Phil Gramm

Phil Gramm is a former United States Senator from the state of Texas. Since 2002, Gramm has served as an executive for the Swiss bank, UBS. Gramm was the acting economic advisor to presidential candidate John McCain. However on July 18, 2008, Gramm stepped down from his post stating, "Democrats want to attack me rather than debate Senator McCain on important economic issues facing the country. That kind of distraction hurts not only Senator McCain's ability to present concrete programs to deal with the country's problems, it hurts the country."The New York Times: Gramm Steps Down From McCain Camp (July 18, 2008)

In a July 2008 interview with The Washington Times, Gramm ridiculed those who hold a pessimistic outlook regarding the U.S. economy. With regards to the economic struggles faced by millions of Americans, Gramm said, "We have all become a nation of whiners..."Boston.com: McCain surrogate: US a 'nation of whiners' (July 10, 2008)