Impeach Herman Cain

BUT FIRST THE GOOD NEWS: — voters in Ohio, Maine and Mississippi send a message (or two):   

We Are Ohio members celebrate the victory: AP Photo

Ohio citizens voted by a landslide to repeal an Ohio Law that severely restricted the ability of public employees to organize unions and bargain collectively. The bill was a centerpiece for the Tea-Party backed GOP legislature and a slap in the face to Republican Governor, John Kasich. The vote to repeal the bill — 62 percent to 38 percent! The outcome shows the power of a grassroots movement involving teachers, police, fireman, organized labor as a whole, students and progressives. Three cheers for “We are Ohio”  about 17,000 volunteers to go knocking on doors over the weekend.

Maine: Voters in Maine by 60-40 % to repeal a 2010 law that rescinded the state’s 40-year old Election-Day Voter registration tradition.  The law to rescind same-day registration was designed by the Republican leaders including Governor Paul Le Page to tilt the electorate in their favor. The whopping defeat will force Maine Republicans to re-evaluate their plans for further ballot restrictions including a photo ID requirement. Kudos, Maine!

Mississippi: The state’s voters rejected a measure that would have defined the start of life at conception; the measure would barred abortions in the state and put the kabash on many types of birth control. Disposing of unused fertilized eggs could also have become illegal, making in vitro fertilization treatments more difficult. The referendum sponsored by a Colorado group, Personhood USA lost by a 57-to-43-percent margin. Reason prevails.  Unfortunately, a referendum requiring photo ID’s for voter registration passed. (Can’t win ‘em all.)

IMPEACH CAIN?

The GOP's embattled Herman Cain; photo: ABC News

 

Sure, he’s not even got the GOP nomination (and maybe won’t). But why not get a jump start? This guy has got to go. But sorry folks my column today has nothing to do with allegations of sexual harassment. No, here I protest: (1) the man’s utter contempt for his fellow humans (2) his disregard for the truth and/or really bad mathematics (3) he’s divorced from reality.

Charge 1 /Contempt for Humanity: If you are poor, homeless or out of work, it’s your fault. Here are his actual words,“Don’t blame the banks; don’t blame Wall Street, if you don’t have a job, if you’re not rich, blame yourself.” It’s on video: see it here.     

Charge 2 / Disregard for the Truth and Bad Math: This CNN Money piece contains video footage of Cain saying that his plan would not hurt the poor. However, the non-partisan Tax Policy Center, a research group, highly respected by both parties, concluded that under Cain’s plan: (1) 84% of U.S. households would pay more than they do under current tax policies and (2) the impact would be felt most heavily by the lowest income groups.

Charge 3 / Divorced from Reality – Totally: This one takes the cake. Herman Cain on banks “They want to help people, they really do.”  If you don’t believe that Cain really said this, its captured on a nice CNN video. His essentially that the problem is over-regulation of banks. But Mr. Cain, wasn’t it Wall Street’s reckless behavior that caused the crash in 2008? And after the big bailouts they got, did they loan to businesses. No, I have a small business and Bank of America cut my credit line from about $20,000 to less than $2000. I had been a BOA customer with multiple accounts for the previous 15 years.

 So here is what I say translated into German: 

Impeach Cain? Ja, Ja, Ja! (Pronounced, Ya!, Ya!, Ya!)

Enact his tax plan? Nein, Nein, Nein!! (Pronounced 9-9-9!)

Hank Cole: Consummate Punster: Oye Vey!

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