Why isn't Obama highlighting Phil Gramm?

[brentspeak]

McCain has one of the lead architects of the banking collapse as his own lead economic advisor, but Obama refuses to point this out. Is it because Jim Leach is on board as an Obama supporter? (Glass-Steagall was repealed due to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.) Because Bill Clinton signed the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act into law?

At the very least, Obama should be replaying Gramm's "whining Americans" clip.

:banghead:

[polichick]

1. He will - McCain just gave him the lines of a new ad today...

re: regulators being asleep.

[annabanana]

3. Yup! "Regulators have been asleep at the switch" was McCrap's line

in Orlando this morning

[Stuart G]

8. Yes, I think that he will...soon..nt

[Brotherjohn]

2. Exactly. Play the Gramm "whining" clip OVER and OVER and OVER until Nov. 5th.

Up-to-the-minute ads are great, and I love the quick response the Obama campaign has.

But the quotes on the economy ("nation of whiners", "mental recession") from the McCain campaign are pure gold. Especially now.

They should be used over and over until the election.

[Median Democrat]

4. Who Is Phil Gramm?

Of course, I know who he is, because I am a political junkie, and I have seen Obama repeatedly make reference to him in speeches and commericials. However, I hope the Obama campaign does not lose sight of the fact that most Americans do not know who Phil Gramm is. Phil has been retired for a long time, and you don't want to spend all of your time educating people as to who Phil Gramm is so that you can knock down McCain.

So, make reference to him, but don't put all of your eggs in the Phil Gramm basket.

[brentspeak]

6. A 30-second commercial can introduce the public to Phil Gramm very easily

Ad:

"Former Senator Phil Gramm's (image) "Enron Loophole" legislation in 2000 repealed a major banking regulation designed to prevent the collapse of the nation's financial industry. Today, the seeds of Senator Gramm's deregulation have finally taken fruit (images of employees leaving Lehman Bros. with boxes of personal possessions in their hands, images of foreclosed houses, etc., clip of Gramm's "nation of whiners" quote)

Unfortunately...former Senator Phil Gramm is also John McCain's lead economic advisor. (images of the two of them together on the campaign stage)"

[WePurrsevere]

7. Huh? Gramm had resigned back in July, did he sign back on?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/18/phil-gramm-resigns-from-m_n_113717.html

He's major neo-CON RePIGlican POS and it probably wouldn't hurt for more Americans to learn more about him if he's officially back working with McCain again.

[MagickMuffin]

13. Not that long ago, 2002 was when he resigned and then we got stuck with Cornyn

But hopefully we will elect Rick Noriega as his replacement this November.

All Barack needs to do is remind people that former Sen. Phil Gramm is responsible for the financial mess we are confronting today. Remind them Gramm was responsible for deregulating the banks, and other financial institutions. Explain how Sen. Phil Gramm was Chairman of these Committees Appropriations, Banking, Housing and Urban, and the Budget.

From wiki

Between 1995 and 2000 Gramm, who was the chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, received $1,000,914 in campaign contributions from the Securities & Investment industry.

Later, as lobbyist for Swiss bank UBS, Gramm pressured congress ease it's restrictions on predatory lending tactics by mortgage brokers. For his efforts, Gramm received $750,000 from UBS in a one year period starting in 2007.

Remind people that Wendy Gramm served on Enron's board of directors, while employees lost everything she and hubby made out like bandits.

All that is needed is to refresh everyones memories and remind them the republicons got us into this mess.

[iceman66]

14. Phil Gramm was the legislative equivalent of Antonin Scalia

One of the most evil bastards to ever darken the halls of Congress. Google his name and "HR 4079" to get some sense of his vision for America.

That said, I'm not sure it would help Obama to talk too much about Phil Gramm other than to periodically point out, as he has done, that one of McCain's top advisors was almost singlehandedly responsible for the Enron loophole.

[TuxedoKat]

5. Biden mentioned him in his speech today

so perhaps that is coming.

[Abugface]

9. Make Phil Gramm a household word

The Obama campaign should make Phil Gramm a household word. And let's not forget Cindy Gramm, she was on Enron's board of directors, and Enron is a household word.

[ContinentalOp]

10. It's too soon.

This news is just breaking. Let it sink in with the public for a while. Let it play out so we can see the repercussions. Hopefully let somebody in the media start to talk about Gramm. THEN start pounding them on it. Closer to the elections or maybe during the debates.

[FrenchieCat]

11. I could have sworn that he was talking about Gramm right here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXp2R-mRY0o

I am wrong? :shrug:

[brentspeak]

18. He mentions him, and that's good

But there needs to be some TV ads -- sound-bites repeated. If a campaign message doesn't sink into the public consciousness, the campaign message is like the tree falling in the forest.

[amborin]

12. he needs

and needed----to be harping on that ---should have been doing that ever since the guy made the "whining" remark

mysteriously, O never mentioned it once right after, then never mentioned it again....why?

and, yes, tie whacko Mccain to Gramm!

[DemsUnited]

15. He DID call Gramm out today, but it's not bubbling up in the MSM.

Talked about the "whiners" thing, pretty much said everything we'd want him to say.

But McCain/Palin got the airtime today, NOT Obama/Biden.

[shadowknows69]

16. Biden was tearing Gramm a new asshole in his speech today

[Waiting For Everyman]

17. Gramm is IT - the key to victory NOW. Go for it. Where are you Obama?

McC and Palin's speech message today was the blunder of all blunders. THEY brought it up - Gramm's deregulation (only neglecting to give credit to its author). Nail them to the cross with it! Drive the Gramm-stake through their despicable hearts!

Obama has been handed victory today. Claim it now.

DO NOT let those creeps claim they'll reform the damage they themselves did. DO NOT!

And if Leach or anybody else is the problem... under the bus they go. No quibbling, no hedging, no timidity... nuke them now!

All the press already has covered this themselves months ago and knows it's true. And so do most of the Independents (they actually read and have a brain).

You're so right, brentspeak! And why isn't this exploding on this forum right now? This makes Palin pale in comparison. This is focusing on McC, and the economy (the big issue), and the lying. It ties it all up together with a big red bow on it. Hand-delivered to O.

This is it!!!! Focus on this alone until the election, and pound it home every day.

[Frank Booth]

19. And what about lettuce?

If we go an entire campaign without an ad on lettuce, that'll be a huge waste.

[chascarrillo]

20. He is, but thanks for the concern.

[brentspeak]

21. Bark up someone else's tree about "concern", please.

Thanks in advance.

[chascarrillo]

22. Okay. Given all the times that Obama's highlighted Gramm's comments, I'll substitute "ignorance".

[AZBlue]

23. Phil Gramm is not part of McCain's campaign - there's nothing to say.

In fact Gramm may be advising McCain on the sly, I wouldn't put it past them - but we have no proof and there's no connection to McCain now, so there's nothing to talk about.

[brentspeak]

24. Here's something to indicate Gramm might still be working for McCain

Paul Rejects Gramm's Pro-McCain Pitch

September 10, 2008 3:14 PM

ABC News' Hope Ditto and Teddy Davis report: Former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul said Wednesday that former Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, called him on Tuesday urging him to endorse Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., sparking charges from Democrats that the former McCain adviser is still active on behalf of the Republican presidential nominee.

"I got a phone call yesterday and it was a bit of a surprise to me because their request was that I endorse John McCain. The argument was, 'he would do a little less harm than the other candidate,'" said Paul.

Despite Gramm's effort to convince the Texas congressman that McCain would keep taxes lower than Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., Paul turned down the offer to get on board.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/09/paul-rejects-gr.html

[AZBlue]

25. They would argue that he may support McCain but he's not connected to the campaign.

There's a difference. Believe me, I wish Gramm was connected to the campaign, he's such an easy target. But, this was one move that McCain made that was actually smart.

[Eyes_wide_ open]

27. Ah ... but didn't he write McCains

economic policy? He WAS the chief adviser of the campaign, until he made the nation of whiners comment no?

[AZBlue]

28. Yes, and the minute he said that he was cut loose.

We don't want to go down that road, we've had issues with Obama campaign staff too. It's a losing argument unfortunately. He's no longer a member of the McCain campaign at this moment and that's what matters.

[sandnsea]

26. I'd bet because Bill Clinton signed it

I don't think Bill could handle facing the reality of being wrong about something else.

And, btw, this and Iraq are the exact reasons I didn't support Hillary. And trade and all the other deregulation that took place in the 90s.