Phil Gramm Says He Was Misquoted -- But Won't Retract Comments

In an interview, McCain adviser Phil Gramm stands by his controversial comments about the economy: calling the recession "mental" and America a "nation of whiners." But he also says he was misquoted, the Washington Post reports:

Former senator Phil Gramm -- under fire for saying the United States has "become a nation of whiners" -- said in an interview today that he meant the nation's leaders were whiners, not its citizens.

But the top adviser to Sen. John McCain repeated his assertion that the economy is not in recession, and he declined to retract the comments quoted yesterday in the Washington Times.

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

...

"When I said we've become a nation of whiners, I'm talking about our leaders. I'm not talking about our people," he said. "We've got every kind of excuse in the world about oil prices -- we've got speculators, the oil companies to blame -- but too many people don't have a program to get on with a job of producing."

Read more about Phil Gramm's economic commentary and the scandal it caused here.

Comments

[Troubledwawa]

I heard you the first time Phil - on video.

[LettuceB1]

Notice you don't see Gramm's "whiner" comment looped over and over like Obama's "bitter" comment.

And MSM wonders why it's rating are in free fall!

[vernonbc]

So very true.

[bdd]

Folks, this IS the true face of conservatism. This IS the true face of the republican party. It is beyond me why anyone would vote for mccain or any republican unless they are part of the top 2%.

[morfar]

Speaking of face, take a look at these two guys on the tarmac. Enthusiasm, optimism, leadership, new ideas for America's future, I don't think so. They look like they ate some bad tomatoes. The one on the left is Sal, the one on the right is Monella. I hope there will be more pictures. I just can't get enough of these two guys.

[meltingpot101]

What about the video Phil?? What is it with these guys, they just can't wrap their minds around YouTube...

[tiredofhillary]

This is the team that cares about the ordinary american who is going to pull us out of the economic mess that we have found ourselves in?

I think not! When will the american people wake up.

[TheRealMacDaddy]

Hmmmm, "misquoted"...there is notihing wrong with my hearing. Of course unless that was a Phil Gramm impersonator speaking into the microphone.

[rasthedestroyer]

Is it Double speak, or maybe it's No speak.. I don't know what it's called. All i want to say is don't speak. Please just shut up!!!

[BethStuart]

I saw that 12 U.S. airlines had asked Congress to curb speculation in oil prices. I guess that makes them whiners as well.

[riverhouse]

There's a video of him saying it. How can he deny what we've seen and heard with our very own eyes and ears?

[Birdman]

It is the classic Republican modus operandi they say stuff that is heartless, boneheaded, racists, and down right wrong, and then defend it with saying well you misunderstood what I said. When what they said was very plain and to the point. Gramm said "The United States has become a nation of whiners." Now the claim is well I meant the leaders are whiners. So really what he means is the leaders are the whiners and they are the only ones that count, because they are the nation, the rest of us are just fodder for him, and his rich friends to use, abuse, and exploit.

[DaOne]

Exactly.

[bygollymissmolly]

We just didn't interpret it the way he wanted us to interpret it. Therefore he "misspoke".

I heard yesterday that Mc'Cain has removed Graham from his campaign. I'm not sure that will do him much good because it's very hard to put the toothpaste back in the tube.

My question is, why isn't O'bama hammering on this? He should be mentioning it at every campaign stop. I know he doesn't want to go negative and I don't want him to do it either. But there's nothing negative in telling the truth about what was said.

[vernonbc]

Obama is making many comments about this whole election process but unless you're there to hear it in person, don't expect to hear about it in any of the media. It might shine a negative light on McSame and heaven forbid that should happen.

He's also making a zillion comments about his policies but do you ever hear those snippets on tv? No, unless it's a comment the media hopes will drum up some controversy, it's not going to be seen or read anywhere. I've heard many pundits still claim he's an 'empty suit' or that he has to let the American public know what his policies are instead of just giving grand speeches about hope and change. It's embarrassing how uninformed and misinformed much of the media is. They still go on and on about how townhalls are McLame's strength even though he usually commits a big gaffe at every one of them while Obama is getting rousing cheers at his townhalls because he gives such thoughtful comprehensive answers. I wish Obama would agree to do some townhalls with McLame so that more people could see the difference between the thoughtful, well informed, intelligent Obama and the stuttering old fool that McLame is.

[plafayette]

They lie, they cheat and a rigged electorial process has them close in this race and posed to take over the country for good!
80% of the population believes that the country is going in the wrong direction yet we are supposed to believe that 41% of the population is supporting McCain? SOMETHING IS WRONG PEOPLE. Wake up and smell the corruption America - we are being hijacked

I have donated money to Obama's campaign and to the DNC yet I have never ever been polled. Has anybody here on Huffpo ever been polled?

[Gericault]

Phil Gramm, " Oops, did I say that out loud?".

[plafayette]

You know what I wonder...where are all the people who post nasty things about Obama and swear to vote for McCain? Why are they not posting and defending their "chosen" candidates position? When McCain jokes of killing off a nation of people - where is the outpouring of support? I know that I am one of the whiny Americans Gramm is talking about- over taxed, working to afford gas, food,mortgage, education, and a couple of loss paychecks away from being bankrupt and homeless. If this is a mental condition then I am astute enough to know that I am not alone in my affliction. I also know that John McCain and the people that are supporting him are wrong for me and wrong for this country. I do not know how this race could possibly "close". These are the same questions I had as I watched Bush take a second term. The republicans have rigged the election process. All polls are a fake. I will not believe that Americans are voting this much against themselves- We are not a nation of fools!

[Birdman]

I did an informal poll amoungst my freinds and aquaintences after the 2004 and asked them how they voted simply because I could not beleive what happened. What I found was people who were afraid of OBL and seemed to be irrational about this fear because they seemed to know OBL was going to come out of their closets and kill them voted for GW. People who knew that GW was scamming them with terror threats voted agsint him. Over all it was a dead tie 50-50 this was 14 people I talked with. I knwo it is far from scientific and statistacally invalid , but it allowed for me to accept the results as nothing more then people not taking the time to sort out the crap and being rational about the whole voting process. It didn't help either that Kerry took many false accusations on the chin and did not set the record straight, Gore did the same damn thing. Sometimes I wonder if the two of them were there to throw the election so GW would win.

[SamEllison]

Producing what? BS?
I was misquoted --- but I meant it???????
WHAAAAAAT?

[pbfishtaco]

Never, ever Apologize, even when confronted with a direct quote.
Impugn the character of the accuser.
Cover your tracks by changing the subject.
Then it becomes strength of character and resolve to the authoritarians and their followers.

[zendem1]

Had it up to here with old silver-haired white men who love to steal.

[rasthedestroyer]

Ditto!!!

[harriscrl3]

McCain IS a CONSERVATIVE shocking I know but it bears repeating because the media have this image that McCain is a maverick and that means he somehow identify with the common man. So listen up you Reagan democrats as you are called and you Indepdent too McCain is a Conservative as conservative as Bush. If you think McCain is sensitve to your economic woes you are dreaming thats why he comes up with ridiculous ideas like that car battery lottery and that gas tax holiday. Wake up stop listening to the media McCain is a conservative who couldnt care less about struggling people and people are going to say Oh thats harsh no its not. He is pretending he is faking that he understands them look what he said about Social Security one of the biggest victories of FDR its a disgrace thats what he said. Its unfair to young people. No whats unfair is how government using social security money for things that it was NOT MEANT to use for thats whats unfair not the program itself.

Carol