James H. Lambright, head of the Export-Import Bank of the U.S., has been tapped for a top job overseeing the $700-billion financial bailout.

The same Phil Gramm who this week said the economy is not as bad as people think and that we’ve “become a nation of whiners” once tried to peddle so-called “death bonds” to the state of Texas and its teacher pension fund.

Veteran politicians and former government staffers have been lobbying Washington for clients seeking tax cuts as part of the economic stimulus package.

During recent weeks, a coalition of hotel, financial services, energy companies and manufacturers pressed lawmakers to include in the package a reduction in the capital gains tax rate.