Back in July of 2008, former Senator Phil Gramm, a top economic adviser to presidential candidate John McCain at the time, sympathized with the struggling American worker thusly:
“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. “You’ve heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession.”
A peeved McCain joked that, rather than make Gramm his Treasury Secretary, he might appoint him as ambassador to Belarus. Gramm resigned from the campaign a week later.
A peeved McCain joked that, rather than make Gramm his Treasury Secretary, he might appoint him as ambassador to Belarus. Gramm resigned from the campaign a week later.
If there were lessons to be gleaned from this episode — don’t be a dick to unemployed people, for example — it doesn’t appear that Herman Cain has embraced them. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal, Cain was asked about the Occupy Wall Street protests.
Cain: I don’t have facts to back this up, but I happen to believe that these demonstrations are planned and orchestrated to distract from the failed policies of the Obama administration. Don’t blame Wall Street. Don’t blame the big banks. If you don’t have a job, and you’re not rich, blame yourself!
WSJ: You don’t think the banks have anything to do with the crisis that we we went into in 2008?
“If you don’t have a job … blame yourself” would make a really great campaign slogan for someone who hates it when people vote for him.
Herman Cain On Occupy Wall Street: ‘If You Don’t Have A Job And You’re Not Rich, Blame Yourself!’ [Think Progress]
