I'm no blogger or good reporter, but I will try to give a sense of the meeting with Senator Grassley at the Coralville Public (a socialist institution) Library @ 5PM today [Friday].

 A roundtable for the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, with about 40 people there.  There was a group of 15+/- outside, many from SEIU and others with signs.  Grassley went in the less-used north entrance and avoided them.  Three from that group (Jim Arthur, Barbara, & Chris) also attended the meeting, but were told they couldn't ask questions.

Grassley began the meeting by talking about health care, and the first question asked was about the status of the bill.  G acknowledged the work of the National Federation of Business  in helping.   Also, AARP and SEIU and the “Divided We Fail” group, for two years of work prior to the Congress taking it up.  Talked about accessibility (no elimination for prior conditions) and affordability (likelihood of gov't subsidies for anyone under 300% of poverty level), said perverse incentives need to be reversed and talked about potential mandates on individuals and businesses.  Said he favored the former, not the latter.  Also favored taxing employees for a portion of  high class employee health benefits.  I didn't catch if he predicted timing or compromises. 

I asked this question: “1,2,37, and 47 are important numbers.  1 is for the US being the 1 and only industrialized nation that depends upon health insurance thru employers.  2 for we spend twice per capita for health care than any other “modern” nation, which gets us 37th in ranking of health quality standards in the world, leaving 47 Million (+more everyday) without any health coverage.  Clearly the system is broken, and you oppose any public option and count on the health insurance companies which have profited from this dysfunctional system to reform it.  You oppose a strong, public option because you see it as a Trojan horse for the takeover of the health system by govt.  However, if you are successful in keeping out any public option, might that not lead to a total collapse & rejection of the system and lay the groundwork for a true public health system?”   (There is no commitment to verbatim here). 

He indicated that Obama promised in his campaign that anyone who liked their current coverage could keep it, and that if there were a public option then 119 million policyholders (according to the Lewin group) would choose that, the private insurers would have to raise premiums, then the last of policy holders would switch to public option, and Obama's promise would be broken, because the “heavy hand” of government would make it impossible for private insurers to compete.  He said he wants competition, thru a co-op system (in honorable existence for 150 years) that would force private insurers to compete.  No explanation, no opportunity to ask follow-up.
 
Brian from Big 10 Rentals related frustration on providing health insurance for 20 employees, and asked about being able to have the rental groups national association negotiate a plan.  Grassley referred to a proposal from Sen. Olympia Snowe, which is a dead-end.
 
There was a question about Pres. Obama firing the Inspector General of Americorps without the 30-day required notice.  Also a question about Cap & Trade, which G said he did not like the House version because it discriminates against Iowa which is 85% reliant on coal for electricity, and makes US non-competitive, motivating more manufacturers to move to China, etc.  Says he favors an International Treaty.

Also a question from Alzheimer's group rep. about changing the 2-year waiting period, and Sen. Grassley said he thought a change would be justified but had no way of assuring it would be.  Also took a question from Kelly Hayworth on flood relief related questions.
 
I asked if he was embarassed by the Senate Finance Hearings in which no Single Payer advocates were allowed to testify, and were arrested when they offered testimony.  He said he didn't have control of the hearing, Sen. Baucus did.  Hearings can't be allowed to have interruptions from the floor.  I said the comments from the SP advocates were very intelligent, and that they deserved to have a place in the hearing.  He said Sen. Baucus mollified it all by meeting with them later, and said it's not necessary to have an official hearing to be heard (again, the question was not answered).
 
James Lynch of CR Gazette was there (and I think was with the Grassley tour all day).
 
Please read the above as an imperfect recollection.  Give 'em hell!!!

Ed Flaherty is a member of Veterans for Peace and Johnson County Democrats Central Committee & other suspect groups. Retired banker.