Hillary Clinton has been bashing the rich again. This time the presidential candidate was on the stump in Iowa on Monday when she spoke on the topic of the growing income inequality in the United States.
The Democratic candidate for president in 2016 has been working to soften her image, and at the same time has been playing up her populist credentials by hammering the rich for taking more than their share of the country’s wealth and not paying their fair share of taxes.
Hillary Clinton hammers hedge fund managers again in Iowa
Making an address to a group of supporters at a campaign house party in Iowa, Clinton noted “the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top” like chief executives and hedge fund managers.
“In fact, I heard a statistic the other day that really made a big impact on me. The top 25 hedge fund managers together make more money than all the kindergarten teachers in America,” she said. Some will notice that the remark is nearly identical to the one President Obama made just days ago, when Mr. Obama stated: “The top 25 hedge fund managers made more than all the kindergarten teachers in the country.”
Clinton being hypocritical?
Some may say that it seems a bit hypocritical for someone who was part of a household that earned close to $30 million last year to criticize the rich. This is especially the case that the candidate’s latest comments were just days after news that she and her husband have earned at least $30 million since January of last year, which includes a cool $25 million for delivering close to 100 speeches. Others would argue that she is trying to raise revenue and that there is indeed a “loophole” which allows hedge fund managers to pay less taxes because most income comes from capital gains. On the other hand, the Clintons likely pay the top tax rate.
More on Clinton trip to Iowa
Speaking in Mason City, Iowa, in the northern tip of the state, Clinton commented that several early campaign stops had made it clear to her that drug addiction and mental health issues should be an important focus of her presidential campaign.
Clinton is scheduled to discuss helping small businesses at a campaign event at a bicycle shop in Des Moines on Tuesday. Of note, this is her second swing through Iowa early in the campaign as the democratic front runner is apparently not taking anything for granted.
