The Des Moines Register:

A thistle to Sen. Chuck Grassley for wanting to have it every which way on health-care reform. First he worked as part of the Gang of Six to craft a bipartisan bill, and got plenty of his own provisions included. Not long after, he began railing against the bill and ultimately voted in lockstep with Republicans against it. Now Grassley is talking up all the good things he put in the law – a law he didn't help pass and worked to defeat. And Grassley's sudden conversion gives lie to the Republicans' plaint that they were frozen out of the process by Democrats.

Grassley's response to the Des Moines Register thistle

The Register's March 28 Thistle misses the point. I worked extensively to try to improve access to affordable health care without expanding the size and influence of the federal government.

Unfortunately, not even the Grassley measures kept in the bill, and there were a number of them, will save taxpayers from the massive debt and unfunded liabilities that will result from the new health care law.

Your thistle also implies that the only way to get things done is partisan, which is a poor reflection on the Register.

– Sen. Chuck Grassley, Washington, D.C.

Letter from constituent in the Cedar Rapids Gazette

It’s sad that Grassley didn’t back health plan

I am disappointed that Sen. Chuck Grassley could not find the compassion to support health care reform.

Last October, my daughter had Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a severe auto immune response, usually to an antibiotic, where your immune system starts attacking you in addition to attacking the antibiotic. Your skin peels off similar to a second-degree burn and your mucous membranes slough off from your eyeballs, to mouth, to throat, to stomach, to intestines, and beyond.

She spent eight days in the burn unit at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.

Since she has already suffered from this life-threatening disease, she would have been denied health insurance coverage on the grounds of a pre-existing condition. Since she would have been denied coverage, she would have been consigned to a life of worry, medical-induced poverty and possibly even premature death.

With the courageous vote of the Democrats in Congress, my daughter will not be denied coverage and will not face such a grim and uncertain future.

What has me disgusted, in the run-up to the vote, is that Grassley scared people with talk of death panels. My burning question: Are you on my daughter’s death panel?

Tim O’Brien

Grassley's letter to the editor about constituent's letter

The effort for a bipartisan bill to achieve this reform and others with broad-based support was derailed by those who wanted to push through a $2.6 trillion health care bill that includes the biggest expansion of Medicaid in history, creates two new entitlement programs with the false promise that it can be funded by more than $500 billion in Medicare cuts and more than $500 billion in tax increases.

The Medicare cuts address Medicare's needs despite its fiscal troubles. The tax increases are job killers. And the bill's financing is riddled with budget gimmicks that mean more government spending than supporters admit today.

Separately, I never spoke of death panels. I gave Iowans information about unintended consequences with government health care programs when they are forced to ration care. I'm committed to informed dialogue and straight talk as part of the process of representative government. That includes identifying a false statement like the one made in Mr. O'Brien's letter.

Chuck Grassley
New Hartford
U.S. Senator

Grassley has referred to “death panels” and talked of them, which is what Mr. O'Brien's letter stated.  Maybe he hasn't said the words “death panel,” but this is what Grassley has said: 

“Grassley's conduct in the write-up stage of the bill was a disgrace to Iowans. He was the Republican best positioned to put his party's stamp on the legislation, and how did he use his opportunity? To worry in public about “pulling the plug on grandma?” That remark was base pandering.  Grassley needs to pay for his calculation by being retired. Of course, HE'LL have health insurance…”

“Chuck Chuck!”

“Out on his derriere.”

“Our Republican people from Iowa that were sent to Washington to represent the people of Iowa should return their pay for the year. We the people of Iowa did not send these people to Washington to play these Republican School Kids games.  This party first and people last is an old story.”

53% answered “embarassed”
26% proud
21% not sure

Also, what must be concerning for Chuck is this:

QUESTION: Do you think Chuck Grassley should be re-elected to another 6 years in the Senate, or is it time for someone new to represent Iowa?

42% answered “re-elect”
31% answered “someone new”
27% answered “not sure”

More than half (58%) are not too sure about sending Grassley back to DC in November.

Des Moines Register
Cedar Rapids Gazette