"If I didn't know better, I might think Grassley... doesn't really want a bill"

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_08/019673.php

THE WORDS OF A REFORM OPPONENT.... If I didn't know better, I might think Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) -- ostensibly the leading GOP negotiators on health care reform -- doesn't really want a bill.



This doesn't make any sense. Literally, none. It's possible that Grassley, after nearly three decades in the Senate, doesn't understand the basics of budgets and public policy, but I think it's more likely that he opposes health care reform and is looking for an excuse. After all, as a substantive matter, Grassley has the entire situation backwards -- reform wouldn't add to the deficit, and if long-term debt were his top concern, he'd be an enthusiastic proponent of the Democratic proposal.

Grassley's comments aren't the words of someone worried about deficit projections. Grassley's comments are the words of someone who wants to kill health care reform.

I'm tempted to ask Max Baucus to write 100 times on the chalkboard, "Chuck Grassley does not support health care reform. Chuck Grassley does not support health care reform. Chuck Grassley does not support health care reform."

What more would the guy have to do? Grassley wants to drive a stake into the heart of the reform bill, for reasons that defy common sense. He doesn't think he can reach an agreement with the administration. If he thinks the bill is "imperfect," he won't vote for it. He's prepared to vote against his own compromise bill, and as of this week, it's doubtful he'll "even support something."

What more is there to talk about with Chuck Grassley?

-Steve Benen

Because if they really wanted it, they would draft the bill they want, and then pass it, with or without GOP votes.

proposal when they could have invited a few single payer advicates to the White House meeting and made the public Option the "moderate" choice?

Then Baucus as early as last March was talking about the public option as a bargaining chip.

Then the so called public option that's in both the house HR3200 and the HELP senate bill are non-functional shadows of the original idea of a "public option."

It's clear to me the Dems don't want the public option or they would be acting like they did. They would at least have a functional public option in one bill.

the bipartisan negotiations have finished. But no, they never understand that the Repubs are going to whittle away everything put in front of them until all that's left is a right-leaning piece of legislation.

If I was going to haggle for something and only wanted to pay $50 for it, I'm not going to start out saying, "50 bucks!" because it's a near-guarantee the seller is going to wiggle the price up from there and I will wind up over-paying.

they know the voters won't figure out that they really didn't want to do anything except Romney care.

Which is what it looks like we are getting.

down a bottomless hole in Iraq and Afghanistan? Talk about "long term debt"!!! And it was debt incurred in both blood and treasure, with no hope of payback EVER to the American people!

Methinks Senator Grassley speaks with forked tongue.

that his whole family will soon be able to stop pretending they're Iowa farmers and just sail away on their yachts. (Far away, one hopes.)

His outright lying is insulting to Iowans, and I think the man actually may be bright enough to know that he is revealing himself as Bought And Paid For by the corporate bloodsuckers.

He's sold his soul and he got a good price.

You should consider comedy writing with such a sharp and original wit.

You meant like Sherlock homes, the detective, right?

Republicans are fairly certain that a Health Care Reform bill will pass Congress and be signed by Obama. It is their desire to poison that bill so badly that when it fails or has severe problems because of their amendments they can point to the Democrats and say "See, they proved the Government can't manage anything as important as health care" Why Obama can't see that coming is beyond me....