Senator Grassley of Iowa is unhappy. I have made some modest changes to this article on his happiness. My additions are in italics:
In a comment aired this afternoon on WMT, an Iowa radio station,
Grassley (R-Iowa) said: “The first thing that would make me feel a
little bit better towards them if they’d follow the Japanese model and
come before the American people and take that deep bow and say I’m
sorry, and then either do one of two things — resign, or go commit
suicide.”
The radio clip was also aired on WTOP, a news radio station in Washington.
In response to a POLITICO inquiry, Grassley spokeswoman Jill Gerber
clarified Grassley’s comments, saying “clearly he was speaking
rhetorically – he meant there’s no culture of shame and acceptance of
responsibility for driving a company country into the dirt in this country. If
you asked him whether he really wants AIG executives Senators to commit suicide,
he’d say of course not.”
“Point being, U.S. corporate executives politicians are unapologetic about running
their companies the country adrift, accepting giving away billions of tax dollars to supposedly help, and
then spending being surprised when those tax dollars get spent on travel, huge bonuses, etc,” Gerber
said.
Grassley’s statement was the most over the top among the many
expressions of outrage Monday, as the White House and Congress struggle
to figure out how to recoup $165 million in bonuses from AIG, which has
received more than $170 billion in federal bailout funds.
“With millions of Americans out of work, staying up nights trying to
figure out how to make this week’s paycheck last until the next,
wondering how they’ll make the next mortgage payment or pay the overdue
tuition bill, these executive bonuses are that Senators continue to collect ridiculously large salaries and pensions they haven't earned is beyond outrageous,” Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid said Monday.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell joined the chorus, saying the bonuses lack of accountability of politicians and their total lack of remorse for doing such a poor job with other people's money were is “appalling.”
Trashing AIG the Senate (and the House) has become should be a no brainer for campaigners. Jim Tedisco, a
candidate in the special election for New York’s 20th congressional
district, says AIG is a “poster child for Wall Street greed political incompetence” and wants a
state investigation.
Rep. Phil Hare (D-Ill.) went for a play on words, saying: “Clearly, the
‘G’ in AIG Grassley stands for greed. It is outrageous that taxpayers are
subsidizing bonuses as much as $6.5 million Senatorial salaries of almost $200,000 with an absurdly generous retirement plan at a time when working
families are struggling to make ends meet.”
Nobody else has suggested hara kiri for AIG executives Senators, and Grassley’s
spokeswoman tried to make clear the senator didn’t really mean it.