NASCAR's Scott McClellan?

The trend as of late has been to bash your ex-employer. But just be sure to wait several months after your employment has been "terminated" before doing so.

The question is: Has ex-Nationwide Series official Mauricia Grant become NASCAR's Scott McClellan? And why, like McClellan, did Grant wait for so long after her "dismissal" to complain? Why did neither she nor McClellan express discontentment while employed in their respective jobs?

In a similar position as President Bush in McClellan's case, NASCAR chairman Brian France wondered why his employee seemed satisfied and never filed a formal complaint if she had faced discrimination or harassment on the job.

I can appreciate an employee's hesitation to gripe about their job. As a young clerk typist fresh out of high school, I kept mum (even to my own family) about the illegalities my superiors were committing--to the point of requiring their office workers to sit in without pay during breaks and lunch periods. We employees were just too desperate for work and afraid we'd be fired on the spot if we squealed. I was the bottom person on the totem pole, working for a paltry hourly wage that today wouldn't even buy a six-pack of 7-Up.

Although Grant's job was considered "entry-level", she was nevertheless an "official" in the respected Nationwide Series (second only to Sprint Cup in status). I doubt that she, much less McClellan, had reason to fear should they speak up about their problems.

Could Grant's lawsuit simply be revenge for her "dismissal", much like McClellan's book, as many have speculated, was revenge for his? And did both have the dollar sign in mind as incentive?

But then again, if Grant's allegations are factual, the impact it might have on the sport's reputation could be devastating. And to keep it in a political perspective, what ramifications could the story have on this year's Presidential election, especially since a major candidate is African-American? NASCAR fans make up a substantial voting bloc. If Grant's charges prove true, will political candidates at all levels distance themselves from NASCAR in order to avoid a connection to what opponents might spin as a discriminatory and sexist sport?

The last couple Presidential elections have been dreadfully close; and certain groups, such as NASCAR fans, could potentially determine the result this year. It would indeed be unfortunate if a $225 million lawsuit were the negative factor that decides the ultimate American "race".