>We are a “nation of whiners and we are in a mental recession and not a real recession” said Phil Gramm, an economic advisor to John McCain’s presidential campaign.
And guess what? John McCain seems to agree. In an interview with Fox News in April, the candidate himself said he thinks the recession is all in our minds, “A lot of our problems today, as you know are psychological—the confidence, the trust, the uncertainty about our economic future, the ability to keep our home.” According to this post on the Democratic Underground.
I just have one question for the both of them. What planet are you two living on?
When Gramm’s quote hit the airwaves in the Washington Times this week, McCain tried to distance himself from his committee co-chair, claiming that Gramm doesn’t speak for him. McCain’s track record shows that he has relied on Gramm’s advise for a number of years. This is some of what Gramm told Washington Times this week:
“You’ve heard of mental depressions; this is a mental recession….We have sort of become a nation of whiners….You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline….We’ve never been more dominant; we’ve never had more natural advantages than we have today…. We have benefited greatly” from the globalization of the economy in the last 30 years.”
When millions of hard working families are constantly going into debt because of this economy, and there are still nearly 47 million Americans without health insurance, and gas is at an average of $4.11 a gallon, it should be clear that the economic pain isn’t just in our heads.
So, why do Gramm and McCain think we’re whining? Maybe they aren’t being affected by this downturn. According to a recent phone interview, McCain seems to think that some of these economic issues don’t matterHe doesn’t remember the last time he has pumped his own gas and how much it costs. . McCain is promoting a gas tax holiday for drivers because he claims to understand “Americans are hurting.” It will provide “a little psychological boost,” McCain said of his plan.
If McCain cannot see a problem that America has, how can he fix it?
Watch Presidential Candidate, Barack Obama’s response:
July, 2008
>Young Adults Encouraged to Enter Civil Rights Contest
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YouTube and the National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights are launching a video contest to promote civil rights. Contestants must be between the ages of 16 and 25, a category largely made up of students. Each video entry should last no more than two minutes and should address this question: “What are you and your generation doing for civil rights?” The National Campaign believes that court decisions over the past 10 years are eroding civil rights. Among the cases it cites are Jennings v. University of North Carolina (sexual harassment case against a university coach but, court turned student away) and Litman v. George Mason University (sexual harassment case against university teacher but, the student loss against the university).
You must fill out a registration form and enter the contest by July 31st. The grand prize winner will receive a trip to New York City and the three runners up will receive a video camera.
So, visit http://www.rollbackcampaign.org/ to learn more about the contest rules and hurry up and enter your own 2 minute video on what you and your generation are doing for civil rights. Why not? Everyone likes vacations and cool toys!
>One Million American Dreams
The UFCW is working together with hundreds of unions and progressive groups, with one goal in mind: to restore the American Dream for every American worker.
The surest way to accomplish that mission is to bring back the force that created the American middle class — good union jobs that protect workers.
That’s why we need the Employee Free Choice Act — critical legislation that would give more workers a way to form unions, and would form a path back to the American Dream by allowing more workers to negotiate for better wages, health care, and working conditions.
Click the following link to sign the petition to give more workers the freedom to choose a union: www.ufcwforfreechoice.org
We’re teaming up with hundreds of unions and progressive groups to launch a massive campaign: One Million Strong for the Employee Free Choice Act.
In 2009, we will have a new President and a new Congress. Our goal is to show them that there are one million people across the country who want to give hardworking families a chance to get ahead.
Why is the Employee Free Choice Act so important? Record numbers of workers feel that the American Dream has slipped out of reach.
Today’s workplaces are tilted in favor of lavishly-paid CEOs, who get golden parachutes while middle-class families struggle to get by. The Employee Free Choice Act can restore the balance, giving more workers a chance to join together in unions and get better health care, job security, and benefits — and an opportunity to pursue their American Dream.
Big Business knows what the Employee Free Choice Act would mean. That’s why they are fighting against it with everything they’ve got. They’re pulling out all the stops to protect the status quo — a rigged system which allows employers to intimidate, harass, and even fire workers who try to form a union. We’re not talking about isolated incidents: 30 percent of employers fire pro-union workers during union organizing drives.
It’s time our economy worked for everyone again. It’s time for Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act–and give workers the freedom to choose a union.
Sign your name to the petition and add your voice to this growing movement. Help us meet our goal of one million signatures!
Sign the petition: www.ufcwforfreechoice.org
Together, we can win a chance for every American worker to reach their own American Dream.