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Presidential hopeful Cain quoted 'Pokemon' in speech

Herman Cain lifted words from theme tune of 'Catch 'em all' kid's flick during campaign

Top US politician Herman Cain was forced to admit he used lyrics from ‘Pokémon: The Movie 2000’ in one of his speeches.

Cain, who until recently looked a likely candidate to take on Barack Obama in the 2012 US presidential elections, said during a primary debate in Iowa in August: "Life can be a challenge, life can seem impossible, but it's never easy when there's so much on the line."


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He initially said the inspiring words, which he has quoted several times, were from a "poet", but later  admitted to The Huffington Post that they were in fact lifted from "The Power of One," sung by Donna Summer - the theme tune from ‘Pokémon: The Movie 2000’.

Herman Cain said: "I believe these words came from the 'Pokémon' movie. I’m not sure who the original author is, so don’t go write an article about the poet, but it says a lot about where I am - where I am with my wife and my family, and where we are as a nation."


He first told GQ that he heard the song during the Olympics and memorised the lyrics, but was forced to admit his mistake after bloggers pointed out the gaffe.

Cain, famous for his 'straight-talking', is the colourful former CEO of Godfather's Pizza who - as recently as October - topped polls of Republican Party presidential candidates.

However a series of gaffes - including this bizarre campaign ad - as well as allegations of sexual harassment derailed his campaign and he announced on 4 December he was 'suspending' his bid for the White House.

'Pokémon: The Movie 2000' was the sequel to 'Pokémon: The First Movie' - itself a spin-off from the hugely successful Japanese TV show/toy range. It saw hero Ash Ketchum save the world once more, with the help of pocket monster pals including the ubiquitous Pikachu.