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Judy Chu wins California Congressional Race

July 16, 2009

This past Tuesday Judy Chu won her race for the 32nd Congressional District in California. Chu replaces the former Rep. Hilda Solis whom President Obama tapped to become the Secretary of Labor in his administration. Rep. Chu has previously served as school board member, city council member and State Assembly member. With her victory Rep. Chu becomes the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress. Congratulations Representative Chu.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders »

Rep. Honda on NPR discussing AAPI Political Involvement

June 3, 2009

NPR had Congressman and DNC Vice Chair Mike Honda on a recent show to discuss Asian American and Pacific Islander involvement in the American political system. The Congressman recounts his foray into politics after college and the influence of his parents on his desire to bring about change in the country. He is serving his sixth year as Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, coordinating with his colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucuses to champion the causes of under-represented communities by promoting social justice, racial tolerance, and civil rights.

 President Obama Signs SCHIP

February 4, 2009

President Barack Obama delivered remarks before signing the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) legislation that will cover an additional four million children of low income families and include the children of legal immigrants as well.

Full remarks below.

Remarks of President Barack Obama Children’s Health Insurance Program Bill Signing Washington, D.C. February 4, 2009

Today, with one of the first bills I sign – reauthorizing the Children’s Health Insurance Program – we fulfill one of the highest responsibilities we have: to ensure the health and well-being of our nation’s children.

It is a responsibility that has only grown more urgent as our economic crisis has deepened, health care costs have exploded, and millions of working families are unable to afford health insurance. Today in America, eight million children are still uninsured – more than 45 million Americans altogether.

It’s hard to overstate the toll this takes on our families: the sleepless nights worrying that someone’s going to get hurt, or praying that a sick child gets better on her own. The decisions that no parent should ever have to make – how long to put off that doctor’s appointment, whether to fill that prescription, whether to let a child play outside, knowing that all it takes is one accident, one injury, to send your family into financial ruin.

The families joining us today know these realities firsthand. When Gregory Secrest, from Martinsville, Virginia lost his job back in August, his kids lost their health care. When he broke the news to his family, his nine year-old son handed over his piggy bank with $4 in it, and told him, “Daddy, if you need it, you take it.”

This is not who we are. We are not a nation that leaves struggling families to fend for themselves. No child in America should be receiving her primary care in the emergency room in the middle of the night. No child should be falling behind at school because he can’t hear the teacher or see the blackboard. I refuse to accept that millions of our kids fail to reach their full potential because we fail to meet their basic needs. In a decent society, there are certain obligations that are not subject to tradeoffs or negotiation – health care for our children is one of those obligations.

That is why we have passed this legislation to continue coverage for seven million children, cover an additional four million children in need, and finally lift the ban on states providing insurance to legal immigrant children if they choose to do so. Since it was created more than ten years ago, the Children’s Health Insurance Program has been a lifeline for millions of kids whose parents work full time, and don’t qualify for Medicaid, but through no fault of their own don’t have – and can’t afford – private insurance. For millions of kids who fall into that gap, CHIP has provided care when they’re sick and preventative services to help them stay well. This legislation will allow us to continue and build on these successes.

But this bill is only a first step. The way I see it, providing coverage to 11 million children through CHIP is a down payment on my commitment to cover every single American. And it is just one component of a much broader effort to finally bring our health care system into the twenty-first century. That’s where the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that is now before Congress comes in.

Think about this – if Congress passes this recovery plan, in just one month, we’ll have done more to modernize our health care system than we’ve done in the past decade.

We’ll be on our way to computerizing all of America’s medical records, which won’t just eliminate inefficiencies, save billions of dollars and create tens of thousands of jobs – but will save lives by reducing deadly medical errors. We’ll have made the single largest investment in prevention and wellness in history – tackling problems like smoking and obesity, and helping people live longer, healthier lives. And we’ll have extended health insurance for the unemployed, so that workers who lose their jobs don’t lose their health care too.

Now, in the past few days I’ve heard criticisms of this plan that echo the very same failed theories that helped lead us into this crisis – the notion that tax cuts alone will solve all our problems; that we can address this enormous crisis with half-steps and piecemeal measures; that we can ignore fundamental challenges like the high cost of health care and still expect our economy and our country to thrive.

I reject these theories, and so did the American people when they went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change. So I urge members of Congress to act without delay. No plan is perfect, and we should work to make it stronger. But let’s not make the perfect the enemy of the essential. Let’s show people all over our country who are looking for leadership in this difficult time that we are equal to the task. Let’s give America’s families the support they need to weather this crisis.

In the end, that’s really all that folks like the Secrests are looking for – the chance to work hard, and to have that hard work translate into a good life for their kids. I’m pleased to report that their story had a happy ending – it turned out that Gregory’s two sons were eligible for CHIP, and they are now fully covered, much to his relief. I think Gregory put it best when he said: “Kids look at us and think ‘they’ll take care of us.’ That is our job – to keep them safe and healthy.”

That’s what I think about when I tuck my own girls into bed each night. That is what I want for every child – and every family – in this nation. That’s why it is so important that Congress passes our recovery plan – so we can get to work rebuilding America’s health care system.

It won’t be easy – and it won’t happen all at once. But the bill I sign today is a critical first step. So I want to thank all the state and local officials, advocates and ordinary citizens across America who’ve fought so hard to pass it. I want to thank all the members of Congress who have worked so tirelessly, for so long, so that we could see this day. And I want you all to know that I am confident that if we come together, and work together, we can finally achieve what generations of Americans have fought for and fulfill the promise of health care in our time.

Thank you.

 Gen. Eric Shinseki Named VA Secretary-Designate

December 8, 2008

On the 67th anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor, President-elect Barack Obama named General Eric Shinseki, a 38-year veteran, Secretary of the Veterans Affairs. See the announcement below:

During the press conference, President-elect Obama praised General Shinseki's service to his country, and reinforced the importance of the sacred trust between America and her troops.

General Shinseki is the first Asian American to reach the rank of four-star general. He served two combat tours in Vietnam, where he was wounded in action.

On the anniversary of the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941, President-elect Obama stressed the importance of the post General Shinseki would hold.

"We owe it to all our veterans to honor them as we honored our Greatest Generation," the President-elect said. "Not just with words, but with deeds."

General Shinseki sat down for an interview with the Transition team to talk about his commitment to military families and the critical issues facing the VA.

 John Chiang

Four years ago, the son of a Kenyan father and Kansan mother stood before you and delivered an address that lifted our nation’s hearts and hopes by reminding us that together we can achieve greatness. As I watched him speak, I couldn’t help but think that unlikely as his story may be, it is my story too. It is our story. It is the American story.

On the surface, it could be viewed that Barack Obama’s parents had little in common with my parents. His father came from Africa; my parents came from Asia. They spoke different languages. Their paths surely never crossed. Yet our parents had much in common because they were united by the values they taught their sons: that in America, it doesn’t matter where you came from, but where you are going. It doesn’t matter what your name is, but whether you are willing to work hard to make a name for yourself.

Barack Obama’s life reaffirms the American dream, a dream living in the hearts and lives of countless American families from the eastern shores, to the farmlands, to the Rocky Mountains, to my beloved California, and beyond. This is our nation’s great promise. But the promise feels harder to reach.

As the Controller of the State of California, my job is to build a brighter fiscal future for my state and her 38 million residents. Like every state, California is struggling with foreclosures, record gas prices and rising unemployment. We are working harder than ever, but still many of us are falling further and further behind.

But we know our future is still golden. We know of a path to the promised land and Barack Obama will lead us there. He understands, as John F. Kennedy said, that “a rising tide lifts all boats.” Together we will rise, or together we will fall.

Here in Denver, and all across our country, we choose to rise. Together, we will rise and reject another four years of the same policies that brought us from a decade of economic prosperity to a decade of economic despair. Together, we will rise and overcome the challenges of poverty, access to health care, and energy independence.

Barack Obama will give us the change we need, so that the values of hard work and opportunity that our parents taught us will ring just as loud, clear and true for our children as they did for us. Let those values be our calling. And once again build a country that embraces the great promise of her people.

Thank you and God bless you all.

 Rep. Mike Honda

My name is Mike Honda. I am a proud Sansei Democrat and a Silicon Valley Congressman. But above all, I’m a teacher.

One of my proudest moments was when I received keys to my first classroom. It was high quality public education that allowed this son of strawberry sharecroppers, raised in the Japanese American internment camps of World War II, to grow up to become a Peace Corps volunteer, a Vice Chair of the DNC, and Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Education is the gateway to the American dream. Barack knows first-hand that immigrant families – Asian, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, African and others – can attain the American dream through a quality, equitable education, and hard work. Barack's story of promise and opportunity proves that education can be the great equalizer. Sadly, over the past eight years, the misguided Bush/McCain priorities have bled our schools' resources dry, shutting down that gateway to success, and hijacking our children's capacity to achieve the American dream.

We are now at a crossroads. We can either continue on a path of failed policies with John McCain, or, for the change we need, we can elect Barack Obama president. America is in dire need of leadership. Barack knows that education leads to innovation, a critical engine of our economy. His ability and his vision will help ensure that everyone has the opportunity to obtain a quality education. Barack will fight for our children's future.

Rather than burning through billions of dollars on failed foreign policies and an open-ended war, Barack knows that the real war to be fought is for the education of our children, the future of America’s economic health. He is committed to developing the teachers of tomorrow from among the brightest in our classrooms today and preparing, retaining and rewarding every teacher in America for their service.

In 1965, President Kennedy’s call to service led me to build schools in El Salvador. Now, though my hair is gray, I am inspired again. With Barack Obama and Joe Biden as our ticket – yes, there is hope for the change we need!

Thank you, Senator Obama, for unlocking the imagination and idealism of all generations of Americans, including our Asian and Pacific Islander communities. Thank you for inspiring us to be a critical part of your journey to victory this November. And thank you for your commitment to education, for knowing the strength of America’s tomorrow lies in the classrooms of today.

 Rep. Doris Matsui

Thank you very much and good afternoon fellow delegates.

First, I want to thank Howard Dean, the distinguished chairman of the Democratic National Committee who’s done an outstanding job over the last three and a half years. Thank you, Governor Dean.

Ladies and gentlemen, I’m very proud to be the parliamentarian of this historic convention. As such, it’s my duty to advise the chair on the issues confronting the convention. I’m here to advise all of you as well, and stand ready to answer any parliamentary questions that may arise throughout the week.

I’m especially honored to be joined in the duties of parliamentarian by four outstanding Americans: Commissioner Roger Johnson, a third-generation family farmer and North Dakota’s agriculture commissioner; Cassandra Butts, a noted domestic policy advisor who most recently was with the Center for American Progress; and Helen McFadden from South Carolina, the first woman parliamentarian of a national convention.

And finally, it is my distinct pleasure to be joined by a colleague and a friend, a leader of Democrats in the House and a fighter for all Americans, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. It’s our responsibility to help the chair apply and enforce the rules of this convention. In that capacity, I would advise the delegations that proxy voting is prohibited. Rather, if a pledged delegate is absent, he or she must be replaced by an alternate.

During the convention, the parliamentarians will be available to respond to any of your questions about the order of the proceedings, the methods of voting and the nature of our procedures. Each delegation can call our office at any time, and a parliamentarian will always be on the podium, available for advice and counsel.

Ladies and gentlemen, we know that this will be a well-run, orderly and successful convention, and we’re honored to join with you in a convention that will nominate the next President of the United States, Barack Obama. Let’s have a great convention.

 GOVERNOR HOWARD DEAN ANNOUNCES DNC SOUTH ASIAN AMERICAN LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean last night announced the appointment of four Co-Chairs for the DNC's South Asian American Leadership Council.

Parag Saxena of Rye, NY, Romita Shetty of New York, NY, Dilawar Syed of Palo Alto, CA, and Kashif Zafar of Scarsdale, NY will serve as National Co-Chairs for the Council. All four have been appointed by Governor Dean to lead the Council through the 2008 election cycle.

The Council will lead the Party's efforts to recognize the loyalty, dedication, and generous contributions of the South Asian American community to the Democratic Party, and to provide a platform for political engagement and a forum for the exchange of ideas for South Asian American Democrats.

During a briefing at the Sundaram Tagore Gallery in New York City on Wednesday, Governor Dean praised the community for engaging voters who descend from the seven nations of the Asian subcontinent including Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. Collectively, there are more than 3 million South Asian Americans living in the U.S.

"To a casual observer it probably seems odd that we lump together these extraordinarily diverse and complex communities into one council," said Dean. "However, what draws you together - and what I hope makes you Democrats - is the shared experiences of coming to this country, building your families and passing on a better life for the next generation."

Joining Governor Dean was former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Wendy Chamberlin who serves as a foreign policy advisor to Senator Obama's campaign and Co-Chairs of the SAALC.

"Each of these individuals are deeply committed to ensuring that the rapidly growing South Asian American communities are engaged and participating in this year's historic elections," said Dean.

Brief Bios of New DNC South Asian American Leadership Council Co-Chairs:

Parag Saxena is Co-Founder and CEO of Vedanta Capital & New Silk Route Investors and former CEO of INVESCO Private Capital, where he was one of the largest global venture capital and private equity managers. He is a seasoned venture capitalist with over 25 years experience and has been listed on Forbes' annual Midas List of the world's top venture investors. He has been the President of TIE -TriState since 2003 and is a Vice Chairman of the UN Financing for Development Committee. Parag is a co-founder and member of the executive committee of South Asian American Forum. He was a Co-Chair of South Asians for Kerry in 2004 and currently serves as a Regional Co-Chair of the Obama campaign's Asian American Finance Committee.

Romita Shetty is an investment banker based in New York. She is active in a number of non-profits focused on women's rights and is a co-founder of Sakhi for South Asian Women, a ground breaking organization committed to ending violence against women of South Asian origin. She is also a board member of CREA, an international women's human rights organization based in India focused on enhancing women's leadership to better access their rights. Romita is on the executive committee of the South Asian American Forum. She currently serves as a National Co-Chair of the Obama campaign's Asian- American Finance Committee.

Dilawar Syed is a Senior Director at Yahoo!, having led platform strategy and business operations in the Company's technology organization. He is a Charter Member and President of OPEN-Silicon Valley (Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs of North America). Dilawar is a Regional Co-Chair of the Obama campaign's Asian American Finance Committee.

Kashif Zafar is an investment banker based in New York. He serves on the Board of International House in New York and is an Associate Partner of Acumen Fund, a philanthropic organization which provides venture capital funding for projects aimed at creating market solutions to the problems of global poverty. Kashif is a co-founder and member of the executive committee of the South Asian American Forum. He was a Co-Chair of South Asians for Kerry in 2004. Kashif currently serves as a Regional Co-Chair of the Obama campaign's Asian American Finance Committee.

 McCain Takes Low Road at Urban League

John McCain capped off a week in which he was criticized for abandoning his promise to run a respectful campaign in favor of deceptive attacks by loading his remarks to the National Urban League meeting in Orlando with even more misleading rhetoric. Instead of offering real proposals for addressing the big challenges facing African American families, McCain attempted to distort the record on key issues.

On health care, he said he believes every American should have the opportunity to have affordable and available health care, yet his promise of four more years of President Bush's failed agenda won't do anything to reduce the ranks of the uninsured. While McCain said we need to help the COPS program, he failed to explain why he has repeatedly opposed the COPS program and voted against both the 1994 and 1992 crime bills. Nor did McCain offer any plan to address the economic crisis facing African American families after seven years of the Bush-McCain agenda.

The following are the facts on John McCain's record on:

On Health Care:

McCain Today: "I believe every American should have the opportunity to have affordable and available health care"

McCain Facts: His Promise of More Bush Policies Won't Reduce the Ranks of the Uninsured.

McCain Health Plan Just Like Bush Plan. "President Bush proposed a similar idea" to the tax credits in McCain's plan, which was dead-on-arrival in Congress in early 2007, because the plan only awarded those who purchased insurance in the private market. [Wall Street Journal, 10/11/2007; Washington Post, 1/25/2007]

Mark Mellman: McCain's Health Care Plan Mirrors Bush's Proposals. In a column for The Hill, Mark Mellman notes that "by adopting President Bush's plan," McCain "offers incontrovertible evidence that he represents a third Bush term here at home, as well as in Iraq…Asking up to two-thirds of the American public to relinquish health insurance they like, provided through their employer, puts the McCain-Bush plan on life support." [Mark Mellman Column, The Hill, 5/7/2008]

McCain Plan Resembles Bush Proposal. According to the Washington Post, "McCain's proposal is similar to one that Bush put forth in his 2007 State of the Union address. That plan, which would have replaced employer tax breaks for health insurance with a $15,000 tax deduction for married couples, flopped in Congress, failing to get even a committee hearing." [Washington Post, 4/30/2008]

McCain: I Believe We Should Grant Tax Credits to Individuals and Families for Health Insurance. McCain said: "I believe that everyone should get a tax credit of $2500, $5000 for families, if they have health insurance. It is good tax policy to take away the bias toward giving workers benefits instead of wages. It is good health policy to reward having insurance no matter where your policy comes from." ["John McCain on Health Care," Des Moines Rotary Lunch, 10/11/2007]

Bush: We Should Give Tax Credits to Individuals and Families Buying Health Care. During a speech in Madison Wisconsin, Bush outlined his proposal of the tax credits for the uninsured. "For those with limited means, my budget will provide new credits to afford health coverage -- up to a thousand dollars for an individual, or $3,000 for a family," Bush said. [Bush Remarks on Health Care Reform, 2/11/02; White House Fact Sheet, 2/11/2002]

On Police Funding:

McCain Today: "We need to help the COPS program. We need to provide them with the technology."

McCain Facts: McCain Repeatedly Voted Against the COPS Program, the 1994 and 1992 Crime Bills.

1994: McCain Voted Against the Landmark $30.2 Billion 1994 Crime Bill. In 1994, McCain voted against the Crime Bill which has authorized $30.2 billion over six years for crime related programs, including the hiring of additional police officers, prison building, helping communities prevent crime, and an assault weapons ban. [1994 Senate Vote #295, 8/25/1994]

1992: McCain Twice Voted Against 1992 Crime Bill Which Expanded Handgun Control Measures. In 1992, McCain voted twice against invoking cloture on the 1992 Crime Bill, which mandated a five day waiting period and background check for handgun purchases. The bill also provided additional grants to state and local law enforcement. [1992 Senate vote #53, 3/19/1992; 1992 Senate vote #262, 10/2/1992]

2005: McCain Voted For Corporate Tax Breaks Instead of $1 Billion for COPS. In 2005, McCain voted against providing $1 billion for the COPS program, offset by closing corporate tax loopholes. [2005 Senate Vote #70, 3/17/2005]

2004: McCain Voted To Keep Tax Breaks For Millionaires Instead of $1.1 Billion for Law Enforcement Programs. In 2004, McCain voted against increasing funding for COPS and other local law enforcement programs by $1.1 billion, offset by reducing tax breaks for taxpayers with incomes over $1 million. [2004 Senate Vote #44, 3/11/2004]

2003: McCain Prioritized Bush Tax Cuts Over Funding For $1 Billion for Police Programs. McCain voted against increasing spending on Community Oriented Policing programs by $1 billion, offset by a reduction in non-reconciled tax cuts. [2003 Senate Vote #78, 3/21/2003]

2003: McCain Voted Against $500 Million For Local Law Enforcement To Help Fight Drug-Related Crime. McCain voted against providing $500 million for local law enforcement grants that provide money to rural law enforcement agencies to fight violent and drug-related crime. [2003 Senate Vote #6, 1/17/2003]

1999: McCain Missed A Vote On Reauthorizing the COPS Program. In 1999, McCain missed a vote on an amendment to extend the COPS program to 2005 an authorize $1.5 billion for the program. [1999 Senate Vote #139, 5/20/1999]

1996: McCain Voted Against $1.8 Billion for COPS Program. In 1996, McCain voted against providing an additional $1.8 billion in funding for the COPS program. [1996 Senate Vote #31, 3/13/1996]

1995: McCain Voted To Eliminate the Successful COPS Program. In 1995, McCain voted for the Republican Commerce-Justice spending bill which included a plan "to dismantle [the] cops-on-the-beat program" [COPS] and replace it with a "block grant program giving local governments control over how to spend crime-fighting money." [1995 Senate Vote #591, 12/7/1995, McCain: N; Chicago Tribune, 12/8/1995]

On the Economy:

McCain Today: "Under my plan, we will preserve the current low rates as they are, so businesses large and small can hire more people. We will double the personal exemption from $3,500 to $7,000 for every dependent, in every family in America. We will offer every individual and family a large tax credit to buy their health care, so employers can spend more on wages, and workers don't lose their coverage when they change jobs. We will lower the business tax rate, so American companies open new plants and create more jobs in this country."

McCain Facts: The Bush-McCain Economy Has Been Detrimental To The African-American Community…

July 2008: Nearly 10% of African Americans Without A Job. In June 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate was 9.7%, up from 9.2% just one month prior, in June 2008. [Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Situation Summary, 8/1/2008]

FLASHBACK to January 2001: 8.4% Unemployment Rate Among African Americans. In January 2001, the unemployment rate for African Americans was 8.4%. [Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Situation Summary, 2/2/2001]

2006: Nearly One Quarter of African Americans Living In Poverty. According to the latest data from the U.S. Census Data, 24% of African Americans in the United States were living in poverty in 2006, representing almost 9.5 million people. [U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Poverty Tables, Accessed 4/23/2008]

FLASHBACK to 2000: One Million Less African Americans Living In Poverty. In 2000, 22% of African Americans or 7.9 million were living in poverty. [U.S. Census Bureau, Historical Poverty Tables, Accessed 4/23/2008]

 Another One Bites the Dust

July 28, 2008

John McCain abandons position on affirmative action:

Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Sunday that he favors a proposed referendum in Arizona that would ban affirmative action, reversing a position he took a decade ago.

It's the latest example of McCain changing positions that had once put him at odds with conservative Republicans, including his new proposals to extend President Bush's tax cuts and expand offshore oil drilling.

In 1998, McCain described an anti-affirmative action effort in his home state as "divisive." On Sunday, McCain backed a proposed amendment to the Arizona Constitution that would ban "preferential treatment" on the basis of "race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin."

McCain and Gramm: It's All In Your Head

July 14, 2008

John McCain, who doesn't know what he is talking about when it comes to the economy, often pivoted to his "dear friend" and "respected economist," Phil Gramm. He even claimed there was "no one more respected on the issue of economics," and many called Gramm the "econ brain" for McCain.

Gramm told the Washington Times an interview published last week that the economy has "never been more dominant" and said we have become a "nation of whiners" constantly "whining and complaining." The McCain campaign may be quick to throw a top economic adviser under the bus but that does not hide the fact that John McCain offers four more years of George W. Bush on the economy.

We released this web video highlighting the shared belief of John McCain and Phil Gramm that these troubling economic times are "psychological" and a figment of your imagination.

TEXT: John McCain on Advisor Phil Gramm (Before)

McCain: "A person I've had the honor and pleasure of knowing as a friend and a great economist... my dear friend and comrade, Senator Phil Gramm." [McCain Town Hall, CNN Live Feed, (Waco, TX ), 3/3/08]

McCain: "There is no one in America that is more respected on the issue of economics than Senator Phil Gramm. So I'm honored that you are here, Phil. Thank you for your great service." [Speech at Dell Headquarters, Round Rock, TX, 2/29/08]

McCain: "A lot of the people that I respect that are advising me, like Phil Gramm and Jack Kemp..." [ABC This Week, 2/17/08]

TEXT: ...But Then.

PHIL GRAMM: "You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession... You just hear this constant whining, complaining... We've sort of become a nation of whiners."
[Washington Times, 7/9/08]

MCCAIN: "Phil Gramm does not speak for me. I speak for me." [Media Availability, Belleville, MI, 07/10/08]

GERSH: "Is Senator Gramm still giving advice to Senator McCain?"

HOLTZ-EAKIN: "No."

GERSH: "No."

HOLTZ-EAKIN: "At -- I haven't spoken to Senator Gramm since the comments took place, and I'm not expecting to." [PBS Nightly Business Report, 7/11/08]

Carl Cameron; While McCain was saying Gramm doesn't speak for him today, Gramm was in fact speaking for him to the WSJ editorial board and saying that he's not going to retract anything he said and that every word is true. [Fox News, 7/10/08]

TEXT: The John McCain-Phil Gramm Economic Plan: It's All In Your Head

MCCAIN: "I think, psychologically -- and a lot of our problems today, as you know, are psychological ...A little psychological boost. Lets have some straight talk. Its not a huge amount of money... a little psychological boost, that's what I think it would help." [Your World with Neil Cavuto, 4/16/08]

McCain: "Now, as far as putting additional money in American taxpayers' pocket, that's fine, because a lot of this is psychological, a lot of it is psychological." [McCain Town Hall, (West Palm Beach, FL) 1/24/08]

McCain: "Even though it would take some years, the fact that we are exploiting those reserves would have psychological impact that I think is beneficial." [McCain Town Hall, (Fresno, CA), 6/23/08]

McCain: "And finally, could I just mention on the issue of rebates, fine, because part of this is psychological. Part of the problem we have in any recession is psychological." [CNN Debate, 1/30/08]

AUDIO: "You just hear this constant whining, complaining... We've sort of become a nation of whiners."

TEXT: John McCain: The Wrong Choice on the Economy