A top economic surrogate for Republican presidential candidate John McCain (web|news|bio) doesn't think people are paying much attention to what people like her have to say.In discussing McCain economic adviser Phil Gramm's remarks about the U.S. becoming a "nation of whiners" and suffering a "mental recession," former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina was dismissive of the source.

"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," Fiorina said on "Meet the Press" on NBC. "They're focused on what the candidates are saying."

Last March, Fiorina sounded more upbeat about people representing the campaign. While discussing her new role with McCain, she told the Web site Pajamas Media, "I think they're going to see us expand our surrogate program in some interesting ways."

For his part, McCain rejected Gramm's comments shortly after they became public. "Phil Gramm does not speak for me," he said last week. "I speak for me."