McCain threatens to exile top economic advisor to Belarus

TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

I thoroughly enjoyed John McCain’s response to the recent remarks of retired Sen. Phil Gramm, his top economic advisor. Gramm told the Washington Times earlier this week that the United States’ current economic troubles represent “a mental recession” and that America had become “a nation of whiners.”

Whoops.

Gramm later said that he meant that U.S. politicians were the whiners, not regular Americans who are choking on high gas prices and a weak job market.

As you might imagine, McCain rushed to distance himself from Gramm’s comments:

I think Sen. Gramm would be in serious consideration for ambassador to Belarus,” McCain said with a broad smile. “Though I’m not sure the citizens of Minsk would welcome that.”

Ouch.

For the record, the current American ambassador to Belarus is Karen Brevard Stewart, a career foreign service officer. Her most exciting moment in office? Temporarily vacating the embassy in March after Belorussian officials essentially kicked her out of the country.

The Belorussian ambassador in Washington could not be reached for comment on McCain’s joke today.