Grassley Admits That GOP Leadership Is Urging Him To Block Public Option

[cal04]

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/08/03/grassley-leadership-public-option/

In an article over the weekend, the National Journal highlighted congressional Republicans’ strategy to defeat efforts to reform health care. With Democrats having such a large majority in the House, the article noted that “Senate Republicans know they may be the last chance to stop the legislation this fall.” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), ranking member on the Senate Finance Committee, has taken the lead role in negotiating the bill for the GOP. But at the same time, Grassley said Senate Republican leadership is encouraging him not to negotiate:

Grassley contended that Republicans should be delighted that he’s on the job. … said that Republican leaders asked him to block any Democratic moves to ration health services or implement a public option, although he tentatively supports a public cooperative that is not government-run. “So, the two things that Republicans are most concerned about — the public option and rationing — ain’t going to be in it,” he concluded.

Indeed, Grassley seems to be taking his marching orders without hesitation. During a television interview in June, he argued that in order for a health care reform bill to be bipartisan, “we need to make sure that there’s no public option.”

But also in the article, a top aide to former GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert reiterated the Party’s motives for blocking reform:

If the Democrats don’t get health care, and the jobless rate is above 10 percent, it could be a big election for Republicans next year,” predicted consultant John Feehery, who was a top aide to then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill.

Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) concurred with this sentiment in interviews last month. “We can stall” health care reform, Inhofe boasted in another interview, adding, “And that’s going to be a huge gain for those of us who want to turn this thing over in the 2010 election.”

While the GOP is focused on its political strategy for 2010, the American public is focusing on passing health care reform. Numerous polls conducted recently confirm that the public option in any reform bill has majority support.

UPDATE Yesterday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) told CNN that he hasn’t seen a public option proposal that he can support.


links
HOW MITCH MCCONNELL AND OTHER REPUBLICAN LEADERS ARE TRYING TO HONE THEIR MESSAGE FOR THE SENATE'S HEALTH CARE DEBATE.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/cs_20090801_9803.php

[tomm2thumbs]

1. is that guy is straight off Green Acres ? /nt

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

2. Just what we all expected - they are NOT negotiating in good faith

Strip out all their amendments and move forward without them.

[emulatorloo]

3. Grassley must go. I will do all I can to make it happen in 2010

http://www.kcci.com/politics/19036692/detail.html

Democrat To Challenge Grassley In 2010

Bob Krause Says It's Time For Someone New

POSTED: 5:10 pm CDT March 28, 2009
UPDATED: 5:21 pm CDT March 28, 2009


Bob Krause announced the formation of an exploratory committee on Saturday. He said he hopes he'll get to take on the veteran senator in 19 months.
"As a good farmer, Sen. Grassley must recognize that 51 years, 58 years at the end of his term, is a long time to go without rotating crops," Krause said.
Krause may be a relatively unfamiliar face in Iowa politics, but he has a record of public service. He is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army and served in the Iowa House in the 1970s.
"After I left the Legislature, I went with the Carter administration," he said. "I was regional head of the U.S. Department of Transportation."

==
He sounds like a solid liberal from his positions.