and clearly a racist one (4.00 / 4)

My Silver State - Nevada's Progressive Community Blog

---

by: Sven @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 09:47:00 AM UTC

Only for Iowa (4.00 / 1)

It is a good thing that Grassley is no longer wielding the reins of power as he did for much of the Bush Administration. Grassley sees the Federal Government as a big money machine that should feed Iowa, and only Iowa.  As Chair of the Senate Finance Committee he deliberately screwed up Medicare to shift funding to rural doctors and hospitals and away from the bulk of the population.  His response: force doctors and hospitals to serve Medicare patients whether they chose to or not.

Grassley is simply a more formal version of Ted Stevens.  He may not be out to enrich himself but he is out to benefit his kind.  That's elderly rural/farm folks in case you haven't seen a picture of the geezer lately.

---

by: David Kowalski @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 11:15:41 AM UTC

gop talking points (0.00 / 0)

chris myers of fox sports radio made a similar comment a few weeks ago, i guess the rw talking points are everywhere, even on fox sports along with the uncaring gop politicians.
the drill is, defend those that complain that they aren't rich enough and criticize those that point out that they are too poor to live properly, amazing.

---

by: pc @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 11:47:08 AM UTC

Iowa conservative bloggers were on this point (0.00 / 0)

last month:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyo...

We Iowans are not lazy like the residents of New Orleans!

Never mind that there were basically no neighborhoods in Iowa that were impossible for people to get out of during the flooding, and consequently no need for people to be "complaining" on their rooftops.

Join the Iowa progressive community at Bleeding Heartland.

---

by: desmoinesdem @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 18:27:11 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

What is he saying? what is the meat? (0.00 / 0)

Other than the hatred he feels for the people of LA. what is his point? What does this refer to?

that we have to offset a disaster relief package for the Midwest where people are hurting, when we didn't do it for New Orleans. Why the double standard?

Thanks in advance.

--

The government has a defect: it's potentially democratic. Corporations have no defect: they're pure tyrannies. -Chomsky

---

by: HousesofProgress @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 12:01:14 PM UTC

like a long swelling pimple (0.00 / 0)

american racism is coming to a head, and the pus will burst forth in all its pestilent gore. and it will leave a scar. but afterwards, there will be healing.

i for one am very glad that obama's candidacy is bringing out into the open for all to see, the true racist thought inside the vast majority of republicans. it may not be a problem for people in the 'greatest generation,' or cowardly warmongerers who thrill in the fear of all things brown and black, but i believe the rest of the american population will finally understand that racism is ugly, counterproductive, and stupid. and reject it, by casting a vote for a talented, upbeat, all-american candidate who can lead us out of final era in which racial hatred is 'acceptable.'

---

by: chicago dyke @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 12:21:53 PM UTC

Well, He IS A Moderate (0.00 / 0)

As noted elsewhere, this is a racist rightwing talking point that's been circulating for a while.  Grassley doesn't come up with this stuff, he just absorbs it, because of the larger culture of corruption and privilege he's part of.

That's a "moderate" Republican for you nowadays.

I would point out that this is not really new.  Nearly 60 years ago, Senator Margaret Chase Smith got a lot of credit from the high-minded for her "Declaration of Conscience" attacking (though not by name) the tactics of McCarthyism.  But in fact, Smith argued, "The Democratic administration has greatly lost the confidence of the American people by its complacency to the threat of communism and the leak of vital secrets to Russia through key officials of the Democratic administration. There are enough proved cases to make this point without diluting our criticism with unproved charges."

So, in reality, she was merely in a favor of a more politically effective version of the same fundamental approach--less injurious to individuals, to be sure, but equally pernicious to the body politic in terms of destroying good faith.  That was not just the "moderate" position, but the "high-minded" and "principled" one.

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

---

by: Paul Rosenberg @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 12:33:11 PM UTC

But ... but .. but .. (0.00 / 0)

Grassley can't be too much of a wing nut because the Iowa GOP'ers won't let Grassley be a delegate to the GOP convention in Minneapolis

---

by: Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 13:44:35 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

And The Senate GOP Crushed Smith's Little Movement, Too (4.00 / 1)

Smith had gathered support from six other GOP Senators.  But once the Korean War started, the pressure was really on for them to fall into line, and her effort came to naught.

Only Wayne Morse, of Oregon, stood his ground, and he eventually left the party, first becoming an independent, then joining the Democratic Party.  He would go on, of course, to be one of only two Senators to vote against the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, an act entirely of a piece with the whole of his Senate career, which was one of the most honorable and exemplary in the history of the Senate.

So, again, like Buffy said, "Those of us who fail history.... Doomed to repeat it in summer school."

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

---

by: Paul Rosenberg @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 15:01:38 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Charles Grassley is the rural Midwestern version of Pajama Pete Domenici. (0.00 / 0)

---

by: nkpolitics @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 13:35:30 PM UTC

Perhaps a better question (4.00 / 1)

would be to ask why federal aid to the flood victims in Iowa should require a budgetary offset, when the invasion of occupation of Iraq does not.

"It sounds wrong...
     ...but its right."

---

by: SpitBall @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 14:33:11 PM UTC

that is a good question (0.00 / 0)

---

by: Matt Stoller @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 15:36:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I can't wait to take this guy out in '10. (0.00 / 0)

Of course, he's likely to retire.  But still, this is going to be a top pickup opportunity regardless.

A lot of people have bounced Bruce Braley's name around for this one.  And then there's the Lt. Gov (Patty Judge?), and I've got to admit I'd love to see one more woman in the senate especially from Iowa, a state that's never elected a woman to congress.  Then of course there's Vilsack, though I honestly couldn't care less for him.

Personally, I favor an underdog for the race if we can get her to run-Denise O'Brien.  She almost one the position of agriculture secretary in Iowa in '06 and has kept a decent profile since then.  She's a great progressive and an organic farmer who'd fit Iowa nicely.

Check out Blue Arkansas:
http://bluearkansas.blogspot.com/

---

by: ARDem @ Thu Jul 31, 2008 at 19:46:26 PM UTC

I don't think he will retire (0.00 / 0)

but if he does retire, I would think Vilsack is the heavy favorite for the nomination. Braley might take a shot at it.

I love Denise O'Brien, but she would not stand a chance in a statewide primary for a Senate seat. I wish she had won that secretary of agriculture race. They slimed her at the very end, and she didn't have the money to respond.

Join the Iowa progressive community at Bleeding Heartland.

---

by: desmoinesdem @ Fri Aug 01, 2008 at 03:34:17 AM UTC

[ Parent ]