A modest proposal: Put the campaigns on hiatus for the summer

We've got about seven weeks to go until the Democrats' nominating convention and eight until the GOP's -- and in politics years (sort of like dog years), that's a lifetime. That's an endless summer of stump speeches by the candidates, not to mention even more opportunities for those off-the-cuff comments by the candidates' surrogates that can cause the political equivalent of a fender-bender that ends up clogging the 405 for miles.   

Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chairwoman who is a top advisor to (and surrogate for) GOP presumptive nominee John McCain, attempted to engage in a little damage control today ...

... concerning the latest surrogate train wreck. Asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" about the "nation of whiners" comment by former Sen. Phil Gramm, an economic advisor -- until last week -- to McCain, she said this:

MS. FIORINA: I don't think Sen. Gramm will any longer be speaking for John McCain, and I think John McCain was crystal clear about that this week. And I think ...

MR. BROKAW: But he ...

MS. FIORINA: ... by the way, outside of Washington, where this is an interesting parlor game, I think most Americans are not really focused on what a bunch of surrogates are saying.

To which host Tom Brokaw replied that he certainly hoped Americans were paying attention to the surrogates, since they are who's filling the guest lists of his and the other Sunday shows.

Over on CBS's "Face the Nation," host Bob Schieffer used his commentary at the end of the show to urge both campaigns to take a breather until the nominations have been formally accepted and the last balloon has dropped at the conventions:

SCHIEFFER: And finally today, so here's where we are in the campaign for the most powerful office in the world. John McCain's man Phil Gramm says that America is a nation of whiners and that the economic recession is just in people's minds. McCain says Gramm didn't speak for him. Really? Then why was he speaking? I thought they were old friends and Gramm was a trusted adviser.

And then there was Barack Obama's man John Kerry saying that John McCain hadn't learned the lessons of 9/11. Yes, that's the same John Kerry who seriously thought of asking McCain to be his running mate when he ran for president himself in 2004.

And then along came Jesse Jackson, with an observation about Obama that sounded like something out of the Ken Starr report. 

Which reminds me, what's the deal with Bill Clinton? Are his feelings still hurt? Will he campaign for Obama if Obama helps the Clintons pay their bills? And will McCain get better at reading the TelePrompTer? 

We've been treated to endless conversation, speculation and analyses of all these pertinent topics. To the point that a friend of mine said the other day he thought McCain and Obama would be better served if both of them just suspended all campaigning until fall, after the nominating conventions. Just shut it all down -- the surrogates, the press conferences, the talking points, the conference calls, all of it. Give all of us a rest. 

It's not my idea, but I wish it were. Because what we've been hearing from both sides lately isn't helping them or us.

As Dana Carvey (doing his impression of George H.W. Bush) might put it, "Not gonna happen." But we can dream ...

-- Leslie Hoffecker

Comments

[Jim]

There is no reasonable comparrison between Phil Gramm and Jesse Jackson.

Jackson has never spoke for the Obama campaign.

Gramm has created great destruction in the US. McCain has showed how much he cares about only the wealthy by having Gramm as his top financial adviser. Gramm and his wife belong in a prison.

Great video - McCain is using Gramm's words states the gas tax holiday is a little "psychological boost."

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/7/10/18122/2173

There are videos of McCain saying:

No one in America that is more respected on the issues of economics than Gramm

People advising me like Phil Gramm

McCain was in Congress during the Enron investigation.

Gramm's name was in 95 Enron email discussions about Gramm pushing the commodity futures law changes in 2000

http://www.enronexplorer.com/focus/19185#focus=/search/Phil%20Gramm&

The article on McCain & 'Foreclosure Phil' has an excellent analysis between the severe damage that Phil Gramm, McCain's chief financial adviser, has caused for everyone and "what has Rev Wright done that has affected your life."

"2,620 YouTube videos call Wright, Barrack Obama's former pastor, a "racist" and an "anti-American" - in comparison to only 58 that accuse Gramm of being an economic "manipulator" and financial "scam artist." These results are curious. You'd think Americans would be more outraged over Gramm's controversial economic policies than Wright's racially charged sermons."

Think about it. How has Jeremiah Wright had a direct effect on the average American? How has he made our lives harder, more expensive? Sure, his use of racial slurs is shocking to those not familiar with "black liberation theology," but on a daily basis, Wright's sermons don't make much difference.

But ex-Sen. Gramm - "Foreclosure Phil" - is a whole different story. We feel the aftershock of his reckless policies regularly.
Regardless of whether you're liberal or conservative, socialist or capitalist, one thing's very clear: Gramm's policies are associated with the Enron scandal, the subprime mortgage meltdown and the fiasco on the energy futures market.

http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/24443494.html

[Alessandro Machi]

I agree that there should be a hiatus and the THREE candidates could attempt to make a difference in various parts of the country.

Donald Trump could host the show and each week he gives Hillary, Barack, and McCain a task to accomplish.

http://www.HILLARY-WINS.com
http://www.POSTCARD-BRIGADE.com

[dave]

wisely, RON PAUL, the FOURTH, and only LEGITIMATE and qualified, candidate for PRESIDENT (not POTUS as in, 'power- obsessed-deranged-egomaniac'), whose consistent constitutional message has been the constant target of the neocon/neodem gangsters and their corporate media, decided to do just that a couple of weeks ago: to recreate a little, and enjoy to see the growing fruits of his consistent continued efforts to wake up the people to their rights, and responsibility.