Every day, it seems, we learn something new about what is appropriate -- and what is not appropriate -- to say in America. Yesterday, for example, we learned that if you are a scandal-ridden CEO who happens to also be a Republican, partisan affiliation will become part of the story.
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We also learned that if you are a crooked financier who has bilked his clients out of billions, your donations to Democrats is not, however, "newsworthy".
... Today, we learn a new lesson in political correctness.
It turns out that if you say America is a "Nation of Whiners," you will be run out of town. We know this because when Phil Gramm uttered those words, he was ridiculed by the media. Barack Obama said of Gramm, "You know, America already has one Dr. Phil" ... And Chris Kofinis -- who appeared opposite me on MSNBC -- referred to Gramm's statement as, "one of the most damaging things I've heard a surrogate say in a long time."
Clearly, Gramm crossed the line.
... But we also learned yesterday that it's perfectly fine to say we are a "Nation of Cowards."
Attorney General Eric Holder said that yesterday, in regards to race, and nobody really seemed to mind. In fact, I'm guessing a lot of people think he's "gutsy."
I'm not sure why calling Americans "cowards" is okay, but "whiners" isn't.
I'll leave it to others to speculate on just why there is a double standard.
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