Um, hello, CNN! This is a little more newsworthy than Jesse Jackson's comments. Jackson has no official or even unofficial role with any political campaign, whereas Phil Gramm is John McCain's top economic advisor. In addition to that, McCain has made frequent statements himself to the effect that the recession is largely psychological, making it clear that Gramm is not only speaking for himself, but for McCain as well. So here's an idea — take the Jesse Jackson story off the top of your politics page and put up something that is actually newsworthy. You are supposed to be "the most trusted name in news," not the National Enquirer.

"Jan from Boca Raton" is a known McCain operative posting as a blogger. Trying to defend this remarks is ridiculous and you're out on a limb even as a false blogger.

MR. AMERICA THANKS YOU, SIR!
Thanks for pointing out that we are all just imagining economic strife.
I was only dreaming that gas prices are at $4.50 a gallon.
The media is making up these high unemployment numbers too, right? Thank God none of it is real.

Unbelievable…how McCain can surround himself with such uncaring individuals is beyond me. Phil Gramm is partly repsonsible for our current economic crisis…mental or otherwise. McCain is right in distancing himself from Gramm…given Gramm just threw McCain under the proverbial bus…or the perhaps under the "Straight Talk Express."

"A Nation of Whiners"

We will see who is whining come November…

"America is a nation of whiners"… who's elitist and unpatriotic?

If by "mental recession" he means the brain-drain Bush has brought upon our government by ostracizing and denegrating every non-partisan scientist, doctor, lawyer, specialist, and expert with more than two-brain cells to rub together…

Then, Yes!, we've been in a "Mental Recession" for the past 6 or 7 years.

I know Phil Gramm from living in Texas and let me say this P-R-I-C-K!

So the fact that my food biil, gas bill, energy bill and price of everyday items has gone up except my income is all in my head. Wow…woulda thunk…I'm thinking positive, but why is my bank account still so low.

Well, finally McCain speak of something he is familiar with…
Dee dee dee!

So the fact that my food biil, gas bill, energy bill and price of everyday items and that my income has not gone up once is all in my head. Wow…woulda thunk…I'm thinking positive, but why is my bank account still so low.

OMG – so the loss of jobs in the last 8 years and the pain at the pump that every American is facing today is all psychological. Just like McCain says that even if his gas – solutions will not produce anything in years to come but will give a PSYCHOLOGICAL resolution to the problem – please give me these men's shrink's number because I would like to bury my head in the sand and pretend that everything is okay the economy is fine, gas prices will be 2 bucks when I go to gas up, my job is secure, and my house will not be reposessed. IT IS ALL IN MY HEAD… PUMA people read and understand what you are signing up for…

Please tell my job that laid off 500 people that we are in a "mental recession". Please tell my family that the reason why we can't afford to go on vacation this year is because we are having a mental recession.

Wait a minute…..he is correct we are in a mental recession and a reality depression.

Oh, so all of those 300,000 or so people who lost their home during the past 6 months only "mentally" lost their homes? These are the kind of blind politics we've gone to expect from G.W. Bush… and now, unfortunately from McCain as well…

Oh it's FORMER Senator Graham…..well is he receiving a tax payer retirement fund?

GOP=ELITIST ELITIST ELITIST

DEMOCRATS UNITE!!!!

Senator Gramm just called Americans a "nation of whiners"?? Why isn't that the bigger story?? The media went crazy over Obama saying voters were "bitter", but Obama's words were taken out of context… "whiners" is exactly what Gramm meant. He didn't just say it once, he went on to explain it! I'm a lot more offended by being called a whiner!

McCain should reject those comments!

I THINK HE HAS MENTAL ISSUES AND NEEDS TO GO CHECKED FOR THAT. WHAT A FOOL AND THIS IS MCSAME'S ECONOMIC ADVISER. MCSAME U NEED TO FIRE THIS GUY WHO IS JUST AS IGNORANT AS U ARE.

I guess Americans would be "whining" a lot less if they had a millionaire spouse to help ease the sting of living in a recession with 4-dollar gas and rising unemployment, huh? Looking at Gramm's stupid mug, it's clear that this Snoopy-faced schmuck has never done an honest day's work in his life.

"We have sort of become a nation of whiners. You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline," said the former Texas senator.

Yep, we're whining because we've had eight years of Republican ineptitude, criminal behavior, stupidity and lies… which has resulted in a $10 trillion debt to China, a bloody and illegal war, 4,000+ dead soldiers, $8 billion missing in Iraq, rampant cronyism, record setting Pork Barrel spending, astronomical gas prices, unaffordable health care and an economy that's in the toilet. Whining? No. Righteous Indignation? You bet!

Does BFF mean what I think it means?

That's what happens when you throw mud at the Obama Fan, it get blown in your face. Enjoy that elitist title, Gramm. You wear it well.

I am still MAD about this comment!!!!!!

I CAN'T AFFORD THE HIGH GAS PRICES!!!

THAT DOES NOT MAKE ME A WHINER. Graham makes too much money for the HIGH prices to affect him.

McCain can't just let this one slide. This comment is even more offensive that the comment that "a terrorist attack would help his campaign" that the other advisor said.

This reminds me of Marie Antoinette when she said "Let them eat cake."

She said those words –the she was beheaded!!!

What rock is Graham hiding under?? Whiners??
Unfortunately he is one of McCains closest friends and
advisors.
The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
The republican party motto.

This is disgusting! Shame on John McCain for having such a greedy, nasty person on his team. I remember Phil Graham when he was a senator and was disgusted with him then. You are known by the company you keep, and that should say it all, John!

Hmmmm, McCain doesn’t know anything about the economy and now we find out his economic advisor is just as inept when it comes to knowing about the economy.

Need I say more……

That picture says it all…….that's the two clueless guys look!!!

McCain's campaign is completely out of touch. Comments like these should make Americans wonder how important is the economic crisis to McCain. It appears that his top priority is WAR…..starting wars, fininishing wars, ending wars…war, war, war! Americans that are in the middle and lower echelons of the economic tier feel the squeeze from the economy. I hope the media harps on this elitist point of view from the McCain camp. Of course, McCain and his multi-millionaire wife can afford to live in today's economy. However, the majority of us can not.

Neither McCain nor his campaign have any room to talk about mental recessions. Gramm is a moron. You cannot say that you identify with Americans who find themselves with rising costs of living and in the next breath call them whiners, as if costs are not going up as they make it seem.
People concerned with skyrocketing costs for fuel and food are not whiners. Many are hardworking Americans who feel as if Washington has become ineffective at managing the economy. I am not an Obama supporter, but McCain has virtually no economic or monetary policy experience. You remember his debate question from Ron Paul concerning the Presidents Working Group in Financial Markets. McCain had absolutely, without a doubt, what the question was about.
The GOP will suffer a crushing defeat if the best we can come up with is someone so out of touch as McCain.

Yea, that's it. My falling home value and the rising cost to fill my tank are all in my head. Thanks for clearing that up, Dr. Phil.

He is right, all of us should stop whining and start spending our millions,

Oh oh.. wait a minute.. I just realized…

WE DON'T HAVE MILLIONS LIKE FORMER SENATER PHIL GRAMM

Phil Gramm is not one to advise the people on what the truth is about the economy, especially since he is one of the instigators of the subprime meltdown. When he slipped in his Commodity Futures Modernization Act into the appropriations bill for 2000, which among other things created the "Enron Loophole" and deregulated certain financial instruments that played a big part in the subprime crisis.

WOW!!! IF THE OBAMA CAMP DOESN'T RUN WITH THIS, THEY DON'T WANT IT.

Of course all of us , non-millionaires, are whiners, the likes of McCAIN and Gramm dont have our concerns as they don't feel the effect of this reccession.

WOW unbeleiveable

Phill Gramm is the same guy who worked and lobbyed for UBS and helped to cause part of the mortgage problem and is also married to the women who help create the Enron Loophole which has helped drive up gas prices. I would expect for a comment like this to come out of his mouth.

The guy standing behind McCain is responsible for this "mental mess" we are in now. He de-regulated the crooks, which unleashed corruption for his banking friends

Whiners?–how arrogant. We have a discusting, lawless party in power with an illiterate bumbling " leader", record mortgage forclosures, rising gas and food prices, many people loosing jobs, an endless war sucking 12 million dollars/ month etc., etc. etc. Can't these people just shut up already?

I am driving around 3 days now on empty gas tank.
I guess am crazy

$4.30 a gallon for gas; soaring food prices due to soaring gas and natural disasters like the Midwest flooding; an expected increase in the cost to heat our homes this winter; companies across the board cutting jobs while increasing fees/costs; our out-of-whack health care system with seniors seeing cuts in Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security–

Oh yeah, Graham's right on the money with this all being 'mental'.

When was the last time Graham visited a grocery store? Of course at his socio-economic level there is no recession, let's see this guy survive on minimum wage then see who the whiner is.

A McCain advisor best be cautious mentioning "mental recession", when your horse is a senile, angry, pandering, flip-flopping old man.

McCain's economic guru Gramm apparently was in "mental recession" when he ceaselessly fought against regulations that many experts believe would have prevented the mortgage crisis.

That's got to be right up there with the bitter comments…
Generally referring to us as "a nation of whiners" and implying its all in our heads. I think this sticks to McCain big time

I must be imagining $4 gas, a weak dollar, poor stocks and never ending forclosures.

Let's see…one top McCain adviser says a terrorist attack would help McCain. Another says being anxious about the economy is whining. These guys are near the top of the Republican food chain, and it's clear that they can't see past their own interests on the two biggest issues in this election. Talk about "elitist."

If voters believe that Senator Obama has a viable solution to our ecomony, they should go back and look at Obama's state senate district and how it faired during good economic times. One report stated it lost 11% of the jobs in 8 years. Good show, Obama. And of course, crime, drugs and proverty increased during the same time. Neither candidate has a excellent or viable solution to the problems we face but McCain's are a bit better. He has more experiernce dealing with both foreign and domestic issues.
Bad news makes the headlines and our ecomony is bad news.

So McCain believes the financial problems and economic struggles of Americans are all in their heads.. This must be why he has been traveling to Mexico and Colombia…This is why he says Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will not fail. The republican candidate is clearly out of touch with reality, and this comment reminds me of Bush not realizing that gas was 4 dollars a gallon, and that Saddam had no WMD.

your right jan i am a whiner because gas is higher groceries are higher across the board unemployment is up, consumer confidence is rock bottom, families across the country are losing their homes

but ya i guess im just whining

This quote and issue is going to kill McSames chances—thats what americans who cant afford gas or their mortages wanna hear,,,you are just a whiner

whoever says this man is right needs both his head and McCain examined.

This would depend of course on perspective. I would be whining if I lost my job and couldn't feed my family or put gas in the car to get to work…….you have to be in it to know it.

Mental reccesion? Is that his way of calling us stupid? How much money does Graham have in his bank account? I'll trade bank accounts with him if he wants too.

I can understand now what kind of people John McCain is surrounded with. I guess it gives a real sense of Elitism in his circle.

Jan from Boca Raton, FL…

I'm sure you're doing just fine in hoity toity Boca Raton, but you know what, there are many Americans out there who are struggling.

Jan….sounds like you make over 250K per year – still pissed about that tax thing, huh?

What about those 'hard working' white americans in WV or PA? They are in freaking recession!!!

And the McCain camp calls Obama an Elitist?

Now we truly know the gas tax holiday is gimmick…..

If my wife was worth a quarter of a billion dollars and i am running for president, i guess i will call the single mom making $25,000 a yr and can't afford rent, food and gas a whiner too.

Phil Gramm’s comments are exactly representative of John McCain’s views. You want to say something, don't say it yourself, let a surogate do it for you. This is the real McCain. Look at him, and his economic record. This man is a joke. Obama will beat him in a landlise…

Wow, I thought Fiorina was the biggest loser on his campaign team, but maybe its really Gramm? I am seeing a pattern here, old rich white people totally out of touch with the american people … no wonder Obama is slaughtering him in the polls.

Why is this story buried in the ticker while a story about McCain and Viagra is the lead? If an Obama advisor had said this, CNN would run this story for days.

McCain and Gramm are like two blind men attempting to lead the sighted on a tour across America. Just imagine them walking thru a neighborhood full of foreclosed homes, the dialog would be something like this
McCain – "My friends”, “look at the all the opportunities you can have if you only remain positive,”
Gramm –“That’s right John” “We threw all the negative whimps out.
McCain – “That’s right Phil” “My fellow Americans, the banks have been positive while over 300,000 unpatriotic Americans have chosen to cut and run. “That’s not change you can believe in”

Go OBAMA

.
Former Senator Gramm is absolutely correct.

I told some friends in the fall of 2007 that with all of the negativity about the economy being broadcast by the media stating that we were in a recession ( we weren't at that time and still aren't ) that it would become a self fullfilling prophecy and it has to a point.

People actually believe that we are in a recession, but we aren't. The economy actually continued to GROW last quarter, albeit at a slower rate.

All too soon the people have forgotten that we have experienced UNPRECEDENTED GROW during this president's term, even exceeding the growth of the 1950's, for more that 52 consecutive months of growth. Bush inherited a Clinton recession ( a true recession ) and then had 9/11 happen.

Am I better off now that under the Clinton administration? YES I AM!!
.

Mental recession is what is happening inside McCain's head. And Jan from Boca Raton must be as out to lunch as the senator and Graham. You can call it whinning…I don't care. The economy is in shambles, and McCain's plan is some vague strategy with no meat and bones. He and his staff scare me every time I hear their comments. They are so far out of touch with the average American!

Another stupid comment coming from the McCain campaign. Soon we will start to see the McCain's greatest misses. It's comments like this that expresses what McCain is all about. So if they are any PUMA supporters out there…here is your guy. He said people need to stop whining for losing their home. Amazing.

part truth, we are in the middle of the "me, me, me, I, I, I." JFK would have been hammered with his "ask not what the country can do for you" speech with todays lefties. All you hear from the left is whinning about the EVIL USA, and all you hear from the right is whinning about the left. Gas prices are high and thats what is killing people right now, not much else. If you bought a $500,000 house, but you could only afford a $200,000 then it is YOUR FAULT, if you have the latest and hottest gaming and phone systems, but no health ins. then prioratize better, other than that shut up, and go to work.

He should be forced to resign from the campaign. His TOP ECONOMIC ADVISOR is calling hurting Americans whiners?

What kind of economic policy can we expect from McCain when he has admitted repeatedly that he doesn't know that much about the economy and his Top economic advisor calls people who are facing harsh economic times whiners when cost of housing, fuel, food, travel, power, —-LIFE in all aspects is higher- and wages aren;t covering it anymore.
People who work–hard working Americans—who still can't afford to feed their families are not whiners.

GRAHAM SHOULD RESIGN NOW!!!!

When people can't

Phil Gramm is another uber lobbyist on McCain's campaign. He has some nerve saying this is a "mental" recession, considering Gramm was one of the lobbyist that helped create the subprime mortgage crisis, which has attributed to the economic downturn.

Then, the campaign tries to say Gramm does not represent McCain's views. He's McCain's top economic advisor. Hello

Men lie. Women lie. Numbers don't lie. Millions of Americans losing their homes. Millions of Americans making less money than they did before. Thousands and thousands of people losing their jobs EVERYDAY! And this moron has the audacity, the unmitigated gall to call this a mental recession.
This is further proof positive that the GOP is out of touch.
Maybe the people are right and you, McCain and Graham, are wrong.
I wonder how much you will whine when you lose.

DEMOCRATS '08 AND FOREVER

Why is the Jackson comment on the front page and you have to dig through the site to find this article? This is 100 times more news worthy than Jackson saying he wants to take Obama's manhood.

Jan, Gramm sure is absolutely right. There is no better evidence of it than the last two presidential elections. And the [R]s continue to count on the dumbing down of America as a means to win elections.

The real problem we have isn't Bush, Cheney, McCain etc. — tragically sub-par candidates will always be with us — the real problem is the people like you who drink the sub-par kool-aid and actually vote for these failures and their policies to send America back into the Dark Ages.

We as a nation made abhorrent mistakes in 2000 and 2004; there is a multitude of facts and proof on that. Yet people will actually choose to continue the [R] failure by voting for McCain. It is astounding that her own people will repeatedly choose to harm America.

Now, Rev Wright was with us for months – this will be out of the news cycle in a few days and is actually from the mouth of the campaign.

Im confused.

Im a hard core PUMA who is hurting, why am I a whiner ?

insane mccain and is straight talk bandits dont think $4 milk, 4$ + gas, and $3 bread and $6 ice cream is mental recession. u gotta be as insane to vote for mcsame

The media is serving the public by telling the truth. We should ask Senator Gramm to have him and his family to happily live on the average income of a family who lives in Applachia. He would cry like a little hurt puppy. Senator Gramm needs to TALK TO THE HAND because American citizens are hurting and he has no empahty or sympathy for us. His pride and joy seems involve pleasing corporate America. He does not care about we, the little people. Another 4 years of Geore W. Bush-like policies would be about all that we need to trigger a major depession in the United States and beyond. Just say NO to McCain,, McBush, and McDrain! Enough is enough!

Who the heck do these idiots think they are.

In our heads. Give me a break!

They can continue to delude themselves all they want but the fact of the matter is that its a delusion in their heads.

Wake up people before its to late. Vote Obama. The only person with a brain running for president.

He knows where the US stands. These people don't and that includes McBush

McCain and his cronies think everyone needs therapy if they think paying $4.11/gallon and 55% increases in grocery bills, utilities, etc. is not just "peachy!"

I hope American's are watching the true-McCain reveal himself and the philosophy he surrounds himself with. Cindy McCain puts $750,000 on her credit card in one month and they want to tell Americans that stuggle how empathetic they are?

Republicans never learn. I look forward to the sensible leadership of President Barack Obama in 2009.

If you have listened to the media at all, they've been hinting at a recession the past 3 years. Even though we may be in a small one this quarter, is there any doubt the media is frustrated at the fact an official recession hasn't surfaced yet?

Graham is correct, although, we may end up in a recession.

We are not technically in a recession and everyone I talk to claims we are, even though they can't define what a recession is, or even explain why they think we are in a recession.

It always comes back to: "But look at how high gas prices are!"

Gas prices do not equate to a recession.

Then people claim the 'housing crisis' and high grocery prices are evidence.

Still wrong.

We may be having a period of high prices in certain areas, but the economy is still strong.

In addition, Obama can do nothing to change any of this.

Anyone who thinks Obama will have any effect on the current economy is sadly being dishonest.

I do think that we are a nation of whiners, but let's be real… big oil, greedy lenders (countrywide), and a war mongering president got us into this economic mess. Let's bring this country back to all of us, not just the top so they can trickle down when they deem convenient.

Obama '08

Now that I think about it, that explains a lot of their blather and stupidity. Anyone who wants to be my President who believes hard working Americans going through economic hardship are "whiners" is completely out-of-touch with reality. That, my friend, is true mental recession.

CNN I love the pictures you post with the articles. Both Gramm and McCain look like brainless twits. "Huh???"

Yes, it is true that is why McCain's wife spent $750,000 last month on credit card. To the republicans we are in mental recession but to ordinarily folks we are really hurting.

makes you wonder if they actually know
any "real" Americans.

also, does graham wear a flag on his
lapel?

just checking.

"My 'Mental Recession' is telling me I don't have enough money to put more than a half tank of gas in my vehicle to look for a job!"

A comment from hundreds of thousands of Americans enjoying the fruits of a Republican "Solid Economy."

What ignorance will spew from them next.

Uh, what's a newspaper? They still sell those things? I thought they were declared dead a long time ago, no?? Who is outta touch?

Misery sells newspapers, that is rich… Enjoy the Shadenfreude in November, slighter of Americans!

McCain pretends his administration will differ from Bush's but we can already see he's surrounding himself with arrogant and ignorant advisers who think as long as their stock portfolio's OK, the economy is OK. I got mine, and if you don't have yours then you're lazy and deserve what you have coming to you is the conservative creed. No more.

Obama '08!

WHINING? I wonder how Gramm would feel if he LOST his home to foreclosure, LOST his job to a factory in Asia and did not have the money to afford gas to even look for more work.

McCain surrounds himself with people like this and wonder why most voters think he is out of touch.

I think these comments of Gramm's should get as much media exposure as "Bittergate" and the Rev. Wright. They show an absolute disregard for the suffering of everyday Americans.

Im no "whinner", I just know economics; unlike McBush.

If you can't solve it , deny that a problem exist, even blame it upon the millions who have been dragged into this economic mess by your party's policies……remember when McCain said America had made great progress!.

It's so good to see that the McCain campaign's advisers are so in touch with the needs and struggles of most Americans. I guess we're not justified in expressing concern over having to choose between gasoline and vegetables. Hmm….drive myself to work or groceries? Thank goodness the Republican machine has guaranteed that corporations like McDonalds have proliferated and can be found on every corner!!

McBush is suffering from reality. The lack of it.

Finally, a republican who is not afraid of telling it like he sees it. This is how the majority of Americans feel the republicans look at the economy. As long as it does effect them, it all good. At least he's being honest. He and the rest of the wealth Republican, who fools the nation about fighting abortion and keeping the gays from getting married, will continue to feel this way until America decides to kick them to the curb.

Now, how scary is Obama??? Phil was a democrat before he became rich.

Wow…all I can say is wow.

I don't think anyone in this country is overreacting about gas food prices!

Maybe if he made an average salary, he'd understand the struggles of the average american are REAL!

The "let them eat cake" attitude of the GOP is crystal clear…do we really want 4 more years?

…..Riiiight. So the mortgage crisis and the loss of jobs and the ballooning personal and national debt and the fact that the Federal Depository banks currently have a reserve that is made up completely of funds borrowed from the Federal Reserve (and owe twice as much more) [http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/BOGNONBR?cid=123] is all just a mental dysfunction–things are actually just fine. Whew, what a relief!

If I were advising Obama, I would tell them to put this into ads to be aired in battleground states or at least make sure he mentions it each time he holds a rally, a town hall meeting, or a press conference.

Forget about what Gramm said! How about what McCain said!
“Senator McCain said the economic problems facing Americans are psychological". How out of touch is that! Many, many Americans are suffering. They are turning their cars/trucks into the banks because they can't afford the payments. They are loosing their homes to forclousure in record number. They are borrowing against their homes equity to make ends meet. This he calls psychological!

totally agree with you Mr Gramm, misery sells newspapers. If you look at a paper from the UK, most will tell you good and bad things about Iraq and Afghanistan, so you get the full picture. Here int he States you only get the really bad news.

Gramm is ABSOLUTELY WRONG> This is how McBush feels too but he would not DARE say it because he wants to be President. This comes from people with mega money in the bank, not worried about healthcare because they can drop $100k at the doctors office and $5.00/gal gas don't phase them. And you call Sen Obama an elitist???? SHAME on you!!

With all the ridiculous, uninformed responses from all the Obama followers on these blogs I am inclined to agree.

If he had been in the Obama's campaign McBush would have been calling for him to have tire tracks from the bus on his back by night fall, also the media would be playing it 10 times an hour, times 24 hours, 7 days a week. Of course if we had deep pockets like him and his crowd(McBushs included) we would not be whiners, i am still bitter.
I guess Joe Liberman might need to stand between him and McBush so he can whisper in both of their ears.

Connie from Indiana

this is the idiot who lobbied for the companies that created the mortgage crisis…and i doubt he is having any problems with money….loser.

OBAMA '08

Three words – Out…of…touch…

OMG – This is an absolutely abomination to the suffering and struggles of the average American.

To call U.S. whiners is the most out of touch remark anyone could have made. It’s obvious now more than ever that John McCain and the Republican Party are extremely out of touch with America.

Should we be Sorry Grahmm, that 98% Americans are not millionaires or billionaires…are we whiners because we can’t monopolize the market and profit from it.

Oh I see we are the little people and our only role in America is to work harder..To take on two or three jobs and just gave the money to people like you and then shut up and be happy.

Shame on the GOP and John McCain they have no shame

Thank you and GOD BLESS AMERICA

Check our Failing Social Security System and tell me why we are in a psychological recession, again? Our futures are being spent away.. Funny how congress can pay themselves a starting salary of 150,000 a year for what they do, and American's work themselves to the bone for 1/4 of that and keep loosing more and more skin with it. This is McCain denial in the worst offense. The government is in need of a complete overhall and a true reality check.

This shows how serious the McCain's econoimic advisor feels what ordinary Americans are going through….This should be a BIG issue..No double standard….

Obama '08

While Americans may whine a lot, the complaining about the economy is nothing short of the truth. Gas prices have doubled, housing markets are impossible, and credit is being crunched.

But I would expect a comment like that from someone like Gramm who is a lobbyist:

"While advising the McCain campaign, Gramm was being paid by a UBS to lobby Congress about the U.S. mortgage crisis. During this time, "the mortgage industry pressed Congress to roll back strong state rules that sought to stem the rise of predatory tactics used by lenders and brokers to place homeowners in high-cost mortgages.""

Calling the American people a "Nation of Whinners" over the lousy state of the Economy with the cost of gasoline, home heating oil and food, tells you all you need to know about Phil Gramm.
And gives you an idea of the kind of people McCain relies on for advice.

CNN I love the pictures you post with the articles. Both Gramm and McCain look like brainless twits. "Huh???"

Now that I think about it, that explains a lot of their blather and stupidity. Anyone who wants to be my President who believes hard working Americans going through economic hardship are "whiners" is completely out-of-touch with reality. That, my friend, is true mental recession.

This just goes to show you what a joke and a farce the political process is. What spokesman, in his right mind, uses "BFF" in an official statement? What are we in high school?…nevermind, don't answer that

Interesting. Chris Angel must be on the McCain staff now because Gramm and McCain are trying to Mind Freak the American public into believing that our economic woes are just a figment of our imaginations.

This pathetic coming from two men who never eat hamburger helper and spend more per month on lunches at swanky restaurants than the average American family has on hand to pay their houshold bills.

Uhhhh, actually Phil, it looks more like a real recession. Which you helped cause by voting against borrower protection bills designed to protect consumers from the predatory lending policies that ultimately led to the subprime housing crisis. It also didn't help that while our dollar was quite rapidly going down the toilet, you were exacerbating the depreciation by lobbying for foreign banks. You think it to be a "mental" recession because I'm sure you and all your little friends are just swimming in dough. Maybe you should go and talk to the countless thousands of Americans who have lost their jobs and their benefits, or the millions who can't afford healthcare. I'm sure they'll tell you that it's a real recession, you gibbering moron.

Frankly, I can't express how angry I am at this self-righteous, overpaid imbecile for saying something so insensitive and out of touch. Good luck to McCain trying to distance himself from comments made by the guy who he PERSONALLY APPOINTED as his chief economic adviser. Once again a gaffe by the McCain camp has revealed the republican party's true contempt for the American people. Excellent work.

Yeah it's always interesting when a bunch of millionaires dismiss our concerns with the economy as "whining".

These are the same people who want to tell us we should be shaking in our boots because there is a muslim terrorist under every bed.

A mental recession? How much is gas, food, clothing, and housing? Nothing about that is "mental"!

Obama 08/12′

I guess it doesn't matter when your spouse is rolling in dough.
As for the instant relief at the pumps, that tax that he is going to do away with will affect our highways and bridges, of course what are a few lives lost in collapsed bridges if the action brings media coverage and votes.

WELL THIS REPUBLICAN KNOWS WHO THEY ARE NOT VOTING FOR . AND THATS MCCAIN .

LOL good one Chryssa.

I hate it when millionaires preach to the average American about whining. Maybe if they wouldn't corrupt Congress with skeptical lobbying practices, we wouldn't whine so much.

Obama 08

Right or not about whiners, Gramm is largely responsible for the financial crisis. Of course he wants to divert the attention and the blame.

CNN, where's the inclusion about Gramm's involvement in the housing and banking mess? And what about his wife's?

How come McCain keeps Gramm around? Oh, that's right, McCain's a war hero (genuinely) so his judgement is untouchable (wrongfully).

Uh… how about an actual recession?

There's something mental about this guy, though…

Obama '08

I agree. Bunch of whiners!

obama is so far out of touch WITH WE THE PEOPLE he is not even AMERICAN !!!!

I know this wont post, cnn sold their morals and integrity to obama, your one time trust is gone.

Sad to say but he is right. There is a huge portion of America that wants something for nothing. They want the government to take care of everything for them. I am not saying that the economy is not on a down slide, and that most definately the cost of gas is killing us all, but before the gas became the big issue there was still those same people wanting handouts.

And if the Liberal nut jobs get their way, businesses will get to pay out higher taxes, so that supposedly I won't have too. Which will cause those businesses to either shut down, or move over seas where there will be even more whiners and even more folks standing there with their hands out.

In the past 10 years we have lost practically all of our textile mills in our area that was the main employers. They have either shut down or moved over seas. If the companies and the top 1% (which is probably one in the same for the most part) pay the majority of taxes then that means less jobs. Because why pay all that when they can easily move to China or Mexico. They can outsource all their IT jobs from India and just not have to worry about the greed of the left and the whiners(aka-losers).

And If he Graham's salary was like most of ours, he would be complaining too. GET REAL OLD MAN.

OBAMA won't call us whiners.

Barack Obama 08

You whiners need something to cry about, McCain will give you something to cry about. Let's lock in those tax cuts for the mega wealthy and continue tearing apart our social safety nets. When this is complete, when you are all tenement farmers on some lord' s estate, then you can complain. Until then, eat cake!

John and Phil must have been asleep over the last 7 years. America is not doing well, but shhhhhhhhhhh…..don't wake them up, they need their rest.

Easy for you to say, Phil- You're a millionaire

However, I can't fill my tank on "positive thinking"

Idiot

Whiners?

Well, what exactly should we do when we haven't gotten a decent raise in five years (commensurate with rising prices and inflation), can not put gas in the car to go to work, and have to decide which meal to skip to save money so we can do frivolous things, like, say, pay the electric bill.

Have you ever had to worry about that?

Didn't think so.

It's actually our own fault for not being wealthy. Serves us right to suffer.

I actually think a great solution is to eat the rich. Not only will we get all of our daily protein, but since they will no longer need their wealth, well, by default it becomes ours. Not only that, but fewer cars on the road, less energy consumption…

Now that's multitasking at it's best.

Eat the rich.

Yeah, don't know if its the right to say but hey, he's a Rep! Is all good, LOL!!

I am sick of the insults comming from the right wing nut-jobs.
As a nation, we are tired of the lies and BS.

since CNN only allows 20 to 30 post on stories about Mccain and 1003 about Obama i hope this gets in…
“Senator McCain said the economic problems facing Americans are psychological — now his top economic adviser and BFF, Phil Gramm- CNN

Gram one of McCains TOP ADVISERS is also the one responsible for the ENRON LOOP HOLE, deregulating oil speculators…so America, when you are whining while you fill up your gas tanks…thank McCain's boy Gramm.it is no wonder McCain has some 59 lobbyist running his campaign…including Charlie " McCain will do great if there were an attack" Black-OPC and Frank Donetelli-EXXON
John McCain is close to a Billion Heir trying to call someone an Elitist? oh Please.
John McCainm is the " let them eat cake candidate"
this is too the 500,00 who have lost their jobs since Jan. and the millions who have lost their homes…if John McCain gets elected, who will really be your President? let John eat cake!!!

UNREAL! Its all in your mind, your foreclosed home, your job loss, 4.50 a gallon gas, 4.00 a gallon milk, ALL IN YOUR MIND…WOW, must be nice to have a wife worth millions. This is just one more reason that this man wont win in November, people dont want to hear this, they KNOW its real. WMD's now THOSE were all in BUSHES mind, and that is who Mccain is taking the lead from…what a mess!

Just like an elitist blow hard who never had it hard financially to say something as idiotic as this. Why don't you go talk to someone who's house just got foreclosed on or someone who just lost their job because your global market theory allowed their company to ship their job overseas. Will you people out their please stop voting on the basis of party loyalty and think about yourselves, your fellow citizens and the future of this country.

Obama 08

Imagine the media frenzy that would ensue if someone from the Obama campaign made this statement.

I think Americans have the right to complain when they are losing their homes and the lending companies are the ones getting the help, when the price of gas has sky-rocketed and people are struggling to make ends meet, when the price of dairy products have also sky-rocketed and nothing is being done about it, when family members are being killed or seriously injured in a war that was a mistake.

The American people should complain and they have every right to blame the Bush administration for their woes.

Gramm's remarks are typical for the rich and unaffected. Reminds me of Barbara Bush saying how Katrina victims are better off because they had a roof over their heads…….even though they lost their homes and had nothing but a cot in Houston's football arena.

What planet are these people on? There is a very good reason Americans are whining and that reason is George W. Bush, the WORST PRESIDENT IN MODERN HISTORY (according to historians).

CNN your a joke, this is bigger news than the Viagra story, but no, you you want to be all about issue number one but all you want to cover is paparazzi news

Mccain Is Such An Elitist He Doesnt Think We Are In A Recession! The Price Of Gas Is Not High. . . Food Doesnt Cost Alot. . . Houses Are Not At Risk Of Foreclosure. . . The War Doesnt Cost To Much . . . . . Its Just Mental And All In Your Head!

Typical Republican philosophy:

"sit down, shut up, and quit your whining"

I think Gramm forgot to add at the end "or the terrorists have won"

*************************************************

GRAMM:
ECONOMY IS BAD? WHAT RECESSION?
I'M NOT FEELING IT. OH…………….COZ I'M RICH
MAYBE IF I CAN MAKE YOU THINK EVERYTHINGS FINE THEN EVERYTHING FINE. I'M KNOWN TO BE VERY PERSUASIVE.

MCCAIN:
I DON'T KNOW THE GUY. HE JUST HAPPEN TO HELP ME ON ECONOMIC MATTERS. I HAVE A PLAN TO FIX THIS ECONOMY. WITH MORE OF THE SAME PEOPLE IN OUR PARTY AND CONTRIBUTING WITH OUR PARTY CHANGE IS……… OH CRAP WE'RE SCREWED.

STOP RISING GAS PRICES
STOP RISING COST OF GOODS
STOP FORECLOSURES
STOP THE EXPENSIVE IRAQ WAR
STOP CONTRACTS, LAWS TO BENEFIT LOBBYIST, BIG CORP AND BUDDIES

STOP THE MADNESS. VOTE OBAMA.

Somehow, I really don't think McCain "feels" our pain, and neither do those top 2 percent who get that wonderful tax break. What a crock.

Wow! $9+ trillion national debt, $4 a gallon gas, record foreclosures, surging unemployment, consumer debt through the roof, bankruptcy filings climbing, financial institutions reeling, and the stock market in close to a free fall. Earth to McCain team – people are hurting out there – largely the result of a failed Administration putting oil companies, a war agenda, reducing market and consumer protections, and in general the benefit of the wealthy and powerful ahead of the concerns of ordinary Americans.

This puts new meaning to the term "Out of touch".

There is some truth to this. For first time home buyers there is no better time than now to buy homes..But gas prices are outrageous..

And this is the type of thing we could expect from a McCain economic advisor? I guess he just thinks 'ya'll don't have yer minds right'.

I guess for most of us who are not born with millions we are whiners!

But considering how many people have lost their jobs and homes… McSame and his thugs are really out of touch!

Go Obama!

Phil go take your meds and lie down. While you're resting we will vote for Barack Obama to stop us from "whining" so much.

Graham would make a solid choice for the next treasury sec. But this comment is a little strange. In a way all recessions are "mental" since consumer attitude can play such a big role in any economy. But he should not have said something like this to a reporter. The press will never give clear context on anything.

I'm so scared for me and my family and the so many other families that are struggling in the country if McCain gets into the White House. With advisors like this what can we expect accept the "Your on your own" mentality from our government. All while they get paid THOUSANDS of dollars and don't have to worry about paying for gas, food, and all the other things the average American does because we pay for it for them with our tax dollars.

The economy isn't as bad as we think? Thanks for telling me, I never would have figured that out with the cost of food and gas added on to the fact that I won't recieve a pay increase because of budget cuts.
Maybe if I didn't pay my taxes like the McCain family or if I had $750,000 to spend in ONE month, I wouldn't feel the pinch either.

Who's the elitist again?

graham's comments–registered GOP but now independent/democrat–they just don't get it–whiners??-rich white old men with pensions and all the success in the world–try raising a family and sending them to college and pay for medical-all on $50,000 plus–tax breaks and self directed IRA's-competition-all work well for the top 10%-republican party has gone so far right it is really scarey—–look at the republican primary-all white older men-and I am one–running for office-no women or anyone not older and rich–you are seeing a permanent shift thanks to Bush–with 100 million plus-does one really think he 'get's it"–last comment-when you spend 300 million that you don't have-should anyone be surprised we are going down-don't blame washington-blame us-the people who don't care about deficits–warren

Let's take a closer look at this article. This reporter is out of touch. How dare anyone write something this biased and say it is objective. Who said Gramm and McCain are BFF. That is in this reporter's mind and that is subjective (not objective) reporting. There is no excuse for the bias of the media and no article written with such subjectivity deserves further comment.

Ummmm…..you mean this is all in our heads?

Hopefully the past 8 years were a bad dream too.

Yes, you know us American…we're so cranky when we spend $4.67 a gallon for gas. But according to John, "we're making progress".

Obama 08

You know what I would like to see. The next time one of these knuckle heads try to tell the American people say times are not that hard. A news reporter needs to ask them two simply questions…
1) How much do they earn a year?
2) If they only made $35,000 per year and had only $3,000 in the bank at 45 years old and their place of employment was thinking of closing . WOULD THEY STILL THINK THINGS WEREN'T THAT BAD??? People like Mr Gramm are an insult to all of us.
..
CNN there is somthing else I would like you to look into regarding Sen. McCain.
I saw yesterday ( on another News Station) at a town hall meeting Senator McCain was challenged by a Vietnam Veteran on his voting record supporting veteran benefits. It appears ONCE AGAIN the media is allowing Senator McCain to get away with misquoting his record.

CNN I would like you to turn your vast resources on this and find out the TRUTH when it comes to Senator McCains support on this issue. The veteran stated that Senator McCains record is horrendous in this area and he has voted AGAINST many of the bills that would increase veteran benefits. Of course the Senator told the person he was incorrect. IF the Veteran was correct…the PUBLIC needs to know this since he tends to portray himself as a champion of those who have served this country.

CNN….PLEASE….BE EQUALLY TOUGH on both candidates…This election is VERY important and there are plenty of REAL ISSUES that need to be addressed objectively.

It's all a hoax. All those foreclosures, the GM plants shutting down, and House Still For Sale signs are all in your minds. I have a portfolio that is rich in European equities and I cannot begin to tell you how well my oil stocks are doing right now. Democratic Lies!
Stop being a Cry Baby and vote Republican
McCain/Dole in 08

A letter to the Haves from the Havenots

Dear Senator Graham:

Please pay my mortage and my bills.
Also, give me a gas card.

Sincerely,
Get Real

Obviously they're not feeling the recession… it's nice to be rich.

Wow. Ummm… Wow. So I guess it's all in my head that I am behind in all of my utilities and can't afford to put gas in my car even though I work about 50 hours a week? WOW! For God's sakes people! Vote Obama! That old man has lost what's left of his mind!

Easy to say if you made millions as a Senator and a lobbyist.

Maybe Mr. Gramm should spend some time in the poorer parts of Houston or Dallas and meet some of the people he supposedly represented.

Get out and look around, Mr. Gramm. People are losing their jobs, losing their homes, have no health insurance.

I am at the point in my life where I am supposed to be a Republican. It is idiots like this guy who keep me from doing so.

No flag pins! Not Patriots!

Graham was a joke years ago and still is today. McCain only picked him because he is a darling of the neo-conservative groups.

Duh… of course we are…. but it didn't just pop up in our heads. It is because of bad economic policy for 8 years now and has resulted in factors where people are having a tough time making ends meet.

Take his extra millions away, put him in a state of an average American and then see him going through the same mental recession…. seriously!

That's easy for someone way up there on his high horse to say when he doesn't have to worry about $4.00 gas. Nobody is coming to take his home away from him either. That's exactly what's wrong with people in power – out of touch with the avergae American

Senior Senator John McCain. memory laps and time in prison camp has brought on this thought of War, War, War and more war however, dealth and distruction does not bring jobs to our economy it just takes money way.

A nation of whiners? Is that the same thing as being "bitter"? I wonder what the news media will do with this article. Probably ignore it while they continue to support McCain through biased reporting.

Didn't the McCain camp just go through a major overhaul to avoid things like this? How's that working out for you, John?

Yeah, I must be crazy, seeing and reading about unemployment, high gas prices, home foreclosures, health care, war, environment, and weak dollar are all the delusions of us insane Americans.

You gave Bush 8 years of this crap and now you want to give McCain 4 more years?? We owe it to ourselves and future generations to change the course! That's why I support Obama! Period.Full Stop.

And regarding you single faux- single issue pro-lifers, please – McCain is an adulterer and war monger, what about those lives. Pro-choice means just that! CHOICE! It doesn't advocate to use abortion as a means to birth control! Compromise the issue! Advocate birth control and abstinence, adoption. Whether legal or illegal won't stop abortions!

It is obvious that Graham is out of touch with the American public. As the economic advisor of the McCain campaign, this is downright frightening. As McCain has rapidly distanced himself from Graham's comments, it make me wonder if McCain's distancing is only a political gimmick to garner the support of the electorate and if McCain should actually achieve the office of the President, he will quickly forget about the real economic suffering of Americans and embrace Bush's failed policies.

Maybe he was meaning a recession, is only in the mind, of those who have little to look forward too. Too narrow a vision! Get some wide angled Spectacles, look around some more…. Take a walk in a different direction Maybe..

He just called America "a nation of whiners" and this is McCain's top economic advisor, who McCain gives questions to that he doesn't understand and he expects us to say nothing?

well i guess it is easy to forget that we are on hard times when you have hundreds of millions of dollars to get you through those hard times.

Gee wiz , JAN FROM BOCA RATON, FL., how do you support that? Are you saying that there are not economic problems facing Americans today? I'm sure in Senator McCains world there aren't but in the real world you simply can't deny it.
For Senator McCain to even hint that economic problems facing Americans are psychological is a slap in the face to those who are finding it extremely difficult to provide for their families.
If you truly believe this you are as out of touch and as uncaring as Senator McCain apparently is. Maybe you don't have to worry but could you please put yourself in the shoes of others who are worrying. I absolutely gringe when I think of the lack of knowledge that some people display when making a decission as important as electing a President with out taking the time to realize the issues at stake.
Jan, start reading the news and listening to what is going on. YES, THERE ARE ECONOMIC PROBLEMS FACING AMERICANS TODAY.
You must be lucky to not be one of them.

And this is Uncle Fester's Top Eco Advisor…Great…

USA a third world country here we come…but we will have our guns to help feed us because all the good jobs will be gone and we will be killing wildlife to stay alive.

This is very significant and needs more coverage than it's being given. John McCains TOP ECONOMIC ADVISER thinks Americans are "whinners" and have "mental recession" for complaining about the economy and the media is subdued in its coverage; this is outrageous and goes to show that the media are McCains sychophants. How can someone with such a mindset advice the GOP nominiee on economic issues and propose any effective strategy to fix the economy when he sees no problem, and equates peoples' legitimate concerns to whinning? America, this is a wake up call that McCain won't do anything to help revive the economy because our economic woes are psychological, it is all in our heads!

Barrack says that "hope" will fix everything.
How is that different from saying "stop whining"?

Jan from Boca….

you are obviously a millionaire…..

(or an idiot)…

He is going to distance himself from the comments his adviser said….. but he will not distance himself from his adviser and his adviser will not apologize because that is how he feels. A next Dick Cheney???

let them eat cake. its not that bad i am leaving for the hamptons tomorrow….

This another reason why, thankfully, McCain is not going to be president.

is mcwar ok.

Senator Gramm, go crawl back in the hole from where you came from. Republican dirtbag.

Well when you're rich as all get out, I'm sure the problems of all us pleebs sound alot like whining. (sarcasm)

And they tried to call Obama an elitist? Phil Gramm has made a fortune working the system and peddling influence. He owes everything to our system that allows corrupt politicians to prosper. I'm sure he has nothing to "whine' about.. McCain may say that Gramm does not represent him, but the guy is his campaign co-chair and one of the people who put words in Mccains mouth on subjects like the economy. No wonder the government doesn't do anything for us. They don't think we exist. "If the peasants have no bread, let them eat cake" These guys have got to be kicked to the curb.

Of course! Thanks to the likes of George W. Bush!!!

John McCain's campaign thinks that the American People are a bunch of whiners?

We're a bunch of whiners when we fork out $4.50 a gallon for Gasoline for our commute to work?

We're a bunch of whiners when milk costs $4 a gallon at the grocery store?

We're a bunch of whiners when electricity and natural gas costs have doubled or even trippled?

We're a bunch of whiners, when we lose our jobs when they are shipped to China or India?

We're a bunch of whiners when the stock market is in constant turmoil?

We're a bunch of whiners when small businesses like the one I work for are struggling to survive in this "mental recession" as McCain's top advisor put it?

Give me a break!

Here's a new slogan….

John McCain: Change You Can Never Save Because You Are Forced To Use It All on Gas, Food, and Energy Bills!

I guess thats why McCain offers "psychological" solutions for our "mental" problems
Meanwhile he is the only one with a "mental" problem

There's your candidate pumas. Congrats.

While not a supporter of McCain, I do agree somewhat with Mr. Gramm. We Americans are a spoiled lot, used to having all of the wasteful, fuel-guzzling toys that we want. That cannot go on. I think we will be better off in the long-run, with a cleaner environment and a better quality of life. In the meantime things might be tough and there will be a lot of whining.

Not everyone is in the same income bracket as Phil Gramm.

Perhaps he's an out of touch elitist?

But to those who expect the government to give / provide / handout everything, its not hard to see that this economic cycle (like many before) could be the end of the wrold. Look at France, the government provides plenty and they are doing great….(wink)

This is an economic cycle people, people do need help its true, but this is still the greatest nation on earth and we will get through this and be better than ever, with or without the right political leaders. Its the FREE ECONOMY, STUPID!!!!

What an idiot. And this from the man who helped bring us Enron. The fact that McCain actually continues to use Phil Gramm as an economic advisor is beyond me. With the very serious concerns all Americans have regarding the economy, this is the leadership we get from the McCain camp! Good grief. Unless McCain at least tries to understand the economy, and the real hard financial issues real Americans face day in and day out, there is no way he will become the next President of the United States. Talk about elitist and out of touch!

Have a nice day.

The Republicans are trying to smear Obama with the "elitist and snobbish" label. Gramm's comments reveal so much about the Republicans and reflect who the real elitist in this country are. This is the same guy that is advising McCain on the economy. His comments are far worse and demeaning than anything Barack Obama intended by his "clining to guns and religion" comment.

i'm sure teflon john will get pounded on for one day about this and friday everyone will have forgoten about it. then saturday will roll around and teflon john will accuse obama of being out of touch. it's easy to be fooled if you only half way pay attention and just listen to the sound bites once a week, but if you actually pay attention you can't be lied to and manipulated like the republicans are trying to do. the internet and youtube are keeping them honest. finally.

I wouldnt call it a mental depression but a hard fact depression period. I dont think Graham is hurting in the pocket one bit and if McCain is elected he wont worry about hurting for at least another four years. The simple fact the rich dont live of the poor they feed off of us, look at the numbers of poor verse rich big diffrence. So the economy should be the number 1 fact because if we stop buying and start to look at what we need not what we want and what we can do with out, then the rich will start to look at the economy as fact 1 because there style of living will start to demenish and the the rich will start to panic like us poor

wow. American's are whiners eh? So lets suck it up and just take the hard times?

No thank you McSame. I'll take an order of change from Chef Obama.

It seems to me he's suggesting that the recession is in our heads, and it's not real. More than 75% of Americans and most economist believe we are in a recession. Furthermore people ARE struggling. Now Graham and McCain might have more than enough money so they aren't going hungry or have to forgoe things in life, but I'd say most Americans have had to make sacrifices. Some more than others. It's pretty absurd for Graham to belittle those sacrifices, because those struggles aren't real for him. This guy's an economist for McCain?? He doesn't have a clue.

And people will vote for this MORON?????!!! We are in a recession because of the George Bush policies, which will be continued by McCain. Don't tell me I am mental when I see the prices are outrageous, and my income is smaller. How dare they insult our intelligence with kind of Republican "fell good" nonsense that they like to sppon feed us! How immoral are these people???

And who is out of touch and an elitist. American people dont need CNN or Faux New or any other news station to tell them the economy is in a rut! They see it when they look at their investments, bank accounts, at gas pumps, grocery stores, electric bill, jobs, houses and on and on. But of course who would expect the ultra rich to understand the problems of the "average" person.

Three comments for this story??

The McCain campaign is saying that us hard-working Americans are WHINERS. McCain should try working a real job for a while. The gas prices are killing us out here and our jobs are all being shipped to China. My family can hardly even afford to buy groceries anymore!! And now the McCain campaign throws salt on the wound.

McCain and his wife spend $750,000 a month on credit cards. This is true, look it up. He can't relate to average Americans.

Yes, there is a mental recession of people who vote for John McSame.

Also, I don't like what the Dems just did to booster GW FISA bill. I hate the fact that Barack voted for it.

i think he is right i went to fill up my car and i thought the gas price was $4.59 a gallon that cant be right it must be just in my head what idiots the mcshame clan

go obama

I agree, people are whining about buying houses they can't afford, about the price of gas (still some of the lowest in the world) about health care which there is absolutely no constitutional or legal right to. People want everyone else to take care of them so that they can have what they want and when they want it. They should get off their butts and help themselves. There are a FEW in this country who can't, but most can. There are jobs, they might be low pay, but they are better then nothing, but people don't want them because the bunch of babies feel they deserve better! Grow up! Be men! Take care of yourselves and your families and don't buy things you can't afford!

Why would a candidate feel compelled to "distance" himself from one of his "top advisors"? Wonder where Gramm gets his info.

OBAMA/BIDEN '08-12

This should be getting more press. I hope Obama's camp is as diligent at reminding the voters how McBush's team really feels about the economy as McBush is at attempting to portray Obama as a flip-flopper on the war.

There have been several occasions when either McCain or one of his close supporters has said something negative about the American people.

The interesting thing is that the public has easily accepted everything that McCain has said about these harsh remarks with ease.

There have been several occasions when Obama or one of his close supporters has said something negative about his opposition candidate.

The strange American response has been to attack Obama.

Hum. McCain bad-mouths the people, no problem.
Obama bad-mouths the candidates, major problem.

And the voters wonder why they are getting skewed.

Hahahahahaha… wow… I know McCain would never say that to the public himself, but to have his top economic advisor say that… phenomenal. The DNC couldn't buy sound bites like that. Just keep talking like that…

Chryssa /That comment hit the nail on the head .

For McSane's town hall meetings they go to near-by rest homes and recruit people so they will have a few people in attendance.

LET THEM EAT CAKE!

Yet the solution is so simple! All we need to do is find a Beer Heir/Heiress to marry!

Saying McCain and his ilk are out of touch is kind. I think he's in a mental regression.

…"Phil Gramm’s comments are not representative of John McCain’s views."

BULL. Phil Gramm's economic ideals are indeed John McCain's views. He's his *chief* economic advisor !

The rising cost of food and energy is NOT all in my head.

Weathervain McCain……his ideas change with whichever way the wind blows!!!

Graham is correct to a large extent.

The media is very much about generating headlines that sensationalize, exaggerate and distort to secure either page views or the sale of printed material.

Why do you think that they have editors who's job it is to develop headlines. The people who actually author articles do not control the headline for their own articles.

Anyone in media who is directly involved in the process can confirm this. And I can also confirm this from my own personal experience working with the media.

I wonder if this comment will get deleted.

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Ah yes. The standard rich Republican response to the nations problems. "Let them eat cake".

This was a terrible thing for McCain's aid to say. But did Brad Woodhouse really use the phrase, "BFF?" That's hilarious. lol!!

Who is the idiot that wrote this blurb. A few typos plus immature comments such as calling Graham McCain's BFF cause me to lose all respect for the opinion behind this entry.

It's not mental when I go to the pump and pay $4.59 for a gallon of gas. The people who lost their homes in the mortgage crisis that Phil Gramm helped start with his lobbying for UBS don't think it's mental. The people who won't be able to afford heating oil this winter (thanks in part to Gramm's wife's work in creating the so-called "Enron Loophole") won't think it's mental. This isn't whining, Mr. Gramm. This is what happens when the things people come to depend on start failing them.

Any mental recession in American now is centered squarely at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

You want to see a REAL mental recession? Elect McCain and you'll get to listen to the likes of Phil Gramm spouting his mentally bankrupt words of wit.

Start making plans to go back to Texas with your boy W, Phil. I think America has heard plenty enough from Texas for awhile, thankyouverymuch.

Anyone that can vote for McCain in good conscience should have their "mental recession" examined. Talk about out of touch!

The stock market continuously spirals downward, the dollar is at an all time low, the housing sector is plummeting, and this is the best that McCain's economic adviser can do?

Can McCain say "President Obama?"

Yeah, excuse us for whining about $4.00 plus gas, higher food prices, etc.

If Graham was to lose his home by flood, fire or foreclosure, or his job and his health insurance, or all of his retirement savings due to a catastrophe in the family, do you think he would "whine?" Thousands of Americans are experiencing some sort of loss. Where's the sensitivity?

Hmmm….this sounds distinctly like Obama's clinging to guns and religion remark. Only worse. I hope he gets railed on it because I doubt there's any "regular working folks" that aren't feeling the pinch in some way. I'm sorry mr. gramm, but I am not a whiner – and it's not all in our heads that many have to choose between groceries and gas. It's not a metal recession. Good lord, what planet is this joker living on!!!! After seeing this, if you honestly think that the McCain admin/campaign would truly be looking for the best interests of working folks, you can forget it. He'd just tell us it's all in our heads – everythings great. He reminds me a little too much of GWB on that account. Delusional.

Give me a freakin break… I struggle to pay the bills while McCain and Graham have millions… I've had enough of their BS

i guess the economist are mental why is everything with mccain and camp psychological?????

Over 300,000 foreclosures nationwide,fuel at record prices,the people's confidence in their elected leaders at an all time low: HOW BAD DOES IT HAVE TO GET FOR SOMEONE TO ADMIT THAT WE NEED A NEW DIRECTION? We cannot just "Smile & Wave" and pretend that we as a nation are on top of our game. That some how psysco-symaticaly we think that we are in dire straits therefore we are. Bull, if we dont do something different we will get the same results, its time for a change. Obama 08.

Birds of a feather people…Birds of a feather. If you think that McShame's best friend has these views and he DOESN'T share them you're foolin' yourself…

If we are whiners, it's because of weiners like Phil Graham, who walk over the people's trust by writing laws, as a lobbyist, that will be in he and his wife's best interest. Of course John- you-can-buy-me McCain goes along with this.

Shame on Phil and John, two wealthy men who couldn't care less about the struggles of the average person. That's why I'm supporting Barack Obama to clean up the trash in Washington, D.C.

Obama 08

iIguess I am just imagining that I am paying double for gas a month and at the grocery store than I was a couple a years…hell a few months ago. This man's entire campaign is out of touch with regular, everyday, hard working, Americans. When you and your cronies are sitting on millions, I guess it does not really matter what hardships the people you are trying to lead are going through!!! I am waiting for someone to catch him off guard with a "hot mic" so we can ovehera him telling Karl Rove "Let them eat cake"!!!!!!! Please people, being a POW and in DC for years does not make you more qualified to run this country!!! WAKE UP AND STOP EATING WHAT THE GOP AND PUMA ARE SHOVELING!!!!!!!!

Jan, I hope you end up in the gutter so you may be able to step off your pedestal.

i wonder what the media would have done with this if it were an obama adviser…Anything Mcain say's is "a joke" but every thing obama say's is over analyzed…i guess different standards apply in the media as we…

- Corporate tax cuts
- Tax cuts for the rich
- No energy solutions from the White House
- Tens of Trillions spent on a war
- Katrina and flooding lack of support
- Lessoning education financial aid
- Lack of addressing mortgage crises by White House
- Unbalanced budget that will leave our children in increasingly more debt
- Jobs being shipped overseas and not being protected by the White House
etc. etc

We're all whiners? How about you not make six figures and we take your job away Mr. Gramm? Oh yea, you don't qualify for healthcare eaither…

AHHHH, so now the truth comes out. This is how the person who wrote the Enron loophole sleeps at night. This is how a patsy to the oil magnates closes his eyes and breaths peacefully. He is convinced that he is only screwing whiny grandmothers and "mentally recessed" blue collar workers out of their lunch money…..

Too funny. They guy freely admits he is incompetent when it comes to economics, and now is 'backing away' from one of his top economic advisors. Not that the economic advisor is right, quite honestly the guy is a moron. But it does showcase how inept at 'leading' John McCaine is. Once again he picks a true mistake.

McCain, you are a joke with a record of treason, infidelity and incompetence. Please do us all a favor and crawl back into the stone ages.

I'm just so sick of my taxes being blow overseas and now that's not even enough. I have to blow more $$ at the pump and in the grocery store! I have two jobs…what else does our government want me to do?

How someone in this country can say that this current economic hardship is only in people's head is beyond me. It's either Phil Gramm is living in another country or another planet. I may not have on this planet that long but this is the first time the economic crises has hit globally. The last time I checked America is still on this globe called earth.

I wonder is this comments will help McCain in the question: Understand the problems of people like me…. I don't know, but let's see what the "whiners" think.

Why don’t you mentally put some gas in my car, you elitist peice of republican do-do?!

WITH ONE OF THOSE GUY'S SUITS,I COULD FEED MY KIDS FOR A MONTH.sorry,didn't mean whine,but,my kids are hungry,today.

McCain did not say that, democrats–stop whining and get a job. You will feel much better about yourselves.

He is such an out of touch moron, it is pathethic. Do we need any more proof that mccain and the republicans could care less about americans? And they had a nerve to try and call Obama an elitist??? Incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I hope McDoNothin is able to cover everyone with this particular mental illness. I hear its contageous and most Americans are showing symptoms of this 'mental' recession.

McCain you have the wrong guy speaking for you… I guess we poor regular Americans are just a 'nation of whiners' as stated by this surrogate.

Who's elitist again?

America is a nation of whiners! It's ridiculous how America has become the "victim nation" where nobody takes personal responsibility. You got into debt, moron, so now deal with it! It's not the government's place to bail you out when you were stupid! … It's about time somebody spoke the truth instead of fear-mongering like Mr. Obama does. "The sky's falling and I'm going to save us all." Uh, Chicken Little was wrong, but he sure scared a lot of critters along the way … kind of like fear-mongering Obama.

Gramm is wrong. We are a nation of VOTERS. And McCain will NOT be getting our votes. Just ask the thousands and thousands of people that lost their jobs this year. Corporate greed is out of control, and people's families are suffering because of it.

Gramm couldn't be more wrong. Most Americans just want decent wages. They are willing to work hard, but they worry most about feeding their family and getting health insurance for their children.

Could you imagine wanting those things? Geez, what a bunch of whiners… they just want EVERYTHING, don't they?

Ist–McCain did not say that–CNN is only making the headline look like he did. I would actually have to agree with the person who DID say it. We all know that a number of democrats are whiners and victims from reading CNN blogs. A lot of us repubs are hurting too, but we do not expect govt to pull us up. we work harder to do it ourselves–"ask not what your country can do for you". go McCain 2008–the only choice

Jan, are you for real? Sure, it's all in my head that I'm paying $4 per gallon for gas. I'm just imagining that my grocery bill has gone up about 50%.

Now, remember voters. The republicans have absolutely no sympathy for the American people. Everything's our fault, OK? Corporate greed and $50 billion per month in Iraq have nothing to do with it, OK? Maybe McCain's economic strategy will be to provide psychiatric help to all Americans, because it's all in our heads, right?

WOW….how came someone is such dificult times call us whiners? This is not even the shadow of the Republican party I supported and voted for over 20 years.

If these are the people we want running our country, I have no idea what Americans are thinking.

I'm so glad I switched party.

OBAMA 08.

Man, are these people out of touch. This is scarey. This is from one of the "whinners" who's fuel and gas bills are climbing by the day………. with no end in site. Am sure the Texas oil people aren't whinners.

so let me get this straight, mcbush's top economic aide says that we are whining because of gas, food prices have skyrocketed, but mcbush says Gramm statements are not representative of his views?!? HUH?

Is Phil(benefactor of the current housing crisis) mccain's representative? how could he not be speaking for mccain? that's exactly what he's paid to do! and that's exactly what mccain believes too.

Insulting voters intelligence is a great way to get votes! Keep it up!

This is outrageous. Maybe the recession is only psychological to those with millions of dollars at their fingertips, but to average Americans who can't afford gas or food for their families, the problems are very real. Had Obama said this, the media would be in a frenzy – however anything controversial that McCain says barely gets a mention. The public needs to realise that McCain and his party will NOT fix the economic problems this country is facing, because they simply don't care about us!

@ Jan FL, lend me some money since you are wealthy like McCain. LOL

Come on people, are we really suprised one of McCain's top advisors said this?
This is going to be a historic election, if we blow it and elect Old Man Mac then this country deserves whatever happens to it. No reason to complain about unemployment rates, high food and gas prices, the war in Iraq. No complaints whatsoever.

Intelligent and Educated Voters for Barack!
Connecticut for Barack!

This is outrageous. Maybe the recession is only psychological to those with millions of dollars at their fingertips, but to average Americans who can't afford gas or food for their families, the problems are very real. Had Obama said this, the media would be in a frenzy – however anything controversial that McCain says barely gets a mention. The public needs to realise that McCain and his party will NOT fix the economic problems this country is facing, because they simply don't care about us.

Elitist much? This shows us exactly what mccain thinks of americans struggling.

i'll quit whining if one of you guys will let me have your suit.i could feed my family for a month,with one of those.

Of course someone from Boca Raton would agree with graham. This goes to show you how OUT OF TOUCH mcSAME is! Mental recession my butt!

So are all the layoffs psychotic delusions?

Wow, so $4.50 gas is all in my head? I guess I will just subtract what it is actually worth and pay that.

So the little people are a nation of "whiners"….is that comment a modern day "Let them eat cake" ?

Hell……ooooooooooooooooooooo

SET UP? SET UP? SET UP? SET UP?

This is a new McCain SET UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is really telling it as it is!!!!!!!! John McCain is WELL KNOWN to PLANT his SUPPORTERS in his TOWN HALL ADDRESSES. No folks you CANNOT CALL IT A RALLY with only 100 to 300 present most of whom ARE McCain SUPPORTERS.

Now John McCain has taken this one step further, he is now getting his STRATEGISTS to FLOAT THE QUESTIONS and YIPPPPPPPPY
he now CAN ADDRESS that problem.

Please folks, this is not the guy you want in YOUR WHITEHOUSE!
Of course I have been forgetting those who reeeeeeeeelly loooove WARS! These folks reeeeeeeeeeeeelly want the WAR LOVER in the White House, so for every AMERICAN who CANNOT WAIT FOR WORLD WAR 111 Pleeeeeeeeeeease vote for John McCain!

Explain the mental recession to people whose homes are foreclosed on. That is absurd. Only the rich republicans would call this a mental recession. They should take a look at this not just from their point of view but from the view of others in this country. We all aren’t so fortunate to not be bothered by the state of our economy.

Well,that's comforting. I guess Mcbush wasn't lying (for once) when he admitted back in the primaries that the economy wasn't one of his strong points. That's understandable when you consider the fact that his campaign is now run by bush's 'hand-me-downs', including the lovely chap that suggested another "terrorist attack" would help usher Mcshame into the White House.
GROW A BRAIN-DON'T VOTE MCCAIN
Obama '08

They created this problems and now call us whinners for complaining…Can we be dumb again to put these fools back into the White house?

they sure have nice suits!boy,what i wouldn't give for a nice suit like that…i'd pawn it,and buy some more rice,for my children,so we can eat this month.i'm sorry,am i 'whining',again?it's just frustrating that i was replaced at my work,by an empty spot.apparently my company moved without notice ,to china.then my house was foreclosed on a couple months ago,because i couldn't afford the higher interest rates,with NO JOB!my stimulus check was spent,moving my family to a weekly rental,and now i'm flipping burgers at two different fast food joints,just to get my babies some milk and rice.i'm sorry for whining,now,i'll just go away…..

The newspapers exagerate to sell more papers? Say it ain't so.

LOL Phil Gramm. Is this the same Phil Gramm who was working for UBS?

The bigger question- why is McCain's economic advisor someone who worked with Enron?

No one is saying the economy is great right now. Yet, it is no where near as disasterous as it has been in many previous decades. It's a mild…MILD…recession. The media is over-hyping it to the tenth degree because they can't fill their pages with bad news from Iraq anymore. We all know the can't print good news.

If congress would allow us to to increase domestic energy supply half of our problem would be solved. The mortgage crisis will solve itself overtime. Capitalism is self correcting and functions in waves…highs and lows, but don't expect most americans or congress to know this.

uh….I think Mr Graham should be reminded that it is the PEOPLES TAX dollars that he is earning……and that he is a SERVANT of the PEOPLE, by the PEOPLE for the PEOPLE.

DID I NOT SAY IT?……………..WAS I NOT RIGHT?

GOP=ELITIST ELITIST ELITIST ELITIST ELITIST………………………..

Dig dat! I think Whitey is right. I still git my nails done, feed by kids no prob. Luv dat Obama, but McCains right fo shnizzle.

This people in this old veteran campaign are nut. Because they have lot of money to the point they don't know what to do with it does not give them the right to insult us trying to make it DAY BY DAY, PAY CHECK per PAY CHECK.
What a shamefull this country bill be if this buch of idiots win in november.

Ooops Freudian slip time again. The truth will out. Not only does McBush not understand the economy. He does not care. He and his multi Millionaire Buddies think that people who cannot afford gas to drive to work, Are Whinners! Can't wait for Cindy to be overheard laughing and saying 'let them eat cake'.

he is right . the economy is not doing great but it is not in the dumper. we have not even seen a recession yet. The people are reacting to the media not to economic problems. Aside from gas the Economy is not that bad. The housing market will recover. most people that lost a home to foreclosure did so due to the Clinton sub prime rate deal. They got a house with a low adjustable rate and could not afford any higher rate. so in reality we all knew that this was coming. personally i have no problem with the market . I have got 3 houses in the last 4 years and i am renting them out. So no mater what the market/ economy dose it can be good for the individual.

Just because Gramm has lots of money and is doing well, does not mean the rest of the country is in the same situation. What a snob!

Well, this whiner is voting Democrat.

I agree! Graham is right!! I may support Obama, but sometimes you just have to be honest with yourself and realize that it is the media who is telling you how to feel. It is the media who is telling you that everything is so bad because they know that as Americans, all we want to hear is bad news.

Republicans out of touch with the concerns of ordinary Americans?

I'm shocked.

The 2000 John McCain wouldn't vote for the 2008 John McCain.

I think Graham is right, to a certain extent. There is definitely a better way to say this and he should know how this makes McCain look. The media incessantly shoves down our throat that the American economy is in dire straits when in fact, although in a lull, we are not in a recession and America's GDP is growing. American's start believing it because of the increase in price of certain items such as gas and food, we tend to act like the country is falling apart. The economy has historically been a wave pattern and this is natural. Nobody was complaining when the housing market was booming and people were making money hand over fist…as a matter of fact, the media refused to report how good the economy was doing then!

American's are resilient people and like we always do, we need to suck it up and drive on until things pick back up again. Now to follow, a bunch of ignorant immature name calling…proceed.

Jan from Boca Raton:

I get the feeling you are not too bright considering you spell Senator Gramm's name incorrectly and it's spelled a hundred times in the article above. And how can you say he is right when we have 47,000,000 uninsured Americans, millions facing home foreclosures due to shoddy lending practices, failing public schools and rising college tuition, and gas and grocery prices skyrocekting? There is nothing "mental" about the state of our economy. We have businesses closing stores, airlines firing pilots and charging for frequent flyer miles, and hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs. GET REAL! Again, there is nothin "MENTAL" about these facts, and CHANGE is necessary!

OBAMA/SEBELIUS 2008-2016!!!!

He already admited that he dont know much about economy only that admmition speaks volume.

People actually want this senile, out of touch, elite old goat to be the Our next President? Iv'e heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession, in the minds of McSame supporters.

i live in west virginia a poor state what about the people who want to work but can not aford to pay the gas, child care, etc… to travel 100 miles a day to get a job that is worth and will at least pay for the necessities in life my childern are grow i can not imagine to pay for everything plus the cost of a child what about the people that want to work 5.25 a hour does not even pay for the cost to get to ajob we need to get it toghter and help the people who try but keep getting kicked down because they do not have a 6 digit income thank u !

With all these old guys, watching mcains campaign is like watching
the Antique road show, except there is nothing in his campaign worth keeping!!!!!!!

BARACK THE VOTE!!!!!!!!

BARACK / SEBELIUS 08

Phil Graham is one arrogant SOB… helping steal from the poor so this rich sucka can flaunt his arrogance in our faces when Millions of American are suffering now. I say confiscate that goverment credit card you use , that WE pay. I would surely get locked up if I meet this man on the streets, cause I'd put my foot in his behind !!!!!!

The only "mental Recesssion" around here is from Obama the mental midget who is constantly saying "I regret"

I regret Rezko
I regret Rev. Wright
I regret My kids doing an interview
I Regret William Ayers
I regret the bad real estate decisions

Guy seems to have quite a bit of "regret" for a first term Senator.

Google Obama and Regret…… You will get over 1 million hits unreal.

Instead of "Hope" and "Change" he offers us regret with his poor decisions. Nice choice democrats

Of course it is whining to a person that has benefitted off of the last 7 years as Mcshame and his colleagues have but Obama is and Elitst this is funnie because time shows the character of a man. so we are whinning because gas prices 4.10 for regular or because milk is 4.50 a gallon and when we go to the store we get 20% less food than we did 2 years ago we are whinning NO WE ARE NOT WHINING WE ARE ANGRY AND COME NOVEMBER I AM TAKING ALL MY WHINING OUT ON THE REPUBLICANS!

that's why it can only be Barr

This is insane. McCain's ECONOMIC ADVISER calling people with economic troubles are whiners?!?! Wow.. just wow

can you believe these guys. His is mentally retarded.

I have two words for you…

Enron Loophole

What's wrong with what he said? Doesn't everyone have a US Senate Pension and million dollar trust funds? Stop whining and buy a bike to get to work. Sell the home you can't afford and get an apartment. Come on peasants, use those primitive brains of yours.

How is it a mental recession when I lost my home remodeling business during the housing crunch? How is this a mental recession when I have submitted over 200 job applications and interviews, gone to 31 job interviews during the past 19 months to be told I am over qualified for the postion? How is it a mental recession when I am forced to give up my vehicle because I can no longer afford to put gas in it let alone make the payments? It seems to me that the McCain camp again has no clue as to what is happening!

And they call Democrats elitist????????

Obviously Mr. Gramm doesn't have any financial worries or has any clue of what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck – and he is one of McCain's economic advisers?

I forgot that to the Republicans it is no longer "We The People, For the People" but "I'll Do as I Darn Well Please and to Heck with Who Disagrees!"

It's easy to label those affected by the poor economy as 'whiners' if you are a wealthy person. Phil Graham couldn't possibly understand what it feels like to not have his basic needs met. He is just another rich, pompous blowhard.

Phil Graham is a moron.

Wow a mental recession? Are you kidding me? I can't believe people are actually planning on voting for this man. The recession is real, you idiot. What a disgrace.

The persons saying this are the people that aren't going home worrying about the price of gas at $4+ a gallon, putting food on the table or worrying about if their job will still be there tomorrow.
We would all like to have that luxury. Unfortunately only the elitists in the Republican party can say that.
Just more proof that McCain and the Republicans have no clue on what is important to the people they work for. Totally clueless when it comes to the economy which is why I and others will be voting for Obama.

"We have sort of become a nation of whiners. You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline," said the former Texas senator.

So I should not whine when i can't afford to fill my gas tank to go to work….I should not whine that I cannot afford to feed my family….I should not whine when The McCains can carry $700,000 debt on their credit cards…..I should just sit and not complain….

I will do my duty as a US Citizen and cast my vote in November. it is funny, the ones calling the US people whiners are the people who are millionaires and will never understand what it means to decide between food or medicine.

how out of touch.

Well sure, the recession is all in your head if you are a millionaire!

Yes, Jan…. absolutely right. Which is why our US dollar is at an all time low in relation to other currencies. Maybe you're not feeling it down in good old Boca Raton where, according to a 2006 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $66,052, and the median income for a family was $90,725. Not to mention that you've got some of the most expensive gated communities in the country.

Open your eyes… our money today doesn't go as far as it once did because the price of oil is at record levels, which affects EVERYthing in our economy. Your own PERSONAL view of the economy really doesn't matter because you can't see past the golden gate in front of your house.

We dont need to make john macain a flip floper,because that is who he is.

When you are a white multimillionaire and don't have to worry about the price of anything, I guess you would think that way.

He is right. People who are willing to work are employed. 94% of them are employed. 90% pay their mortgage on time. The media creates this artificial downside every election cycle. They started the badmouthing of the economy 2 years ago to help the Democrats

ELITISM at its WORST, people.

If Obama's people said anything CLOSE to this we'd hear about it for months.

Obama 08′

picture caption: "Well, lookey here, my great-grandkids have one of these here newfangled contraptions, i do believe they call it a…com-pooter. What's wrong with the IBM Selectric, my secretary tells me mine still works great! Why in tarnation would you need all those bells & whistles, like email and the internets, the whiners just use those things for their sinning, like por-nah-graphy!!"

Graham is totally correct. The Liberals are ALWAYS the first to complain about and put America down — and the first to jump ship when the going gets tough. Their cup is always half-empty rather than half-full — and they're the first in line for a hand-out rather than working hard for what they want. For the Liberals, America — the "shining city on the hill," as Reagan used to call it — is always the "worst" country in the world. America – love it or leave it!

ANNOY THE LIBERALS
Work — succeed — be happy!

Say what? Has this old fool looked at the stock market lately? Looked at home foreclosures? Looked at lost jobs? And he says the ecomony is "not as bad as you read in the newspapers today".
No, it's not…It's worse! Great choice of an economic advisor, John.
Just another reason not to vote for you….

Sounds like "Let them eat cake." all over again! Either they're clueless (I doubt it.) or just don't give a hoot about those less fortunate. Get and keep these bums out of office.

For those of you thinking about voting for McCain – are these the kinds of people you want to get us out of this economic RECESSION? Do they represent your values and needs? Cindy McCain, John McCains wife, used two credit cards to charge 1.5 MILLION dollars worth of stuff LAST MONTH alone… How can they relate to the pain and suffering we're experiencing as normal (read – not rich) citizens?

What's wrong with what he said? Doesn't everyone own oil wells and have million dollar trust funds? Stop complaining and buy a bike to get to work you peasants.

just how out of touch do these people need to show themselves to be, before the country realizes that mccain is not the answer?
do we really want to elect a president whose closest advisors hold ideas that americans are "whiners"?
what kind of policies can we expect from that mindset?
nothing.

Yeah, your house isn't really being foreclosed, you just THINK it is.

And quit whining about it costing you $50 to fill up your gas tank. $50 is not a lot of money when you make several million a year, and pretty much most people are millionaires. I don't see what the fuss is about.

Americans DO NOT want a President or his staff to consider us whiners…send this out of touch elitist and his rich plastic wife back to the senate….Say no to McFlip Flop *Tired of the Bush Years & We dont want the McBush years*

OBAMA'08

He's toooo old and out of touch!!!!

What's sad is this was said after meeting many people who are struggling. How out of touch can this man be??? Look at the facts!

Another reason to vote Obama!

McShame, McFossil is running the most haphazard campaign in history. I am completely outraged over this statement that the American people are a bunch of whiners. It is so evident that McCain is completely out of touch with Americans when it comes to the economy…not only has he said the economic problems are mental but he said that he doesn't understand the economy.

America, we can not allow 4 more years of this type of policy for love of war and not love of our US economy. We have to get back on the right path in this great country and clearly McCain is not the right person for this job because he is not even able to run an effective campaign.

Can't get anymore out of touch than that! I see … This is all in our heads. Alrighty then. I guess when you are married to a beer heiress and happen to have seven homes you can say that Social Security is a disgrace (Grampy's words, not mine), too.

Jan, are you serious?? Get a grip!
Gramm is dead wrong. How dare he say this nation is full of whiners and that it's the media's fault "for fostering unnecessary anxiety over the state of the economy." LOOK AROUND! WE HAVE $4 GAS! That's the media's fault????? Unemployment rates have risen and that's the media's fault??? This is coming from a team that their candidate didn't even know how much gas was!! Who is an elitist now???

Talk about being out of touch!

follow up: Graham is a advisor to JM….so he is representing his campaign even though JM is distancing itself from the comment…again have your people say something then the candidate distances himself from the comment….these are the kind of poepl "advising" JM….if so…..welcome President Obama to 1600 Penn. Ave. Jan 20th 2009!

Your attention is invitied to the photo on the CNN website……that's mental regression.

this is outrageous! if john MaCain has such a wonderful plan to put people back to work, lower gas prices and save housing for this country …please tell me why he can't tell george bush and put these plans into action right now! this is hog wash on McCain's part and he is as clueless as bush and the rest of those old cronies in washington. don't think for a minute if the republicans had a plan ,they wouldn't be jumping on the bandwagan NOW to save their party this fall. a gas tax holiday AIN'T gonna happen and would do us no good three months from now. we MUST have a permanent solution and i can tell you the republicans don't have it!!!!
if drilling is their big ace in the hole alot of us are gonna be doing without gas for the next 7 to 10 years waiting for the "new" US pipelines to start bringing in the finished product. McCain will probably die from old age before we see the results of drilling in our own country for more oil.
we need to pray for obama everyday that nothing gets in his way for the benefit of this country.

I am absolutely shocked!!!!!! How can anyone think this economy is not in a period of decline???? I guess it could always be worse… but wouldn't that be a depression????

John McCain may not be out of touch…. but if he keeps getting advice from people who are… it won't be long before he will be…..

tar and feather him!!why cant these idiots just go play shuffleboard somewhere on their plush retirements?

While the media deserves a majority of fear based rhetoric, Fox News being the worst of all, isn't that what the Republican Party platform uses time and time again to promote their agenda?

Wow and Jan from the cheater state of Florida speaks. Congratulations on your stupidity!

Oh jeez. So the gas prices are all in our head??

McCain, Bush and Gramm all do share the same views. McCain said the economy is fine and Bush didn't know it was failing. Phil Gramm like McCain wants Americans to forget about the economy as an issue in this election, vote John McCain, and do as McCain says and shut up. McCain and his followers are dangerous and if Bush didn't give people a heads up I don't know what it takes.

How can a man who have never had to work for a living know about how America is doing.. He have never been out in the slum or done any work for the poor America. With a wifes nice income where will he ever had to worry ??

McLies doesn't know jack about the economy!!!

Go back to the stone age, you will fit right in!

I agree with you Philly Abe, who is the elitist now?

What an incredibly false statement. Let's see if McCain holds his surrogate accountable as he does Obama for anything that is said.

CNN should also cover McCain's comments about social security from yesterday. Senior voters who are supporting him should be aware of these as well.

Mental….. Hmmm

& by the way… When did "EXPERIENCE" in breathing mean your fit to be president… lets look at their judgement & foresight…

Who can take the whole picture into consideration before jumping to action prematurely. Who can think clearly & isn't guided by rage?

We are ALL suffering… No money to do anything extra… It's a reality

-V

Gramm is wrong. I am really feeling the crunch of the recession. I can't even afford to fill up my H-2 anymore, and I'll have to pawn one of my three plasma screens so I can make my house payment. This economy stinks!

McCain is such a LOSER!!! How can we vote for someone that is oblivious to the economic problems in this country?

He misspoke…

He meant

"The GOP is suffering from a mental recession that began after Teddy Roosevelt left office."

mental recession??? what???? like people are NOT hurting from the economic recession on our pocket books? and this guy wants to be the npotus??? come one people…again…can you really vote for this guy????

To Jan from Boca Raton, FL

It must be nice to live where you do and not have to worry about the current state of the economy. Unfortunately, the remaining 99.9999% of the country is feeling the crunch and not merely whining but are pretty pissed off that they either have no home, no job, no medicare, a husband/wife/daughter/son in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Ok this guy has to go. It's official. McCain cannot and should not be our next president. Are you kiddin' me?

Gramm was an idiot when he was in office and I see it hasn't changed!!!
I'm so ashamed this man is from TEXAS!!! Between him and Bush I think I will hold off on talking up my State in the future until we get it back on track!!!

this just shows us how the REPUGNANTS dont care about ordinary americans….they talk about drill here, drill more, drill now for political expediency to create more jobs for oil corporations, give more tax breaks to Dick Chenney's Harlliburton and the likes and sell gas to ordinary american consumers at record breaking profits!

It is doubly sad that this is a REPUBLICAN senator who supports McShame & Bush and who ought to have been doing something to alleviate the problems with the housing foreclosure crisis, a slowed housing market, decreased retail spending, rising gas and food prices and a declining stock market.
They should know better that Americans in many parts of the country have hit a tipping point and in most other parts are close to one.

Yet, John McSame and his republican friends & lobbyist will thumb their noses at us as "a nation of whiners".

NOT THIS TIME!!!

ONLY A FOOL WILL VOTE REPUBLICAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep, not voting for this out of touch loon

Heck…
Give us all some zoloft and a little McMama koolaid and we'll all be fine. O. K. I get it, it's all about perception.

I percieve this: I'm voting for "none of the above" when it comes to McMama–I may be desperately depressed and poor–but I do have a conscience and self-respect–and I want to keep it.

Barr/Root 2008
Libertarians…join us and make real change Washington.

oh ,i see,our country is going to hell in a basket,and we're whiners?we are not whining!we are pissed off!thieving elitists have stolen and squandered the wealth of this nation,then call us whiners when we complain that we are losing our jobs because we cant afford the gas to get to work.sorry phil and john,but,we dont all have jumbo jets to fly around in.that entire party is riddled with nothing but high dollar trash!kick 'em out,this fall!these people are stealing from us and our children,and wondering why we're upset.dum!

Forget the cheese, I'd like some gas with my whine.

Yes, I agreed. It's a mental problem. I'm now very scared going to a gas-station. I felt like there an evil guy hire inside the pump trying to steal every dollar I have. I'm mentally ill.

God dam the rich republican who does not know anything about suffering American lives. Sure, if your friends are executive from Chevron, Exxon, Shell then it makes sense that you think the economy is not in recession.

OMG !
I bet this guy is living on another planet, far far far … far away from earth
It's not necessary to read newspapers for figuring out that the economy is in a bad shape, maybe the worst ever.

This guy is out of touch on the economy as well as his boss McShame

Let me make it clear.

1. I am paying 2x for gas than a 1 year ago. We are trying to avoid long trips.
2. My landlord has raised my rent because of increased energy and heating bills. My landlord even called me to turn off my AC which she never did that before.
3. My parents who work in the same company (international bank). Their stock has dropped by 4x since 1 year ago. They are having lay offs almost weekly and hope everyday that this is not the day. Cause dropping dollar…ye dropping dollar..who you think caused it?

Gramm and all the politicians and oil people do not have to worry about depression or recession because they have more money than they could spend, and they are have insurance and have gotten richer from all the screws that they have put to the common people. Gramm, Cheney, Bush and all are morons.

We are a nation of whiners. We want the government to fix everything. We complain all the time about everything. America is in decline because a lot of Americans are lazy and do not want to do anything to help themselves. I say stop complaining and whining and get busy making your life better!

WHOA I MEANT UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

It isn't whining -it's legitimate complaining. We as a nation ARE doing badly economically, doing badly competitively and in comparison to other nations.

Not to mention what looks to be making fun of the duel use of the word depression for both economic trouble and mental illness. But I'll give the benefit of the doubt on that one.

I think McCain really needs to reconsider having someone who, according to him, is "not representative of John McCain's views" acting as his top economic adviser.

He has some nerve! There are ;people without jobs on the verge of LOSING their homes and you are calling people whiners???? Yes, that's the kind of leadership I'm looking for.

It's the truth. The economy was growing at such an astonishing rate for 6 of the last 8 years, no one used common sense and saved, everyone thought they were entitled to a 2 or 3 bathroom house, everyone bought everything they could lay their hands on. The economy is still growing, just far, far slower, economic growth is far closer to normal now than it was several years ago. Everyone got a little spoiled by what they could buy and is mad that now they cant. Take a look through houses in forclosure – tons of them have giant screen t.v.s and awesome furniture in there. NORMAL is old furniture and adding luxuries slowly.

“Phil Gramm’s comments are not representative of John McCain’s views."

you cant have it both ways, flip-flopper. you cant pick and choose when you WANT someone to be your economic advisor and when you dont. he's your economic advisor and he just called americans "WHINERS" b/c you neoCONs have DESPERATELY $crewed up the economy. this is UNACCEPTABLE!!!!

mcCON is doing the typical rove/bush tactci: let someone say whatever they want, then just come out and deny it, cuz the americans are such stupid WHINERS, they'll only remember the bad thing!!!

this is APPALLING!!! and this is the ultimate in ELITIST!!!!!

?????????????? HE CAN'T BE SERIOUS??????????

YES, YES $4 MILK, $4.50 GAS, HIGHER FOOD PRICES, LOWER WAGES AND A HIGHER EMPLOYMENT RATE…. IS JUST A FIGMENT OF OUR (MILLIIONS) IMAGINATION………….. YES…………….. AND WHO DID THEY SAY IS OUT OF TOUCH.?????????

I believe McCain's case of mental recession is called 'getting senile.'

Can you IMAGINE the firestorm if an Obama advisor had said this!

That it even made it this far in America's right wing media empire is incredible.

The only mental recession around here is in McCain's head.

uhhh…who is elitist?

Phl Gram will no more about whining when he ends up in prison.

Graham is ABSOLUTLEY RIGHT>

What the heck is a "mental recession"????? The McCain advisers are MENTALLY CHALLENGED!!!!!!!!!!!

"You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession."

Tell that to my 401K.

Keep borrowing from China. Keep printing money out of thin air to bail out banks and reward ignorant borrowers.

As the value of the dollar falls, we create inflation.

I'm not an economics major, but I have a better grip on reality than these multi-millionaires.

Anybody but McLieberCain in 2008

WOW!

McCain needs better advisors.

CNN – is this story as big as Jesse Jackson and Obama's nuts? I wait in anticipation of the stealth reporting on the real issues facing the nation — Obama's Nuts vs. Our Economic Recession?

Once again the McCain camp and Republican party demonstrate how "out of touch" they really are.

WOW!

Yeah, this foreclosure problem and gas problem are all in our minds. Thanks McCain. You and Cindy go ahead and enjoy your millions.

****Let Them Drink Beer****

What about McCain joking about killing Iranian civilians through cigarettes?
Why isn't there a debate about the ethics of the Fox decision to release the off-mic conversation of Jesse Jackson?

CNN, which is more newsworthy?
What if it was Obama who joked about killing Iranians?

Shame on you guys for ignoring this story !