Grassley: The One Who Got Away

Karen, I’d like it if you answered your own question: “Was getting Grassley on board ever a realistic proposition?” I don’t see that Grassley has EVER negotiated seriously on any of the real issues on the table. How many months have we seen him refusing to actually make any move to compromise, and then lying and demagoguing the issue? If Iowans trust Grassley, one must assume that there are plenty of them who invest in bridges offered by random strangers. As for a little action on SCHIP – children always play well with the electorate, so this isn’t much of a monument to Grassley’s courage or capacity for independent thought. Overall, this was a disappointingly toothless piece from you.

I have to say that it is amazing to me that while you woud be hard pressed to find an encouraging word about the public option on this blog since it was introduced as a concept earlier this year, we now have a whole article devoted to giving Chuck Grassley the benefit of the doubt on health care reform when all evidence points to him not being worthy of any. From almost day one he stated forcefully that he would never support a bill that had a public option. He never, not even once, explained what it would take to gain his support. He BRAGGED that it was almost solely because of him that nothing was brought out of the Finance committee before the August break thereby enabling the town hall ambushes, and he endorsed the “death panel” cannard even though he voted for a very similar provision in the Medicare bill in 2003.
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As a matter of fact I have read and read read the article and I can’t find even one sentence that explains anything Grassley has said or done this year with regards to health care reform that would give anybody the impression that he was ever negotiating in good faith other than him saying so repeatedly. And of course his take on the townhalls isn’t at all challeged by the fact that many if not most townhalls were actually civil and the ones that weren’t were verifiably astroturfed with proponents of the health insurance industry. His words are just offered up as the god’s honest truth. The truth is Grassley himself said that even if he negotiated what he thought was a good bill, unless more than a handful of Republicans committed to voting for it he wouldn’t vote for it either. That should tell any rational person that his vote was never in play from the get go.
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Hey I know its the age of “balanced” reporting but I just wish that we ever saw that same “balance” when it came to the prospects of a public option or the actual reasons why liberals and progressives are so wedded to a public option or at the very least an acknolwedgement that it was a part of President Obama’s plan on the campaign trail last year and not a minor issue in the election. But I guess at some point I will learn not to set my expectations so high.

It’s a real shame. Grassley has, in the past, seemed relatively sane and moderate on some issues, but on this one, it looks like he’s just another obstructionist playing Republican “sack the quarterback” politics, with more interest in sending an Obama idea to defeat than in actually helping the country.
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It’s clear now, at long last, that Grassley was never negotiating in good faith, just as the entirety of the Republican senate (outside of Maine) was never negotiating in good faith. Obama and the progressive Democrats might still be able to craft a bill with conservative help from the “Blue Dog” Democrats, but it’s time to write off the idea that the Republicans are going to be part of the solution rather than just another part of the problem.
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I hope that Obama makes a mass appeal both to congress and the country, using the highly successful and efficient programs in countries like Japan and Switzerland as models for our healthcare reform. Yes, it’s socialized health care, but capitalism isn’t the cure to all iills, and every other industrialized nation on the planet is now on a socialized health care system, and they enjoy the rewards of it quite a bit. It’s time we shared in that..

The Republican faith that Capitalism can cure all ills doesn’t stand up to any logical scrutiny. It’s delusional thinking, and we should stop coddling such craziness.

But, as always, Republicans would rather worship Mammon than follow the ideas of Jesus, who surely would want us to heal the sick.

It’s increasingly clear that one of the major mistakes was to frame this as “health care” reform, rather than insurance reform. Who wouldn’t be nervous about people wanting to changing my “health care?” This led to all the crazy killing Gramma death panel accusations, and took the focus away from the private insurance agencies which are the major locus of the problem. In fact, it has allowed the Republicans to continue to work for plans that will simply enrich private insurers more.

I’d like to think the Democrats will now find themselves able to say that the Republicans have made it clear they have no interest if approving any real reforms, so we can move forward.

“Grassley believes the raucous town meetings of August made it clear that Obama now faces something far larger than mere doubts about health-care reform. “I was expecting a lot of anger, but what really surprised me about the town meetings was the fear that people were expressing — afraid for the country. Health care was a big issue, yes, and it took up most of the questions at the town meetings. But it seemed to me it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. People were bringing up the stimulus bill not doing any good and [costing] $800 billion. Or the Federal Reserve shoveling $2 trillion out of an airplane and not seeing it does any good. And the nationalization of banks and [General Motors].”

Earth to liberals, earth to liberals. It is not a situation that the Republicans are not willing to negotiate on reform for Healthcare. It is simply the FACT that when they went back to their various districts and States, people have let it be known exactly how they feel about the current trends in Washington, and the programs that have come before Healthcare have not worked in their minds.

The stimulus bill, over 800 BILLION dollars spent and we remain well entrenched in a recession. Many economists and the average Joe knew that the Government throwing money at the problem would not fix it, but instead make things worse.

800 BILLION now gone.

All the bailout money spent. What has it done? Over 2 TRILLION dollars spent on Bailouts, Stimulus and Clunkers, and the only thing that has been close to positive was 1,000 cars sold. That’s it.

Now you want us to “trust” you with our Healthcare. I think not. No way, no how.

Grassley was nothing more than a perfect GOP decoy to stall reform and embarrass the president.

http://www.political-buzz.com/

So the guy who said “pull the plug on Grandma” is a serious negotiator now? I think framing this healthcare debate as a debate is the problem, these guys aren’t negotiating in good faith but yet the media continues to report as if they’re doing so.

Thank goodness the Republicans want to protect your Medicare, right Rusty?
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“If there had ever been any hope for real GOP support for President Obama’s health care plan, it came in the form of Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley…”

Let me tighten that up for you, KT…

There was never any hope for real GOP support for President Obama’s health care plan.

You’re welcome.

Somepeople: With all due respect, I think you are blaming the messenger here. This was not a media “frame.” The Obama White House had real faith in Grassley, as evidenced by this quote from Rahm Emanuel that I posted back in July:
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I have a great deal of admiration for their courage. You have the far left criticizing certain Democrats. These guys, I saw what’s going on, at least with Senator Grassley in Iowa. They’re showing, in the face of heavy criticism from their own leadership, but clearly back home and from very conservative right-wing groups, a tremendous sense of both public courage and principled action. And I really do believe that. Whether it all works in the end or not, and whether we agree on all the policy choices they made, they are trying. I believe they are sitting there for the right reasons and trying to do the right thing, even if we may not agree on all the items.
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The White House turned out to be wrong. What I try to do in this story is explain why.

But was getting Grassley on board ever a realistic proposition?
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No. And that’s all the discussion that question needs.
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Here’s an article that Exile posted yesterday.
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K.T., I wonder why there hasn’t been more reporting about the other countries that achieve better results with less money than we do here. I’d think reporting on the health systems in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand would be relatively easy (at least compared to say, are there WMDs in Iraq…at least there’s no language barrier).
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Instead we hear Republicans slamming our long time allies as socialists and commies…but the press isn’t interested in reporting the facts?
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It seems like a case of the dog who wouldn’t bark.
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Thanks for responding KT, my point is that even Rham in the quote you provided is pretending that Grassley is an honest negotiator. I don’t think he is and I don’t think he ever planned to be. To stand in public and say “pull the plug on grandma” when you know that’s just not the truth is dishonest. He is willfully deceiving people that look to him for guidance. That is our “greatest hope?”
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You’ve done some great work on healthcare KT, but most of these guys just want Obama to fail. Healthcare is not the issue, winning is. So when everybody pretends that Grassley is negotiating in good faith it gives credence to “pull the plug on grandma” quotes.
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I never had faith in Grassley and his jumping on the “Kill Grandma” bandwagon only confirmed my good judgement.

Many economists and the average Joe knew that the Government throwing money at the problem would not fix it, but instead make things worse.
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Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.
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Indeed KT missed an opportunity. While now comfortable with calling the ‘death panel’ canard ludicrous, she allowed the wider notion that the bailouts haven’t accomplished anything to stand uncorrected.
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She’s willing to point out that people are afraid. She’s unfortunately unwilling to also mention that they are mistaken.

On the issue of health care, the CBO projects that drug costs would decrease for those on Medicare under proposed plans.

Regarding the stimulus, the Federal Reserve feels that the stimulus is helping, as reported in WSJ yesterday.

The WSJ also noted that the Clunker program in Germany did stimulate new car purchases and had a positive effect on the German economy.

And let us not begin to discuss how many Iowans can thank Federal Ag -price support for their livelihoods.

Paul: I don’t need or mean to defend KT, but it seems there’s a distinction here. Writing that people are afraid is reporting; saying they’re mistaken is an editorial.

Lumping economists and average Joes together is false equivalency and confuses reasoned argument with scare tactics. Fact versus fears: Drawing the distinction and where Grassley played could have been the story but wasn’t.

KT-Wow. After reading that I simply don’t know who Chuck is. I’m not from Iowa so, is he cantankerous, quirky, independent, a free spirit, stubborn or all of the above?

Amy pointed out earlier that Chuck actually voted for the same death panels in 2003 under Bush that he now opposes under Obama. Does that make him cantankerous, quirky, independent, a free spirit, stubborn or all of the above? Maybe he’s just thrifty.

Is Chuck working for health care reform, just opposing Obama or just trying to survive another reelection within a party that has clearly demostrated that their main complaint is that Oama is president?

You write that Chuck has brought things to the table, but its apparently the democrats who have been able to find a fit for Chuck. Has Chuck still refused a deal even when the democrats have tried to incorporate his demands or have the democrats just not really tried? I’m not an expert in negotations and compromise, but is only making demands doing either? And far as his demands what the hell is no rationing of health care? Was somebody proposing rationing?

Finally, it looks to me that there is no down side for Chuck if does nothing but opposes. There is however, a downside for the democrats even if they pass a good bill on their own.

On the issue of health care, the CBO projects that drug costs would decrease for those on Medicare under proposed plans.
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Unfortunately, rmrd, there isn’t a “plan”. That is and has been the problem with Obama’s “Health-care Reform”.
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One would think that a “Plan” would be in place before you attempt to pass a bill loaded with everything except for “Health-care reform”.
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Your citing of the CBO would be great, but where is your link? I can’t seem to find where the CBO has said anything as such. The CBO does say this about Obama’s proposals to include Prevention and Wellness.
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More generally, however, designing government policies that are effective at inducing people to be healthier is challenging. Even successful efforts might take many years to bear fruit and could involve significant costs.”
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http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/104xx/doc10492/08-07-Prevention_PSally.1.1.htm
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As to your erroneous claim that costs to Seniors would go down under the proposals, the CBO clearly states in this letter to Congressman David Camp, that the costs for drugs would go down, maybe. But the cost of premiums would go up. the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated the change in Medicare Part D premiums that would result from certain provisions contained in title I in division B of H.R. 3200, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, as introduced on July 14, 2009. According to CBO’s estimates, enacting those changes would lead to an average increase in premiums for Part D beneficiaries of about 5 percent in 2011, rising to about 20 percent in 2019.
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http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/105xx/doc10543/08-28-MedicarePartD.pdf
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And also the fact that Obama proposes a 500 BILLION cut in Medicare overall. There are no CBO letters or estimations as of yet to show how much that will cost Seniors.
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Why do you want your Grandmother and Grandfather to go without healthcare insurance rmrd when they need it the most in their lives?

KT:

[Obama] must spell out…precisely what he means by a public option, an issue that has grown to outsize proportion as an ideological flash point.

Really?
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For whom?
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Oh! You mean for conservatives!

Among the demands that Grassley says he has made that reflect his commitment to conservative orthodoxy: no rationing of health care, no government-run public option to compete with private insurance, no requirement that employers provide health coverage and an insistence that malpractice lawsuits be curbed.

I’m glad I found that description, KT, because it would be ludicrous to simply parrot the idea that both sides in the debate over the public option are speaking from ideological orthodoxy. I mean, if that were so, Democrats would be insisting on single-payer or nothing, right?
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I just love how you had to sneak in that a public option is is an issue “grown to outsize proportion“, KT. It’s good to see you throw in a personal judgment call there. These sorts of calls are necessary to good reporting.
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I just wish that you’d make it clear to whom this issue has disproportionately grown. Is it to policy morons who are purely ideological, who never give a damn about policy anyway? Is it to power political people, who only care about partisan advantage?
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If the issue doesn’t really matter so much to good policy, and is only an “ideological flash point”, why are so many knowledgeable people making and issue out of it? Is it possible that some people are making a big deal out of it because it is a big deal, and others are making a big deal out of it because for them it’s all about “orthodoxy” and that’s what they do?
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…And finally, if the public option really isn’t as important to the policy debate as proponents and opponents are making it to be, why is the insurance industry so dead set against it? Surely the sober, bottom line-oriented business executives in the high pay of the insurers aren’t just happy to wave the ideological flags of policies they don’t understand, right, KT?
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If it was just about ideology, KT, then why would the industry drawing a line in the sand over the public option?

The one moment of truth from liberals in this debate came at a town hall meeting with a Demo congressman from Kentucky.

Question was asked: How are we going to pay for this bill?

Response: I HAVE NO IDEA!

And that blog whiners is the problem not greedy insurance companies and unwilling Republicans. Under the “public option” the price tag is limitless, unless you ration care or cut services. Add that to asking a government to administer a $3 trillion program and it has failed miserably in paying dealers for a total of 690,114 transactions. What happens when it 10s of millions? FAILURE!

One glimmer of hope for the public option crazies on the left.
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Olympia Snowe, the self-described Republican, but in all actuality a Democrat is still “negotiating” with Obama.
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/09/02/health.care.compromise/index.html
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It remains to be seen, and I think we shall see in next weeks “Plea to the American People” joint session of Congress for Healthcare Reform, if the negotiations with Snowe proved to be successful. If we do not hear of any “Public Option or Cooperative”, then I would say it failed.
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Karen, did Olympia hold any townhall meetings in Maine? What kind of reaction did she get, if so?

Fair enough, and I tried to get to that point in the story when I recounted the episode (never before reported) where Obama goes into a meeting ready to deal with grassley on the public option, and is mystified when grassley doesn’t even bring it up. also, i used the word “faith” earlier. maybe “hope”–which i used in the story–is more precise. but the truth is, the white house has been puzziing all year over what to make of grassley.

Among the demands that Grassley says he has made that reflect his commitment to conservative orthodoxy: no rationing of health care,
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since when is not rationing health care part of “conservative orthodoxy”, Karen? Seriously — why are you simply making crap up to make Grassley look good here? Restricting access to health care to those who can afford it (and restricting access to only the procedures individuals can afford) is rationing — and THAT is conservative orthodoxy.
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as to the question of whether Grassley was ever sincere, face it Karen, Dems were willing to do what the GOP wanted on three of four of Grassley’s so-called principles, and were watering down the fourth one (the public option) and Grassley still would not compromise.
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A real reporter would REPORT the fact that Grassley demonstrated NO interest in compromise instead of writing a couple of hundred that are an inadequate substitute for a picture of your lips planted firmly on Grassley’s posterior.

Another Snowe article I found, which clearly states what she wants out of Healthcare Reform.
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http://www.tnr.com/blog/the-treatment/what-does-olympia-snowe-want
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Graasley is not trusted by the lunatic Christian fringe of the Iowa Republican party…unfortunately, they have virtually taken over the party in Iowa…they would not even issue credentials to him to be a delegate to the national convention.

What he’s doing now is running to the right to placate those mouth-breathing retards. Rumors are going around that he may even dump his senate seat and run for governor. When seen in that context, his actions, while despicable, can at least be accounted for as rational for political survival.

Grassley pretty consistently has the highest approval ratings of any pol in Iowa. They like him there — a lot.

Never mind Karen, I found a reference to Snowe’s committment to her constituents. She was a NO SHOW for her Townhalls
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http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/117746.html
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No Show Snowe along with her partner in crime, Sen Susan Collins, both snubbed their noses at their voting constituents over the summer recess.
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When will Maine citizens wake-up and elect people who will represent them?
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Its time to VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE!!!

With all due respect Paul, not that many….most of the money ends up in the pockets of Cargill, ADM, etc…

Their plants are largely automated and don’t require many employees to operate. Farms are are largely corporate monsters with , again few employees, mostly migrants. Meat packing plants are largely staffed by illegal immigrants. It would be fairer to say the Ag support prices benefit people in Mexico more than the citizens of Iowa.

Be fair, PD. I called the “death panel” canard ludicrous the very day it showed up on Sarah Palin’s Facebook page:
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http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/08/07/sarah-sarah-sarah/

Karen this is a piss poor excuse for journalism. No it’s not the fact that you indulge your usual negative perspective, arguing against that is like tilting at windmills because you are obviously incapable of looking through any other other lens. No, it is piss poor journalism because you say things like falling polling numbers…did you actually read the polls, any of them, or do you just report things like a parrot without any real understanding.
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The internals of any of these polls will clearly demonstrate that much of the most recent fluctuation is the result of dissatisfied Democrats mad at the recent turn not less supportive of health care reform. What will you say to this obvious failure on your part? No doubt you will point me to some other journalistic attempt at analysis you found on lexis-nexsis that is just as wrong as yours. If there is one thing journos love is polls and is there anything they understand less? No! Of course recognizing that the poll numbers, reflecting of a snap shot in time, was really more about Liberals being angry with Obama’s signal that he might drop the public option or their not understanding that his ode to bipartisanship was a means to give cover while shoring up Democratic support, really gets in the way of the story you wanted to write. Personally, I feel if you’re not going to really discuss what the polling means, then stop pretending that this is journalism and call it what it is stenography. Of course, this is pretty much the way the media handled the entire campaign, I guess old habits die hard
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You’ve done nothing here but waste everyone’s time, because you failed to explore the corporate sponsorship of many of these town halls or that industry flooded these town halls with their own employees, you failed to really explore the impact of the lies and the media’s failure to challenge any of them in essence becoming a megaphone for Grassley’s deception. And despite painting him as a heroic figure instead of the weak-kneed coward who folded like a two-dollar bill after industry and his own party’s bullies cowed him in the corner like Baby — you want to paint this all as somehow an administration failure from which they can never recover. You don’t even bother to mention the fact that very shortly that 59 vote might be to 60. or that Democrats can use that 60 to prevent the filibuster so fewer can vote for the actual bill. It’s one thing to be pessimistic, and another to leave out anything that would call into question why someone would draw those conclusion.

As for Grassley’s point, about this being the result of an accumulation of doubts about everything people have seen from DC this year, worth noting that Obama made pretty much the same point in my interview with him in July:
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http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1913410,00.html
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Here’s what I think has happened. I think that we came in and had to take a series of emergency measures to stabilize the economy, and that meant a recovery package that was $800 billion. As circumstances had it, President Bush and the previous Congress hadn’t dealt with their budget so we had an omnibus that had earmarks in it which got publicized. Then you had our budget that we had to introduce, that even though it actually reduced long-term budget projections, we had still inherited a $9 trillion deficit — so that number gets put out there. Then you add the supplemental, which even though the majority of the American people certainly still support making sure that our troops are safe and well-equipped, that was a big chunk of money.

So ideally if — you know, you asked earlier about tactics. Had we not been in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression I would have led with health care reform, made the case, and potentially we might have had it done by now.

His talking out of both sides of his mouth is wearing a little thin in Iowa…cultural conservative right wing of his party doesn’t trust him. Dems don’t like him. Independents are increasingly dismayed by his BS.

The ones he has solidly in his pocket now are the Republican business types. Everything else is getting very ambiguous for him. That’s why he’s running to his right and playing up nonsense like death panels to shore up that flank. He doesn’t really believe that crap, but it plays and pays for him politically. Despicable….yes!

“Grassley pretty consistently has the highest approval ratings of any pol in Iowa. They like him there — a lot.”

Well isn’t that called political captial? Which would seem to me to mean that Chuck could actually get away with negotating in good faith. He only has one more term in him anyway. But instead he is deliberately choosing not to.

In April 2009 A poll from the Des Moines Register found that a majority of Iowans — 56 percent — said they favored a public option health insurance plan, with 37 percent opposing it and 7 percent unsure.

http://socialsecurityinstitute.com/news/recent-news/iowans-keep-their-cool-in-town-halls/

The question I have for you is why Chuck not spending the capital? Who are his constituents in Iowa not wanting the government to touch their health care? Are they just your average farmers with inexpensive health plans that Obama is going to screw them out of? I assume they are totally against the farm bill too, right? Who wants the government telling them what to do on their farm.

I know Iowans are more than farmers. But their entire economy is based primary on agriculture. Some thing the government is heavily involved in. Some thing I’m sure Iowa lobbies for. Iowa as a state ranks 2nd out of 50 in farm subsidies. Iowa as a state raked in $16.0 billion in subsidies from 1995-2006? And they have not been real supporters of Chuck’s efforts to limit payments.

Has anyone ever asked Chuck to explain why his consitutents don’t seem to apply those same principles of government hands off when it comes to farm subsidies, but to health care they do.

I do give you some possible reasons, gunny:
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He doesn’t think his constituents are there (and probably trusts his gut rather than any polls), and also he is under pressure from his leadership (note the fact that he wants to be ranking on Judiciary when his term on Finance expires). Also, he’s a mercurial guy, and has been sending mixed signals all year (note the anecdote about the meeting with Obama). To say, oh, he’s got political capital so he should spend it is not the job of a story like this. I don’t give him advice; I try to explain what is actually going on.

Signing off for a while, because I’ve got to go do some reporting. Will check in again here later.

Snowe and Collins are both quite popular in Maine. And they win election precisely because they are moderates. In fact, they are likely to the left of Democrats like Ben Nelson or, at least on health care reform, Mary Landrieu. If they become part of the deather brigade, their popularity in their state will take a hit. Maine ain’t Iowa and it certainly isn’t Idaho. Snowe is open to compromise and a deal because while her constituents may not want HR 3200 as is – Maine is a pretty deep blue state but it isn’t Massachussetts – they want healthcare reform. The GOP has made it clear that they want nothing but to defeat anything that has Obama’s name attached to it. It’s highly doubtful that Snowe would pay a consequence at the polls for supporting and voting for a healthcare reform bill that included a public option trigger. Heck, she’d likely survive even if she voted for a bill with a public option in place on day 1.

“To say, oh, he’s got political capital so he should spend it is not the job of a story like this. I don’t give him advice; I try to explain what is actually going on.”

KT-I’m sorry, I made this point where? My question was why? Why do think he is not spending it. As a matter fact as a reporter after observing that he is not spending it, you might posed that question to the senator instead of guessing.

Is there seriously some thing wrong with just posing the question to the Senator. Some thing like, “Senator you are well liked and people trust you in Iowa. Do you plan to use some of that captial to work with Obama on a health plan for all Americans? If not, why not?”

Sorry, gunny. I misread your comment as a question as to why this wasn’t in the story.
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Also, one more possibility raised in the story: He could have just been stringing Obama and Baucus along this whole time.

MSM “journalists”, li’ KT – be no’ “wastin’ their time” reportin’ anythin’ outside o’ th’ frame they be handed by their corporate “sponsors.”
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Tha’ be why we no’ be hearin’ ’bout no one else’s well-workin’ systems – discussion o’ those systems, li’ single payer fer us, be “off th’ table” an’ good little “journalists” oblige by pretendin’ they don’t exist – it be th’ only way t’ be keepin’ their jobs in th’ corporate “journalism” environment we be havin’ t’day.
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yarr.

Doesn’t seem like a question to ask in a week where he has sent out a fundraising mailer boasting that he is trying to DEFEAT obamacare, does it?

Thanks so much for responding to commentary, KT.

You can write reams about whatever nuance there may be to Grassley, but the bottom line is that…

… this is a 76-year-old man, financially set for life, who thinks getting to keep his prestigious job into his 80s is more important than the health & well-being of millions of Americans.

He is beyond contempt.

The Constant Weader at http://www.RealityChex.com

12.13 KT –
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an’ they all should be thankin’ all you “journalists” fer poundin’ all those “doubts” they be manufacturin’ home fer ‘em all these months, too – they couldn’a done it wi’out ye!
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yarr.

Gunny….I get why you think he could use political capital to give him room to negotiate….however, you’re looking at it from the perspective that there is a problem that needs to get fixed and that is what his job is to do..
He’s looking at it from the perspective of what do I need to do to maintain my political position. He has made the calculation that if he loses his right flank, he has no chance of being re-elected. This political posturing and theatre from him has nothing to do with any thought of actually trying to come up with a health care solution. He’s walking a tight rope and may be slitting his own throat with moderates, or he may possibly survive politically. Either way, nothing gets fixed and we continue to get screwed.

“…was getting Grassley on board ever a realistic proposition?”
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No. And both liberals and “conservatives” both knew that coming in. The only people who apparently didn’t know it were the bi-partisan fetishists inside the beltway. And that tells you exactly who all the bi-partisan Kabuki was made for, whether by Grassley or Obama.

well said….

“Doesn’t seem like a question to ask in a week where he has sent out a fundraising mailer boasting that he is trying to DEFEAT obamacare, does it?”

Okay. Then it seems to me that Grassely shouldn’t be the focus of your time here.

On the stimulus: When the Fed’s policy committee — the Federal Open Market Committee — convened Aug. 11 and 12, the topic came up. ”A number of participants noted that fiscal policy helped support the stabilization in economic activity, in part by buoying household incomes and by preventing even larger cuts in state and local government spending,” the just-released minutes of the meeting record.
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http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2009/09/02/the-fed-on-simulus-seems-to-be-helping/
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On Medicare costs::Premiums for drug coverage would rise an average of 5 percent in 2011, beyond the level expected under current law, and the increase would grow to 20 percent in 2019, the budget office said.
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“However,” it said, “beneficiaries’ spending on prescription drugs apart from those premiums would fall, on average, as would their overall prescription drug spending (including both premiums and cost-sharing).”
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Moreover, the budget office said, the drug-related provisions of the House bill would save the federal government $30 billion from 2010 to 2019.
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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/31/health/policy/31drug.html?_r=2&ref=health

KT:
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You know, sometimes when the political press corps does straight stenography from anonymous sources, it really is the most revealing thing that reporters can possibly do:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/health/policy/03care.html?_r=2&hp
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Obama Aides Aim to Simplify and Scale Back Health Bills
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With Congressional Republicans standing almost unanimously in opposition to the Democratic approach, the target now for Mr. Obama is primarily a handful of moderate Democrats and the one Republican who seems open to a deal, Senator Olympia J. Snowe of Maine.

“It’s so important to get a deal,” a White House official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity in order to be candid about strategy. “He will do almost anything it takes to get one.”

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There really isn’t anything more telling than that they’re letting that quote lead the Times, is there?
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Remarks of Senator Barack Obama: Super Tuesday
Chicago, IL | February 05, 2008
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http://www.barackobama.com/2008/02/05/remarks_of_senator_barack_obam_46.php
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…And today, on this Tuesday in February, in states North and South, East and West, what began as a whisper in Springfield has swelled to a chorus of millions calling for change. A chorus that cannot be ignored. That cannot be deterred. This time can be different because this campaign for the presidency is different.
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It’s different not because of me, but because of you. Because you are tired of being disappointed and tired of being let down. You’re tired of hearing promises made and plans proposed in the heat of a campaign only to have nothing change when everyone goes back to Washington. Because the lobbyists just write another check. Or because politicians start worrying about how they’ll win the next election instead of why they should. Or because they focus on who’s up and who’s down instead of who matters.
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But in this election – at this moment – you are standing up all across this country to say, not this time. Not this year. The stakes are too high and the challenges too great to play the same Washington game with the same Washington players and expect a different result. This time must be different.
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I’ll be the President who finally brings Democrats and Republicans together to make health care affordable and available for every single American.
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We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.
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We are the hope of the future; the answer to the cynics who tell us our house must stand divided; that we cannot come together; that we cannot remake this world as it should be.
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Because we know what we have seen and what we believe – that what began as a whisper has now swelled to a chorus that cannot be ignored; that will not be deterred; that will ring out across this land as a hymn that will heal this nation, repair this world, and make this time different than all the rest – Yes. We. Can.

Apparently at the time nobody thought of asking themselves the question “If it came down to it, which is more important…Bringing Democrats and Republicans together, or making health care affordable and available for every single American?”
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Well, KT? Which of those two is the most important priority for this Administration?
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“He will do almost anything it takes to get [a deal].”
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Almost anything…for a deal.
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“We are the ones we have been waiting for.“, indeed.

There;s also this for rusty.
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Already, the spinning has begun: Republican Rep. Dave Camp, who received the CBO report from director Douglas Elmendorf, said “the vast majority of seniors” would end up paying more for drugs and coverage, and called on Democrats to scrap the reform bill and start over. The nonpartisan Elmendorf, however, said that while beneficiaries who use fewer drugs would pay more overall, those who use more drugs would pay less–and on average, beneficiaries will pay less. As you know, nuance isn’t much appreciated in a partisan fight. Doing straightforward math? Even less.
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http://www.fiercepharma.com/node/11563/print

I think in light of his comments on the topic, the idea of Grassley being a wholly “gettable” Republican on health care whom Obama/Baucus/Dems let get away is a bit nuts. He’s a Republican and Republicans do not want to see Obama pass a successful health care reform bill.

“It’s so important to get a deal… [h]e will do almost anything it takes to get one.”
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Nice example of the Kabuki. As if Obama can “do almost anything” to get a deal. “Stop supporting” a public option – won’t matter because the fight over the public option is now straight up-and-down between the insurance industry and their “conservative” lackeys vs. progressives, inside and outside of Congress. Obama can’t take it off the table even if he wants to. Give up employer or individual mandates – he can’t because the policy has to be paid for. Seriously cut the 10-year cost by cutting subsidies – he can’t because that kills universality.
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The only thing Obama can do to get a deal is continue to play the jilted suitor to Republicans and then lean hard on the Blue Dogs to pass out of reconciliation whatever bill will pass the rest of the Democratic majority, which has to be very close to the legislation that has already passed the House. That’s the only deal to be had. He knows it and so does that anonymous White House official.

Well Karen got what she wants out of the deal — just saw her on Andrea’s hour promoting her article. You’ve got the GOP pooh poohing everything so that no matter what Democrats pass they can paint it as a loss. Because this is as much about the expectations game as it is about substantive legislation. And anybody who doesn’t understand that is just plain naive. But as far as Karen is concerned, if one more person congratulates her hones reporting on this issue I’;m liable to lose my lunch. What crap! he is carrying water for the right wing as much and as often as Mikey and just because she responds to comments doesn’t change the fact that she has been absolutely pessimistic against these efforts in every single article she has written. Don’t confuse her honesty about the status quo in health care with honesty about health care reform. She has omitted every aspect of progress on reform and that is the same as lying in my book.

I don’t know, Dee. Just listen to liberals and progressives wail and rend themselves over Obama’s “bi-partisan outreach” and lackluster promotion of the public option. You could easily say that they have “been absolutely pessimistic against these efforts,” and they support serious reform. I think everyone is getting played badly by the White House here, especially the corporate press, but we’ll only know when we see what comes out of reconciliation, months from now.

Why doesn’t the media or Democratic Party compare other countries health care systems to America’s? Here’s why, brought to you by ABC:

Americans continue to feel threatened by financial uncertainty, feelings that had long disappeared with the passing of depression age grandparents. This vague rerun of, “It’s A Wonderful Life,” has been exacerbated by Washington’s clumsy understanding of behavioral change management.

Researchers have long known that change, even positive changes such as marriage or childbirth, introduces fear and stress. Obama’s “Change” prescription is in fact years old, introduced during different financial times. Unfortunately, the White House and Congress is creating more FUD (fear, uncertainty, doubt) rather than mitigating. They are likewise mismanaging concerns on perceived changes by denying rather than addressing the objections being raised.

After their security and financial concerns, Americans want certainty in their health coverage. Instead of addressing their primary concern of economic stability, Washington has introduced yet a new uncertainty, true or perceived, of a possible meltdown in health care. More FUD.

The failure of health care reform legislation can be placed squarely on the inability to connect with voters fears, present personal benefits that the legislation will yield and carefully managing the message and the perceived risks change presents. Instead it is what is referred to as “throwing the s–t up against the wall and hoping it will stick.” Call it poor leadership or salesmanship but the wounds are completely self-inflicted.

“Call it poor leadership or salesmanship but the wounds are completely self-inflicted.”
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Shorter: no matter what lying propaganda is created by industry and propagated by “conservatives” and the mass media, leading to confusion and lack of public support, it’s still the Democrats’ fault.

Word count:

Original = Thirteen

Shepherd Reply = Thirty

Result = Longer!

Also self-inflicted…

OK, you’re right, it’s longer and still wrong.

I intend to go critter hunting. After spending large sums of effort and money, I discover that I chose the wrong time of day, an incorrect technique and made a poor choice of lure. Naturally, I blame the results on my hunting companions, the weather and lack of spousal support.

Victimization is the siren song of every poor performance. I am not arguing that competition is not present or challenges do not exist but strategic planning in any effective process is designed to build on strengths and mitigate weaknesses. The times are difficult and the subject challenging. However, the plan has been awful based on the results and its time for someone to own up and change it. I have offered several suggestions. If read without emotion or bias, I believe it is very accurate.

Well, no’ complete’ self-inflicted, budleesman – th’ media were/are involved in spreadin’ th’ lies an’ misconceptions – th’ ‘media be a huge reason why so much sh*t be stickin’ t’ th’ wall an’ scarin’ th’ cr*p out o’ people. If they were t’ve been callin’ a lie a lie an’ an a$$hole an a$$hole fr’m th’ beginnin’, none o’ this would be at issue now.
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Instead, they choose t’ be stenographers an’ mouthpieces fer lunatics.