Chuck Grassley: If You Want Good Health Insurance, Work For The Government (VIDEO)

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has a brilliant plan for fixing the health care system: If you want quality coverage, "go work for the Federal government."

At least, that was the answer that Grassley offered up at a town hall meeting in Waukon, Iowa on Tuesday after a constituent asked the senator why he is unable to find good, affordable health insurance like the kind senators get.

Despite the fact that Grassley himself enjoys the benefits of the federal government's excellent public insurance policy, the senator has been avocal opponent of including a public option in any health care plan.

Grassley's stance, incidentally, flies in the face of the opinions of his own Iowa constituents, a majority of whom say they would like to see a public health insurance option.

After sharing his family's personal struggle with the burden of high health care costs, an audience member asked, "My question is... why is your insurance so much cheaper than my insurance and so better than my insurance?"

The question made Grassley cranky.

He responded, first, by suggesting the questioner "go work for John Deere," since they "don't pay anything" for their insurance plan.

When the questioner refused to let the senator wriggle out of answering the question, Grassley revealed how little he knew about his own insurance plan.

Another audience member had to help the senator out by describing the details of the plan. After she finished, the original questioner again asked, "Okay, so how come I can't have the same thing you have?"

Grassley's response: "You can. Just go work for the Federal government."

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Comments

[fictioneer]

Definitely his "Let them eat cake" moment.

[Grannysue]

What a clueless A-Hole, for those of us looking for a Job, I would love to work for the Feds, but alas they aren't hiring in my field, so Chuckie, maybe you can create a whole bunch of positions for those of us unemployed and soon to be without healthcare!

[plzchuteme]

Could Senator Grassley be any more obtuse, dismissing, and yes, even offensive?

[ProfessorDuh]

A Republican slips and reveals the truth --- that the private-profit "Greatest Health Care System in the World" is a wreck, at least in terms of providing health care. It does fleece the American public like a high-speed machine, though.

[chic111]

Hopefully a smart progressive will use these comments in a commericial againest him when it comes time to run for reelection. This man is really out of touch.

[Punkynsnow]

Really?? REALLY, Senator? All of us who are long-term unemployed and/or don't have health insurance can simply "go to work for the government"?

Gee, who knew?

What a condescending jerk.

[42skidoo]

Truly an arrogant entitled soul. He realy cares about the average citizen doesn't he?

[Macready]

he certainly is . . . he should be voted out . . . doubt he does any good for his constituents . . . just out for himself more like

[DonTampa58]

The question, Senator, is, "Why is there a different standard for the private sector you Republicans tout than for the government which you Republicans deride?"

[bedfordny]

Do you have room for 49 million of your fellow Americans in the senate or other governmental agency, Senator? Or was that just a rhetorical, useless gibe thrown out to amuse yourself at taxpayers expense?

[AnnfromCA]

At least his town hall meeting wasn't faked, like O's.

[bedfordny]

Yes Ann, everyone loves to hear off the cuff remarks about how we can all obtain his platinum health care if we were just lucky enough to live off the government just like him. How amusing! What he revealed in his 'un-fake' town hall meeting is the fact he could care less about 49 million of his fellow Americans who don't have health care. How refreshingly revealing, Ann!

[tiredofthesameoldstuff]

Still repeating that nonsense Ann? It has been debunked.

Bush's events were faked to the extreme. Obama prescreens but the public questions are a matter of record as well as how they are selected. Funny that makes what Obama is doing fake when it is the most open form of tall hall in history since all the potential questions are a matter of public record and how the questions were selected.

[Nardwilly]

Prove it. You are not telling the truth.

[Coltrane1234]

Yes, the conspiracy theorist, he faked it all! How logistically do you think he faked youtube submissions and the like?

[ljc]

I guess PumaAnn never heard of Jeff Gannon or the section of the press room Ari Fleischer called Siberia and mapped out for Mr. Bush to "Never call on anyone in that section". Does PumaAnn even live in this country????

[frappe]

No, Sen. Grassley. If we want good health insurance, we'll pay for it through our taxes with a Single Payer system, thank you very much. And it will be far, far less expensive than the sick system that is now in place.

Now I recognize that most of you in Congress, particularly in the Senate, are essentially bought off by the special interests,so real reform will be difficult. But America is finally waking up to your lies and the betrayals to those who you supposedly represent. So, don't get too smug with your foolish pronouncements.

[Butquestioning]

I wonder what our health care would be like if Congress was only able to get the very worst plan available to any US resident. I'll bet they would make sure that everyone had a top quality program so they would get that too.

If its good enough for the everyday people, why shouldn't it be the same for them!!! But our tax dollars go to give them huge pensions, health care benefits and other perks because they want to "serve" the people.

[CalBearinIllinois]

Grassley's really been on a roll of late - fake outrage at the President on healthcare (via Twitter, no less) now this. Of course, he first claimed he was working so hard while the President was "sightseeing" - never mind that the Obamas were in France for the D-Day memorial, just after the President gave a major policy speech and met with numerous leaders in his official capacity. Now he shows that he doesn't know just how bad people have it (or how good he and others in Federal Government have it) - so what was he working on, exactly? Because it sure wasn't an understanding of the facts.

He shoots his mouth off without thinking alot. I'm sure at one point it was viewed as making him a plainspoken "everyman" that Iowans could relate to. Now he just sounds like an idiot.

[MMJones]

Pols such as he have been oblivious to middle-class America.

I would love a $250 deductible, 20% copay, low premiums... and I'll bet it covers dental and vision. I pay high premiums for $5000 deductible, noncoverage for preventive, etc., etc., etc. About all my insurance is good for is taking care of the hospital if I'm run over by a truck or something... after I've presented my personal check for $5000 or proved I've met yearly deductible.

I, for one, am tired of being held hostage by insurance companies. I would gladly pay higher taxes for peace of mind of full coverage. Gladly. The way it is now, with high premiums and out-of-pocket expense, I would come out ahead.

[blueken]

Sorry CHuck, John Deere isn't hiring. They have a hard time competing against countries that provide thier citizens with health care. The hourly wages aren't that much different, but oh the cost of those insurance premiums. Now about that government job, how can I get a government job, when you are against big government? If I getting a government job is the ansewer to health care insurance, wouldn't that mean 47 million new governmetn employees?

[CalBearinIllinois]

But government never creates wealth, or jobs. So say Mr. Steele and Mr. Bush, so it must be true.