Nebraska Attorney General and GOP Senate candidate Jon Bruning caused a stir this week when he compared welfare recipients to raccoons scavenging for insects. According to an aide, he’s since realized he may not have picked the best metaphor for the poor.
“It was an inartful statement and one Jon regrets making,” Bruning campaign manager Trent Fellers told the Associated Press in a statement. “As Attorney General, Jon’s been a strong supporter of welfare reform and giving welfare recipients a hand up and not just a hand out.”
In a video released by liberal tracker American Bridge 21st Century on Tuesday, Bruning told an audience about a misguided environmental program that collected endangered beetles in buckets using rat carcasses as bait — only to be thwarted when raccoons raided the buckets for the tasty bugs.
“The raccoons figured out the beetles are in the bucket,” Bruning said. “And its like grapes in a jar. The raccoons - they’re not stupid, they’re gonna do the easy way if we make it easy for them. Just like welfare recipients all across America. If we don’t incent them to work, they’re gonna take the easy route.”
Benjy Sarlin
Benjy Sarlin is a reporter for Talking Points Memo and co-writes the campaign blog, TPM2012. He previously reported for The Daily Beast/Newsweek as their Washington Correspondent and covered local politics for the New York Sun.