So evidently John McCain either can't find anyone else to advise him on the economy or he's just too lazy to try. An article posted on Huffington Post this morning indicates that Phil Gramm and Johnny-Boy have made nice after Gramm told us all to quit our bitchin.
(I apologize if this has already been diaried, but the level of contempt this shows on the part of the McCain campaign warrants repeated discussion)
Now, while I grant that this is not all that surprising, I feel it speaks volumes about the attitude conservatives in general, and the McCain campaign in particular, take towards the American people. The article, while extremely brief, speaks volumes of how the Republican Party feels about the people of this great nation. The issue, in the eyes of Phil Gramm and John McCain is not that what Mr. Gramm said was offensive as well as untrue, it's that it opened a political opportunity for their rivals.
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.
Now, how is it that a man, Mr. McCain, who attempts to paint his opponent as "out of touch" and an "elitist" doesn't seem to have a problem with his top economic adviser calling America a "nation of whiners?" Wouldn't a man who is seriously concerned about the struggles facing the American people not only fire a top adviser who made such outrageous statements but take every opportunity to loudly proclaim their deep regret for ever seeking their counsel in the first place? Of course, the relationship between Mr. Gramm and Mr. McCain goes back for decades, as indicated on HuffPost:
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.
I don't fault a man for loyalty but politicians must have the capacity to separate their public life from their personal relationships. We've seen the consequences of politicians not drawing such distinctions (see Bush/Cheney and the myriad no-bid contracts in Iraq, et al). The fact remains that Mr. Gramm showed an astounding level of contempt for the American people in his remarks last week and as such he should have no place anywhere near a presidential campaign, regardless of personal loyalty. Imagine the economic policies we all would be forced to endure should the Arizona Senator win the election in November and reserve a position of high authority for Mr. Gramm within his administration.
Of course, the larger issue here is what this all means as it relates to the McCain campaign and the candidate himself. Clearly Mr. McCain either doesn't care that Mr. Gramm possesses a terrible disdain for the American people and makes few attempts to hide it, or worse, the Senator feels the same way. As terrible as it may be to imagine a president so disconnected from and disaffected by the lives and struggles of the people he represents, it would not be the first time. We've seem time and time again the Republican propensity for apathy towards the lives and opinions of the American people. Dick Cheney responding with an unapologetic "So?" when told the majority of Americans oppose the war. George W. Bush's inaction in response to Katrina and the "heckuvajob, Brownie" nonsense. Karl Rove and Alberto Gonzalez politicization of the Justice Department and their stonewalling of Congressional oversight committees, the list goes on and I look forward to more in the comments.
It's up to us, as dutiful watchdogs of the media to make sure that this is the narrative about John McCain's continued employment of Phil Gramm as an adviser and surrogate: that this exhibits an utter lack of respect for the American people, and therefore disqualifies Sen. McCain from being the chief American representative both here and abroad.
UPDATE: Keith Olbermann informs me that Phil Gramm has resigned as McCain campaign National Co-chair. So in the span of nine and a half hours Phil Gramm went from under the bus, to on the bus, to under the bus again. This has now become a story not of McCain's contempt for the American people but flip-flop number, what? 60-something, 70? Take a look at this diary by rapcetera; much more up-to-date and relevant to those pesky "facts on the ground". But hey, I still think I brought up some valid points, huh?