Iowa senator should resign or go commit suicide

I don't normally write such dangerously provocative post titles, but I wanted to see what it felt like to express a sentiment like that. For the record, I was fully aware of the way the words would come across to the reader, and I had to work against strong inhibitions every step of the way.

That's more than could be said for Iowa's Republican Senator Charles Grassley.

AP, March 16:

Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley suggested on Monday that AIG executives should take a Japanese approach toward accepting responsibility for the collapse of the insurance giant by resigning or killing themselves.

The Republican lawmaker's harsh comments came during an interview with Cedar Rapids, Iowa, radio station WMT. They echo remarks he has made in the past about corporate executives and public apologies, but went further in suggesting suicide.

"I suggest, you know, obviously, maybe they ought to be removed," Grassley said. "But I would suggest the first thing that would make me feel a little bit better toward them if they'd follow the Japanese example 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.

"And in the case of the Japanese, they usually commit suicide before they make any apology."

In his favor, he was speaking off-the-cuff in a radio interview, but that does not excuse him. Public figures have a duty to consider their words before speaking. Instead, Sen. Grassley chose to join the dogpile on the AIG execs in a most undignified manner. Once the inevitable reaction occurred, he insisted (through his spokesman) that he had been misunderstood.

He has disgraced himself with his words. I would suggest the first thing that would make me feel a little bit better toward him is if he'd follow the Japanese example 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.