Presidential hopeful Rick Perry tricked by the Globe and Mail, cites fake Occupy Toronto protester

A clueless Occupy Toronto protester was easy prey for Republican presidential hopeful Rick Perry, who cited the dunce last Friday in an attempt to mock the U.S. version of the populist movement. According to Perry, a 38-year-old named Jeremy said, “Those bankers that we came to insult, they’d already been at work for two hours when we got here at 9 o’clock, and when we get ready to leave, they’re still in there working. I guess greed just makes you work hard.” Great anecdote: protesters embarrassed, whole room laughs, Perry clinches the nomination and the presidency, right? Too bad the quotation is fictional, pulled from a Globe and Mail article clearly labelled as satire. The Texas governor can’t really be blamed for the blunder—it was his son who sent him the quote (and really, when do elected officials ever need to check facts?). Also, rumour has it Perry may have indulged in a little liquid courage to get over the gaffe; he delivered this ostensibly drunken speech later that day. Skip to the end to watch Perry marvel at a gift of maple syrup like it was the Golden Fleece. Read the entire story [Washington Wire] »