Grassley: Bipartisanship On Health Bill Means No Public Option

Think Progress:

On MSNBC this morning, Norah O'Donnell asked Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, "what needs to be in" a health care reform bill "for it to be bipartisan." After saying it needs to be paid for, Grassley declared, "We need to make sure that there's no public option." When O'Donnell double-checked that Grassley was saying that a public option was a dealbreaker for Republicans, he replied, "Absolutely."

Read the whole story: Think Progress

Comments

[jmpurser]

If no solution at all is the only "bipartisan" solution then let's declare victory and pass Single Payer which is the only real health care reform package we've got.

[ljc]

Grassley claimed he pays $ 386.00 a month for healthcare. That is a family plan. What a liar. He doesn't pay a nickel. We taxpayers pay his salary and all his benefits, including his healthcare which will be paid for him and his wife as a benefit after he retires until they are both dead and gone. He is a fraud. 71% of this country wants a public option. If we do not get it, it will be the fault of the Senate alone. Not the House, not the President, the Senate will be to blame. I am going to buy 2 of these and send them to my two Republican, "No Public Option" Senators asking them to give up their taxpayer funded healthcare for life.

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madrak/show-your-solidarity-were-all-uninsur

[thinkingwomanmillstone]

Family values party my @@@.

[Paisano]

Grassley is slime!

[PaxEterna]

TIME FOR A NATIONAL REFERENDUM.

KICK THE IDIOTS IN CONGRESS WHO HAVE BEEN FEEDING AT THE TAXPAYER TROUGH FOR DECADES OUT OF THE DISCUSSION, OUT OF THE ROOM, OUT OF OFFICE.

THEY ALL NEED TO GO AWAY.

SINGLE PAYER - YES WE CAN!

[rxvette]

The key to U.S. healthcare reform is the number 300,000,000. Read this for more info:

http://rxvette.blogspot.com/2009/06/biggest-key-to-health-care-reform-in-us.html

[jmpurser]

WHY do you keep reposting this utterly inane link to a waste of space web page? Honestly that has nothing to do with health care reform.

[pam45]

I certainly hope that the people of his state show Grassley that they no longer need his services. The sad thing though is that he will have health care insurance paid for by our taxes for the rest of his life. Grassley has choice which he is not willing to provide for American citizens! It's shameful what the Senate Republicans are doing on this issue, even Blue Dog Democrats. Mark Pryor and Blanch Lincoln (AR) are two lead Democrats obstructing the process.

[Jaybot]

Any chance this means they will take their 40 votes and shut-up? Didn't think so, the press wouldn't let them anyway.

[NWBrunette]

You know Chuck, I believe you're absolutely right. So go ahead and shove your bipartisanship right up your big greedy fear-mongering place where the sun don't shine.

[20090120]

75% of the American public, which Senator Grassley was elected by and proports to represent, support a public option for health care. But he claims it can't pass with the provision that 75% of what the American people insist must be an option. Senator Grassley doesn't represent his constituency and is out of touch with the American people. Senator Grassley needs to be the next option that won't be available the next time he up for election.

[gurukalehuru]

Dear Chuck, You are a NAIL.

[FogBelter]

Then bi-partisianship is unnecessary ... As is Senator Grassley.

[LarBear]

Was the INTENT of our Founding Fathers that Government be a Corporate/Political Government? Lincoln said: ".....government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth....."

Business/ Politics are so in bed with each other that, IMO, the USA is more Corporate Governed, than "WE the People" Governed... Iranians are Protesting their Government... A harsh awakening... But at least Iranians appear to be awakening...

Corp/Gov, (Gov/Biz?) lead by Republicans, just crashed the Economy of the USA and World.... Corp money flowed into Political Pockets in the form of Legal, Non Bribes, called Campaign Contributions... Laws were changed and/ or ignored... For short term personal gain Corp/Gov bankrupt their Corporations with help of morally Bankrupt Politicians... Greed/Control is still running rampant...

The Largest UNION in the World, the USA (a Union of 50 States) Corp/Gov engineered anti Union beliefs/ Bankruptcy's... Corp/Gov is rewarded... Unions/ Pensions/ Health Care for employees/retirees are done away with... Greed Pays in Corp/Gov... Think Bonuses and Campaign Contributions... Political Power/Control... 70 % + want a Single Payer Public Health Care... Resistance is arrogant, paid for, and blatant in many cases...

Is Corp/Gov what the American Government was designed to be??? Does the Corporate owned MSM serve WE the People, or Corp/Gov??? Does a Two Party System / Bi-Partisanship serve Corp/Gov, or We the People, as a Government of the people, by the people, for the people...

[gurukalehuru]

Eisenhower warned us. We didn't listen.

[LarBear]

gurukalehuru...

From the lack of comments, I'm not sure most people have even considered the concept...


Are WE the People so.....numbed - normalized - asleep... to what Government has become, WE don't even notice? Banking Regulators become Banking Executives, become Banking Regulators and know which Congressional Pockets to "Legally" put Campaign money into to alter Regulations... Business has become Government...

Have WE gone so far asleep WE the People think this Two Party, Corporate/ Government, Corporate Main Stream Media that CRASHED the Economy is "Normal" and what WE desire???

[Tom Payned]

We live in a time when George Orwell is more relevant than our so called free press.

Last three congress' and president thought the Orwell book 1984 was a How To Manual.

Now, they bring to mind this quote:

All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others. from Orwell's "Animal Farm"
Animal farm is alive and well.

Until all of these "senators" are willing to give up their own and their staffs' government funded "public" health care or "socialized" medicine, they should not be able to give a no vote.

I personally don't give a tinkers ar@e about bi-partisanship.

I want there to be a straight up or down vote under reconciliation so we can put a name to those who believe they are "more equal than others". But the cowards will never do that.

Instead, their plan is simple. Don't present a bill at this time, when they take their all expense paid by the taxpayer summer break, they'll let the for profits start a Harry & Louise type of advertising to"educate" us all on the dangers of socialized medicine & having some bureaucrat standing between us & our doctors. Ignoring the fact we have a for profit bean counter overruling our doctors.

[pam45]

Two Blue Dogs Democrats that oppose a public option are Blanch Lincoln and Mark Pryor (AR). Let

[jaggededge]

if you're thinking of taking grassley seriously, scroll back up & have another gander at his picture

AND THINK AGAIN