Herman Cain Calls Occupy Wall Street Protesters Un-American
We know what Howard Dean and other prominent Democrats think about Occupy Wall Street, but what about Republican presidential hopefuls?
Pizza magnate Herman Cain, who has recently been experiencing a surge in the polls, has a less-than-rosy view of the protesters who have been calling for greater economic justice since Sept. 17. Sitting down with the Wall Street Journal Wednesday, Cain said,
I don’t have facts to back this up, but I happen to believe that these demonstrations are planned and orchestrated to distract from the failed policies of the Obama administration. Don’t blame Wall Street, don’t blame the big banks, if you don’t have a job and you’re not rich, blame yourself! […] It is not someone’s fault if they succeeded, it is someone’s fault if they failed.
He continued to voice his contempt for the protesters in an interview with the Associated Press:
When asked about the thousands of people that have been protesting in lower Manhattan, Cain said, “They’re basically saying that somehow the government is supposed to take from those that have succeeded and give to those who want to protest. He added: “That’s not the way America was built.”
Cain said people should instead protest the White House and President Barack Obama because the president has not created jobs. Bankers and others on Wall Street have created jobs, he said.
“They’re protesting in the wrong place,” Cain said. “I’m not sure I know why they’re there. If they’re there because they are jealous of Wall Street and bankers and people who have succeeded, then they’re there for the wrong reasons. This country is based on people who achieve their dreams and work.”
He added that the protesters “should go figure out what America is all about.”
Based on these statements, one can only guess what kind of banking regulations and jobs plan Cain would implement if he makes it to the White House.
Boehner Says He Wasn’t Mocking GOP Colleagues On Immigration
By Lisa Mascaro and Michael A. Memoli, Tribune Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Speaker John A. Boehner on Tuesday downplayed his recent criticism of reluctant GOP lawmakers as nothing but ribbing among friends, though he privately told House Republicans that he would still like to consider immigration reform this year.
Boehner came under fire from conservative Republicans for a speech he made in Cincinnati last week when he mocked colleagues with an exaggerated whining tone for complaining that the politics of immigration overhaul were “too hard.”
“You only tease the ones you love,” Boehner told reporters after the closed meeting at Republican Party headquarters Tuesday.
Lawmakers tended to take the speaker’s criticism in stride, but “some members were offended,” said Rep. John Fleming, R-La.
Boehner appeared to win over lawmakers, though, when he insisted “there’s no secret conspiracy to have comprehensive immigration reform pass,” Fleming said.
But the speaker did not rule out taking up immigration bills this year.
“We’re going to continue to work with our members and to have discussions and to see if there’s a way forward,” Boehner said.
Attention on the House has intensified as the window for passing legislation narrows with the coming November election. A year after the Senate passed the most comprehensive immigration overhaul in a generation, the House has yet to act.
Republicans have argued that they cannot consider immigration reform because they do not trust that President Barack Obama will enforce whatever laws they may pass — arguments Boehner reiterated Tuesday.
But the GOP’s reluctance has prompted the White House to consider using executive powers to make changes in immigration policy if Congress fails to act.
Advocates for immigration reform have continued to pressure the House — and the administration — to halt deportations. Protests outside the White House led to several arrests this week. More than 250 evangelical leaders rallied Tuesday morning outside the Capitol.
“We’re trying to line up the votes,” said Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, a leading GOP advocate of immigration overhaul. “Every day we’re getting more and more.”
AFP Photo/Jim Watson