The Return of Foreclosure Phil

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


Phil Gramm, booted from the McCain campaign for calling struggling Americans a “nation of whiners” in a “mental recession,” is back in the mix.

Reportedly, Gramm was seated in the front row of a McCain speech at the Aspen Institute. Gramm told the press, “I am a supporter of John McCain. I am helping him with fundraising. We have a fundraiser today and I will be with him today and tomorrow.”

And John McCain responded, “Phil Gramm and I and Wendy (Gramm) and Cindy and I go back many, many years, and I’m always grateful to see my friend, Phil Gramm. Thank you, Phil, for all your friendship and support.”

I think it’s safe to say everyone has kissed and made up. That’s only possible because the media, the McCain campaign, and the American public believed the problem with Gramm was a few intemperate remarks. But that’s not true. Gramm believes in a radical form of economics that bulldozes the concerns, needs, and rights of everyday people in favor of corporate profits. He is, in large part, responsible for the foreclosure crisis facing America.

He doesn’t need to be taking a few weeks off from the campaign. He needs to be taking a few years off from public life altogether.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

December is make or break for us. A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. A strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength. A weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again today—any amount.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

BEFORE YOU CLICK AWAY!

December is make or break for us. A full one-third of our annual fundraising comes in this month alone. A strong December means our newsroom is on the beat and reporting at full strength. A weak one means budget cuts and hard choices ahead.

The December 31 deadline is closing in fast. To reach our $400,000 goal, we need readers who’ve never given before to join the ranks of MoJo donors. And we need our steadfast supporters to give again today—any amount.

Managing an independent, nonprofit newsroom is staggeringly hard. There’s no cushion in our budget—no backup revenue, no corporate safety net. We can’t afford to fall short, and we can’t rely on corporations or deep-pocketed interests to fund the fierce, investigative journalism Mother Jones exists to do.

That’s why we need you right now. Please chip in to help close the gap.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate