Hillary Clinton Thinks There Must Be A ‘Toppling’ Of The Top 1Percent In America

Hillary Clinton believes in order to truly strengthen the middle class and address the issue of income inequality in America, there will need to be a “toppling” of the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans. That revelation, made public by the New York Times, is the clearest sign yet that Clinton intends to run for President on a strongly populist platform.

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At a meeting with senior economic advisers earlier this year, the Times reports:

“Mrs. Clinton intensely studied a chart that showed income inequality in the United States. The graph charted how real wages, adjusted for inflation, had increased exponentially for the wealthiest Americans, making the bar so steep it hardly fit on the chart.?Mrs. Clinton pointed at the top category and said the economy required a ‘toppling’ of the wealthiest 1 percent, according to several people who were briefed on Mrs. Clinton’s policy discussions but could not discuss private conversations for attribution.”

According to Gene Sperling, who has advised both former President Bill Clinton and the Obama Administration on economic policy, the former Secretary of State:

?Wakes up asking how she can accomplish real things for families, not who she can attack. When she shows that fighting populist edge, it is for a purpose.?

Is that a veiled swipe at Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren? In an email, Sperling insisted it wasn’t:

“I was implying zero criticism of EW — would not do that. Not at all! I consider EW a friend.”

Early in her campaign, Ms. Clinton has focused on economic issues involving the middle class and working Americans, saying she wants to be a champion for “everyday Americans” who have either stood still or lost ground economically. But if she does indeed share the views of Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, she could be signaling that she intends to attack Republicans where they are most vulnerable: On the issue of the GOP being beholden to the wealthiest people and corporations in the country.