Obama responds to Mccain adviser Phil Gramm "whiner" comment

Obama Hammers McCain, Gramm Psychological Diagnoses of Economy: "America Already Has One Dr. Phil"
July 10, 2008 1:46 PM

At what he's calling a "Women's Economic Security Town Hall" in Fairfax, Virginia, today, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Illinois, hammered the recent controversial remarks by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and his top economic adviser former Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, in which McCain discussed the country's "psychological" problems regarding the economy, and Gramm referred to a "mental recession" caused by the U.S. "sort of" being "a nation of whiners."

McCain, Obama said -- per ABC News' Sunlen Miller -- "will not bring change and I will. That starts with acknowledging the economic difficulties that so many families and so many women are experiencing right now. If you can't see the problem you're not gonna solve it. Now Senator McCain, unfortunately doesn't seem to see the problem."

Boooo! went the crowd.

"Today one of his top economic advisors, former senator Phil Gramm said that we're merely in a 'a mental recession,'" Obama said, laughing. "That's what he said. He said we're in a mental recession. ...I guess what he meant was that it's a figment of your imagination, these high gas prices. Senator Gramm then deemed the United States -- and I quote -- 'a nation of whiners.'"

The crowd jeered.

"Ho!" said Obama. "'A nation of whiners.' This comes after Senator McCain recently admitted that his energy proposals for the gas tax holiday and the drilling will have mainly quote psychological benefits."

The crowd laughed.

"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 -- we need somebody to actually solve the economy. It's not just a figment of your imagination, it's not all in your head! Let's be clear, when people are struggling with the rising costs of everything from gas to groceries, when we've lost 438,000 jobs over the past six months, when the typical family has lost a $1,000 of income in real terms since George Bush took office -- this was even when the economy was growing -- this economic downturn is not in your head. When people are out there losing their homes and property values are declining, that's not a figment of your imagination and it isn't whining to ask government to step in and give families some relief!"

Said Obama, "I think it's time we had a President who doesn't deny our problems -- or blame the American people for them -- but takes responsibility and provides the leadership to solve them. And that's the kind of President I intend to be. "
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/07/obama-to-hammer.html

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[joker2650]

obama 08'

[waddleduckie1]

McCain is useless. He won't know where to start If he becomes prez. Its like voting for the swiss cheese for office when it is filled with holes.

[generatordoc]

Obama got elected and instead of going after Gramm Leach Bliley act to get it repealed, he totally has IGNORED the root cause of the 2008 meltdown. I have no respect for the man as he has "changed" NOTHING for the better.

[FamousByFamily]

obama is a champ.

[sophiemarie49]

wow, it is really funny to hear these bogus remarks by Phil Graham that we are whining and our economy is strong. I guess an economic expert he is not.

Isn't it funny that us regular folk saw how bad things were getting but this 'expert' couldn't or wouldn't. And so much of the housing/bank mess belongs to Graham as he pushed de-regulation.

[glenngeneraux]

Whatever, so many things to slander Mccain are getting to be a daily event. I guess these are good for people that are still not completely convinced that Obama knows what he is doing and Mccain is an idiot.

[VRWCnetwork]

I didn't disown the GOP. I just criticized them for their pork spending practices. The current socialist who is running for POTUS will bring more taxes, more centralization and remove more of our freedoms (thermostats at 72 degrees for starters). Mack aint perfect but at least he's a budget hawk.

[Jinsai]

VRWCnetwork: "ANd I've said I didn't like the spending of the Congress after 2000. At least they slashed income, capital gains and the estate tax."

so, you disown the republican party post-2000 (in hindsight how convenient), but you still oppose the current alternative? great.

PS: McCain is going senile

[Brutaljerm666]

John mccain is an idiot just like george bush and if hes elected he said the war will go on for another 100 years if the world even lasts that long.By the time hes done bein a president gas prices will be between 8 and 9 dollars.I dont know about you but i will sell my car if that happens and just walk or ride a bike.

[dapdaddy10]

Stop whining the gas prices are all in your mind like the republicans said.