reply to this comment
by christinawes July 10, 2008 10:44 PM EDT
It''s good that the McCain team is coordinating their talking points, as John McCain''s been talking about how the problems with the economy, gas prices, energy, et al, and his proposals to solve them, are ''mostly psychological'', for months now.

Alternative energy? McCain will harness the power of the subconscious, store it in a science-contest-prize battery, and use it to power your new ''horseless carriage''.

Go McCain!

http://www.womenforjohnmccain.com/
Reply to this comment
by murrayewv July 10, 2008 9:41 PM EDT
The Belarus comment was inept in the extreme. But when asked about how McCain kept referring to to the economic problems as "psychological" on several occasions, he went into a free association of random talking points about Dr. No and off-shore drilling and nuclear power. Then he went on to a reward for development of the electric car. Then he ripped Obama for diplomacy on Iran and the second holocaust. Very odd.
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