Republican Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa told a Cedar Rapids radio station how he really feels about the AIG executives taking bonuses after needing to be bailed out with $170 billion in federal money: "I suggest, you know, obviously, maybe they ought to be removed. 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." His spokesman later said Grassley was speaking rhetorically.