Look how Grassley repays Obama's compliments (updated)

winning issue (4.00 / 1)

Should not have a government run plan to decide when to pull the plug on grandma

I guess we could all run on this platform.

Never mind that even Republican Senator Johnny Isakson of Georgia has denounced this paranoid reading of a provision that "empowers you to be able to make decisions at a difficult time rather than having the government making them for you." Never mind that the Iowa legislature has already passed (with bipartisan support) a provision to encourage people to create living wills.

I don't know what the IA legislature has done, but what ppl are objecting to is the govt promoting extra $$ for doctors who promote this counseling.

My opinion is that it's politically tone-deaf to promote this while championing cost cutting. Isakson has made a distinction between paying for the service when requested voluntarily vs providing incentives for doctors to promote the counseling.

Even Eugene Robinson, one of Obama's biggest supporters from day one, says:

That's the reason people are so frightened and enraged about the proposed measure that would allow Medicare to pay for end-of-life counseling. If the government says it has to control health-care costs and then offers to pay doctors to give advice about hospice care, citizens are not delusional to conclude that the goal is to reduce end-of-life spending. It's irresponsible for politicians, such as Sarah Palin, to claim -- outlandishly and falsely -- that there's going to be some kind of "death panel" to decide when to pull the plug on Aunt Sylvia. But it's understandable why people might associate the phrase "health-care reform" with limiting their choices during Aunt Sylvia's final days.

Behind a Rage, a Cold Reality.

Alternatively, Grassley could be negotiating in good faith to produce a bipartisan bill with no meaningful public option. An individual mandate to buy overpriced private insurance, with no public plan to compete, would be a gravy train for private insurers.

While I agree, I have yet to see any bill offer what you propose.

I'd like to see a transcript, not tweets, before trying to figure out Grassley's intentions. Granted, I expect to be disappointed.

Obama should start drawing lines in the sand. If the president wants "a health care bill that works," he should be clear about what that bill must contain.

True.  
 

---

by: ragbrai08 @ Wed Aug 12, 2009 at 16:51:37 PM CDT

just watched a youtube (0.00 / 0)

He does say it, kind of as an "in summary" statement. Demerits for "pulling the plug."

Ha-ha, he strongly suggests that he has some fellow senators who wouldn't mind seeing grandma go a little sooner instead of "lying there w/ tubes." He won't name names. Do we believe him?

Democrats could solve this overnight by simply putting forth a coherent proposal with a method to pay for it (preferably a progressive tax, from my POV).

---

by: ragbrai08 @ Wed Aug 12, 2009 at 20:16:36 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

always with the soft spot (4.00 / 2)

for Grassley!

I will bet that the Senate Finance Committee bill ends up as AHIP's dream: individual mandate to buy private insurance with no public option except for something fake like regional co-ops.

Creating a living will is a good idea for everyone, so that individuals can spell out what they would like their families to do if they become incapacitated. My father did some estate planning and always encouraged people to fill out a medical power of attorney and a living will. No one has to put do not resuscitate orders in a living will.

The truth is that patients who live their final days in hospice have a better quality of life at the end than those who are in ICUs. I can't count the number of families I know who have asked for memorial gifts to be sent to the hospice where the loved one was at the end. Not everyone has to choose hospice, but they should learn what hospice care means before they ever get sick so they can have some basis for informed decisions.

Invite other Iowa political junkies to join us at Bleeding Heartland.

---

by: desmoinesdem @ Wed Aug 12, 2009 at 20:28:47 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

yep, (4.00 / 1)

hearting Grassley

I can mark the day. It was when Grassley harassed the p**n downloaders at NSF. Try sharing a TA/RA/PD office with some of these losers and get back to me.

The truth is that patients who live their

In polling, the govt is losing to the insurance companies, see? Many people are skeptical of the government. It's not like our govt has a blemish-free history when it comes to experimenting for "the common good." I think this has been handled poorly.

I will bet that the Senate Finance Committee bill ends up as AHIP's dream: individual mandate to buy private insurance with no public option except for something fake like regional co-ops.

I 100% agree. Here is the problem. Isn't it just common sense that the reason Obama has been soooooo patient w/ Baucus/Grassley is because their plan is what he'll sign on to?

Then, the professional capitulators and courtiers will do their "we'll fix it in conference" nonsense -- as if.

I would rather start over then see the AHIP/RomneyCare plan pass.

p.s. If you want govt health benefits, get a govt job. This isn't pro-Grassley, it's just how it is. Are Dems offering anything better? Not at all. In fact, I happen to think that preserving all of these "special classes" is a major weakness of reform.

---

by: ragbrai08 @ Wed Aug 12, 2009 at 22:40:18 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

speaking of the devil! (4.00 / 3)

Industry lobbyists and moderate Democrats in both chambers, though, argue that the White House's actions behind the scenes show a recognition that the finance panel's anticipated compromise is the most likely template for any final legislation.

...

Still, industry lobbyists say they are not worried. "We trust the White House," Mr. Kahn said. "We are confident that the Senate Finance Committee will produce a bill we fully can endorse."

unpleasant linky

---

by: ragbrai08 @ Wed Aug 12, 2009 at 23:55:55 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Now THAT'S the Obama.. (4.00 / 1)

I was warned about....

Che! Che! Che Guevara!! El gobierno a la chingada!!

---

by: EltonDavis @ Thu Aug 13, 2009 at 00:22:32 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Just got off phone with Grassley aid... (4.00 / 3)

the one specifically in charge of Finance Committee issues.  I have to give her credit for giving me lots of her time and answering my questions.  She was, obviously, evasive but polite.

She said:

Don't take last line "out of context".
Grassley opposes any gov involvement in eol planning.
Emphasized gov training of counselors.
Agreed there will be no such thing as "death panels".
Agreed that no plan for gov to "make" decisions, but wants no involvement at all.
Agreed there's misinformation, said constituents will have to decide for themselves whether Sen contributed to misinfo and stoked fears or informed people.
Wouldn't say he could have been more clear bout specifics.

Spoke to her for about 15-20 mins.  I wish I'd known then that S. 464, bipartisan cosponsored by Isakson and Collins, was referred to Finance in 07.  She wouldn't say whether Grassley supported Isakson's Senate Bill (tried to divert by saying people were confused bc Isakson couldn't sponsor a bill in House).  Grassley's on Finance (was in 07 too, no?) so he should have had a position on S. 464 since it was in his committee.  Would like to have pressed harder and named the bill.  Hope someone can corner him on this at a townhall or (yeah right) a reporter actually doing their job.

---

by: jrshipley @ Wed Aug 12, 2009 at 18:26:02 PM CDT

thanks for making that call (0.00 / 0)

and asking informed questions. I'm sure the wingnuts are burning up his phone lines, so his staff need to hear from us.

Invite other Iowa political junkies to join us at Bleeding Heartland.

---

by: desmoinesdem @ Wed Aug 12, 2009 at 21:33:54 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Let's face it... (0.00 / 0)

The Amerika we grew up in is gone.  I think a lot of your readers would agree with me, and say, "Good riddance".

And I have to give kudos to Pat Robertson, he is the only one who has pretty much come right out and said it.

Look at the facts.  White folks are scared.  Ammunition sales are through the roof, and most common handgun ammunition is being rationed at gun stores if it is available at all.  Most cons and neo-cons say this is because of a fear of Obama banning sales of guns and ammunition.

Bullshit.

This is a fear of a black man being in the White House, and the fears of a race war are driving whites with racist tendencies over the edge.  

"Pulling the plug on Granny" just gives them a forum to vent their fears without really confronting the elephant in the room.

Ok, so that's my two cents worth.

Got other fish to fry, like why are we bombing the shit out of Pakistan and Afghanistan, why did Obama basically limit our nuclear arsenal reductions to the limits put in place by Shrub, and cetera???

Che! Che! Che Guevara!! El gobierno a la chingada!!

---

by: EltonDavis @ Wed Aug 12, 2009 at 21:55:11 PM CDT

This may apply (0.00 / 0)

to some of it, but not all of it.

In fact, I would say Eugene Robinson (who is black) stepped up in the WP to defend the fears precisely because it's not exclusively limited to angry "birthers" with guns. In a word: Tuskegee. Historically, it has always been minorities who have been the least trustful of govt.

The Amerika we grew up in is gone.

I wish. Do you mean because there's a non-white face in a high place?

If that were the case, health care reform would primarily be a Great Society program to target the most impoverished communities in urban areas, which, as has been shown, happen to be consuming the most health care dollars.

Instead, we're talking about ideas like shifting funding away from these areas.

Personally, I resent it that birthers and gun nuts are getting all the face time. The Q-poll from Aug 6th is one of the few that has a racial breakdown on "Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling health care reform?"

White: 32-59-9
Hispanic: 54-42-4
Black: 76-13-11

And that was before this past week, where according to two polls, support has slipped a bit.

Any slippage in the Black/Hispanic numbers means health care reform is dead for a good long time. So, perhaps we can spend less time worrying about the fringe edges and address everyone else.

---

by: ragbrai08 @ Wed Aug 12, 2009 at 23:17:25 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I doubt if we will get much... (4.00 / 1)

if anything out of Congress in the end.  I know Grassley is simply pandering to his base.  I had high hopes and worked my ass off when Hilary pushed this agenda, but now, I'm done.

I didn't say Amerika is gone, simply the one we grew up in.
The wind blows cold and nasty in my recent travels around the country.  Seriously cold.  Even scarier than when I found myself listed as a "credible threat to national security" in some DoD Talon intelligence report, and ended up in Leavenworth. Cold stares and dead eyes, storm clouds brewing. Have a feeling we may even end up looking back on the G. W. Bush years with some fondness after this all shakes out with the neo neo-cons.

Obama "the great community organizer" is pretty much a myth anyway. Spent waaaay too much time in Chicago around the turn of the century, and waaaaay too much time chatting with Rev. Jeremiah Wright this summer when he was in town to have any illusions Obama cares about anything but power and future support for Barack Obama at this point.

I wish the Dems did have something more coherent than they seem too, and maybe the birthers with guns would lose some of their face time.

Dunno, sick of it. Deliver a concrete, realistic, study bill that I can read, then I'll get back to you...

And we didn't get anything resembling health care reform when Clinton went for it either.  Just an "aaah, shucks, well, we tried and failed, darn their conservative hide".

I expect nothing less this time.

And don't blame me, blame FOX, they're the idiots pumping this up.  

Che! Che! Che Guevara!! El gobierno a la chingada!!

---

by: EltonDavis @ Thu Aug 13, 2009 at 00:17:45 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Fox, (4.00 / 1)

and MSNBC ... CNN ... etc. As long as the focus is on "birthers," others don't get through, like scientists, doctors, more diverse voices from the middle.

I can't wait to see pharma's $150 mill ad campaign, accompanied by "progressive" baton twirlers.

The only thing that can stop AHIP-RomneyCare at this point is more bad economic news that brings a more diverse set of voices to the forefront, to the point where the grumbling can't be dispatched as angry birthers and cranks.

The wind blows cold and nasty

People are angry because they see a bailout for Wall St, while the jobs aren't coming back for (especially) blue-collar men. You definitely have a slice expressing their resentment in racial terms, and they'll continue to get all the attention to ensure less sympathy. And law enforcement will get a green flag to take care of the discontent. It's not going to be pretty.

---

by: ragbrai08 @ Thu Aug 13, 2009 at 09:07:27 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

green light (4.00 / 1)

I need to stop multitasking.

---

by: ragbrai08 @ Thu Aug 13, 2009 at 09:11:43 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I Think Grassley Shot Himself in the Foot (4.00 / 1)

Corporate media has been saying how Grassley was basically talking to his "very conservative constituents in Iowa." Fine, but he does that at his own risk. Sure, there are ultra-conservative pockets in (mainly rural) Iowa, and sure, there are some really stupid ultraconservative bigwigs, but do they outnumber the people who voted overwhelmingly for Obama in '08 and people voted in Braley and Loebsack.
I think Iowa has moved firmly into the liberal column these past few years, and I think Grassley might very well have a tight race on his hands. People remember the bailout, the bankruptcy bill ("Deadbeats!" "They're deadbeats!" Remember that?). There are lots of clips of Grassley acting like a horse's patoot these last few years, and I hope his Democratic opponent takes the gloves off.  

---

by: lefttown @ Thu Aug 13, 2009 at 13:27:18 PM CDT