Incapable of learning

Phil Gramm is the perfect face of late 20th century Republicanism - arrogant, mean, stupid, self-important, and devoid of all doubts. When faced with proof of his own turpitude, he blames everyone else.

Over the years, he has urged that food stamps be cut because “all our poor people are fat,” said it was hard for him “to feel sorry” for Social Security recipients and, as the economy soured last summer, called America “a nation of whiners.”

He has a Ph.D. in economics, but it only provides him with factoids by which to rationalize his obviously failed laissez-faire ideology. And, yeah, he's from Texas. What are they putting in the water down there?

Fortunately, the 20th century is good and over.