McCain's Phil Gramm is Worse than Obama's Rev. Wright

We've heard ten thousand times about how awful it is that Obama kept worshipping at the church led by just awful Reverend Wright, how he kept going for 20 years.

Well it sure seems to me that McCain's decades long, close relationship with Phil Gramm, his most embraced economic advisor, signifies much worse than Obama's case.

You can be a member of a church and not have your minister speak for an represent you. You can be a member of a church and not have anything more than a brief conversation with your minister every few weeks.

But when you are the chief economic advisor on the campaign team, when you act as an official surrogate, speaking to audiences on behalf of your candidate, that is several quantum levels more involved, more connected to the candidate.

So we have Phil Gramm telling us the nation's economic problems are all in our head, that it's a "mental recession" and we're "a nation of whiners."

This should be pretty easy math. You have a foolish, overly bombastic, self promoting pastor or you have an out of touch, let-them-eat cake, arrogant ADVISOR and official campaign surrogate and spokesperson who insults Americans and is clueless on the biggest challenge facing Americans, playing close advisor role to a candidate who has admitted he doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to economics.

Which is worse?

Yet where's the comparison on the mainstream media? Why aren't we seeing in big, bold letters:

McCain's Gramm = Obama's Rev. Wright?

I'll tell you why. The Dems have not done any viral email campaigns. They don't have a horde of right wing sycophant media allies at Fox, CNN and the networks ginning out the meme, like was done for Wright.

And they have Carly Fiorina saying that these people aren't important, nobody pays attention to them. Why do I recall the scene in the first Star Wars movie when Obi Wan Kenobe hypnotizes the starship troopers, telling them, "we're not important."

Sorry Carly, but Senator Gramm is a direct representative, a formally delegated speaker for candidate McCain -- the back-up and cover for his previous confessions of ignorance.

"Gramm = Wright" -- that should be the message Obama's people push the next few days in every talking head moment they get. People will recognize the difference between a foolish minister and an offensively misguided advisor-spokesperson.

Build them the idea, feed it to them and they will digest it.

And while we're at it, let's not forget Reverend Hagee, the Catholic hater who McCain initially embraced, until he unembraced him. Oh... and Rev. Parsley too.

Crossposted from OpEdNews.com

Comments

[dr4Will]

Liberal-Gramm is a rich spoiled oil man---Wright is a rich spoiled hater of whites---there is a hell of a difference between the two--quit trying to spin for obama's mentor!!

[certainot]

rob, it's the talk radio monopoly that does the groundwork and decides which angles are followed and which are dropped. limbaugh didnt get a contract for 38MIL/ year and a NINE figure signing bonus for selling products and he didnt get it for his wit and wisdom.

limbaugh alone has 400 or so stations (avg. 8 per state!) and all that coordinated uncontested repetition by him and his wannabes is what makes the difference and until progressives quit blaming the effect instead of the cause they will continue to play politics without a front line.

[jqcitizen]

McCain and Gramm have much in common, so it is not much of a surprise they are such pals. The savings and loan ripoff, which McCain was directly involved, cost us low-life taxpayers more than $100 Billion. Gramms relationship with the criminals at Enron didn't just shaft the electricity rate payers in the west and Enrons employees. But bankrupted its accounting firm leaving those employees out of work.
A real pair for sure. McCain-Gramm? Just as good as Bush-Cheney.

[BubbaC33]

Phil Gramm and Rev. Wright are both wrong in their assessments of the people of this nation. The difference is Gramm was insulting everyone who isn't rich while Wright was insulting everyone who isn;t black. Which one is worse? Who cares. neither one has an opinion worth consideration.

[CaseyBabes]

Cool.......Grahm spoketh thruth & Wright hath spoken damnation of America. Democrat logic.

[JoeBlough]

Geez, stop whinning about Gramm. He has done more for his bank account than any other man alive.

[doodlefarbe]

Yer all jest a buncha whiners in a mental recession.

[booksnmore4you]

No comparison. Wright was, as Obama so aptly described, an old uncle of the next generation who like to spout off his mouth too much sometimes. Graham on the other hand has done very real damage to the country.

[IowaKid]

Exactly we heard Rev Wright 24/7 for 7 days. Exactly how long have we about Phil Gramm's gaff and he still remains cochair on McSames campaign committee. I swear the McSame's surrorgants are the higher up they are in his campaign. Everytime there is gaff from McSame's camp the MSM trips over thereselves trying to cover it up just like they have for Bush the last 8 years. Not another 8 years of Bush for me.

[csbrudy]

Huff Post and OpEd are the anti MSM. The main stream media is owned by the same people who are making big money by draining the Treasury into their pockets via the "war" in Iraq and consequent manipulations of the oil supply. The MSM are generally shills for the neo-cons.
Matthews, Snow, Russert and the rest of the Ilk are biased in the extreme, and reprehensible because they trumpet falsehoods as truth while slanting heavily to the right. Yet Russert and Snow are treated not as the quislings they are, but as vaunted soothsayers. It is disgusting.
Step back and look. Wright is a sideshow shoved to center stage day after day. Gramm is so out of touch as to be lunatic, but is whitewashed and forgotten after a quick resignation, instead of being held up as an example of America's current right wing insanity.
Although MSMBC is breaking through with Keith Olbermann and Abrams, web sites like Huff Post and OpEd News and the Brad Blog are critically important. If this nation is to survive as a Republic and not become a permanent Autocracy, the truth must get out through us..

[tasukibeth1]

If the media would get their noses out of McCain's butt long enough to do their job, this incident would be on the news 24/7.

[mike53]

The difference is Gramm is right and Wright is wrong.

[keepemhonest]

Gramm is wrong for the ecomony and has been for YEARS. Gramm, like all rightwing zealots, only cares about HIS OWN MONEY and couldn't care less about the People of this country ... which is WHY he has no place in anyone's campaign, cabnet NOR should have any input in any policy.

[CyrusBeaucephus]

You wingnut guys have done so well with America Mikey. I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want a third Bush term? Can you?

[mike53]

Even a third Bush term is preferable to giving liberals complete control of the country. Given current polls almost half the country seems to agree with me.

[Rob Kall - Huffpost Blogger]

See Rob Kall's Profile

Hmm a confusing comment. "Gramm is right." Well, he's a right winger, and that's correct. But he also says that recession is in American's heads, that we're a nation of whiners, well, that doesn't sound quite "right." That sounds downright wrong. Unless you're a right winger who has been steeped, dipped and marinated in the koolaid for so long that you can't tell right from wrong.

[IowaKid]

No the difference is not another 8 years of the Bush term thank you and the MSM protecting every negative word said about him and McSame.

[jbatch]

Bob:

I think you've underestimated the problem, and the nature of the solution needed. First, as you note, Gramm is far worse than Wright in both proximity and influence. Second, there was a viral response to Gramm's let them eat cake moment -- it didn't focus on your comparison of Gramm as Wright, but that's probably a good thing, since Gramm's offense, and again his influence, is far worse.

But the MSM didn't have to be convinced by a viral campaign to report the Wright stuff -- they jumped on it like a starving dog on a bone, and gnawed on it for weeks.

The MSM has to be called out on something far more fundamental that the Wright stuff -- their systematic bias and cowardice must be taken on with a boycott -- boycott their shows, their papers, their advertisers -- the whole bit, untill they begin to report in a way that puts truth, accuracy and context above fairness, balance and impartiality. There is nothing fair or impartial about a report that simply presents both sides of a debate without indpendent verification of what is -- in fact-- accurate.

[Rob Kall - Huffpost Blogger]

See Rob Kall's Profile

No doubt, the lamestream/corpstream media (worse than lame, they are corporate and dead, in terms of doing their job) they are complicit in putting this nation where it is today. But I no longer think boycott is the way to go. The thing to do is to contact the sponsors who advertise on shows that are most offensive and tell the advertisers directly that they are supporting bad media, and that they should be supporting good media-- like huffingtonpost.com, opednews.com, dailykos.com, firedoglake.com, airamericaradio.com, jones radio, novam radio, the bill moyers show, the daily show, colbert report, etc. And we should have more media to add to that list.

[lavendula13]

This nation's corporate-backed media will consistently laud Republicans and assail Democrats. Rob Kall is correct when he points out that the relationship between Barack Obama and Rev. Wright is several steps removed from policy, while John McCain's relationship with Gramm is immediate. For students of Policy 101, this means Wright didn't significantly influence Obama's thinking, but Gramm clearly influences McCain's. A clue to McCain's future policy as president hinges on the fact that he, also, thinks the majority of Americans are a nation of whiners to be ignored while the wealthy and powerful go about their business. Under McCain, expect the rape of America to proceed, as the rich consolidate their unassailable positions, the environment deteriorates, and the middle class disappears forever, to be replaced by a nation of masters and servants -- ooops, I meant service industry workers.

[CherylBW]

You're spot on with this Rob.

"The press loves McCain," Chris Matthews said in 2006. "We're his base."

I think that says it all.

[doodlefarbe]

-- Chris Matthews also said Sen. Obama sends tingles up his legs.

Does that also say it all?

And if so, do all and all conflict?

[harriscrl3]

Its a hell of a lot worse but because of media bias and our IQ as a nation we wont figure this out. First of all the obvious this is McCain CHIEF economic advisor. McCain himself said I dont know much about Economics. I believe Obama said I'm not there to worship the pastor I'm there to worship God. Obama is not an amteur when it comes to religion he has HIS faith. McCain economic policy is a mouthpiece for Phil Gramm. Phil Gramm should have ENDED McCains bid for presidency assuming of course he got the same coverage about it from the media that Wright did which NEVER happened. Wright was on CNN 24/7 for Weeks. McCain said social security is a disgrace, He offers psychological for high gas prices then you have his chief economic architect who was going to be TREASURY SECRETARY say that we are in mental recession. He has shaped McCains view. What gets me as I'm listening to the MSM I've become an elitst where there are concerned I watch and listen with scorn. Its not the fact that he said this is the problem its the fact that this view SHAPES McCain ECONOMIC POLICY. If you dont believe that well I own the Brooklyn Bridge let me sell it to you

Carol

[rcozad]

OMFG yes it's worse!! McCain made a very deliberate assessment of the types of advisers he needs and he chose Gramm. His wife was a paid by Enron and both of them have lobbied hard for tax breaks and legislation benefiting the management of Enron. Obama went to a church because he liked the social agenda and the outreach reputation for helping the needy in it's neighborhood. Gramm is still on the McCain payroll, indicating to everyone that the monetary philosophy of the "Senator Senile" is a plutocracy favoring the very wealthy regardless of the populace. Take the McCain/Bush Challenge and you will see that they (McCain et el) plan on a continuation if not an outright acceleration of the concentration of wealth. McCain called Social Security a "DISGRACE" need anyone say more?