Last thing we need now is unfettered capitalists running the country. You'd think John McCain might have noticed what "free markets" rescued by capitalist socialism have done to the economy, financial markets, and international trade. But no. McCain's top economic advisers are Carly Fiorina and Phil Gramm, feral hogs of aggressive capitalism.
One of them helped deregulate the financial services industries in the 1990s, and now sits in the corporate suites of Swiss banking giant UBS, which yesterday announced $19 billion in investment losses tied to the crumbling U.S. real estate market.
The other pushed one of the most aggressive and controversial mergers of the technology boom, then was sacked by the disenchanted board of Hewlett-Packard.
Former senator Phil Gramm, with his aw-shucks Texas drawl, may at first blush have little in common with Carly Fiorina, the telegenic former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard. But they share a bond: Both are leading economic advisers of Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), the presumptive Republican nominee for president, and both have reputations as the kind of aggressive capitalists that may be sliding from favor as the nation's economy edges toward recession.
"Sliding from favor" understates the case. And Democrats already have these two in their sights.
