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"Resign, or go commit suicide." Who said that to whom?

Sen. Charles Grassley said it to the executives at AIG.

Now, let me be fair. Let me put it in context. He was also telling them to act more Japanese:

"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."

Later, he got a spokeswoman to clarify. (Is it really sufficiently Japanese for a man to get a spokeswoman to explain his remarks?)

[S]pokeswoman 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 into the dirt in this country. If you asked him whether he really wants AIG executives to commit suicide, he?d say of course not."

Okay, then: Fuck yourself, Senator Grassley. That's rhetoric. Of course, I don't really want you to fuck yourself. And, actually, I agree with you. We need more shame around here. Let's do some shaming. Let's shame everyone in the executive branch and Congress who let our money flow into AIG without building in the kinds of restrictions that would have prevented the use of the money in the way that Grassley and others are bitching about now that it's too late. So bow down, Senator Grassley. Take a deep bow and say you're sorry. And then resign or go commit suicide like the Japanese stereotype that you think is cool to bring up when you are making a display of venting your anger at the people you want us Americans to be angry at ? instead of you.

Full post as published by Althouse on March 17, 2009 (boomark / email).