I should make clear right now that this doesn’t upset me one bit, but it might upset some people. In the latest edition of the Evans-Novak Political Report (the daily emails), Robert “Secret Leaker” Novak whines and whines about the impending collapse of the Republican party. His evidence? Well, among a few other symptoms he identifies is this:
On Tuesday, Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) were supposed to meet with President Bush in the Oval office to discuss the tax bill, which, if passed, will be one of the most important Republican accomplishments of 2006 leading into the midterm elections. But Grassley bowed out, giving the excuse that he had constituents in town from Iowa. Even in the face of disaster, Republicans seem unable to get their act together.
The implication is that he bowed out because of Bush’s low approval ratings, so… Go Chuck! Still, we’ll be coming for your seat in 2010.
May 3rd, 2006
Senator, whether it’s explaining away Alito’s ethical missteps (the gist—senators lie so why expect federal judges to keep their word?), or championing Bush’s DOA social security reforms, or trying to make Swiss cheese out of the Artic National Wildlife Refuge, you’ve been playing rubberstamp republican for quite some time.
That’s why your “rare slap” at the Bush administration—calling for drug czar John Walters to be fired for a failure to act “fast enough to combat the rising use of methamphetamine”—comes to us as such a shock. A public disagreement with the Bush administration? Senator, is there something wrong?
Hopefully this isn’t the start of an independent streak; Iowans can’t have the Grassley we’ve come to know and love go and change on us. Senator, need we remind of your roots?
As a former assembly line worker, you know what it means to be a hard working blue-collar American. That’s why the U.S. Chamber of Commerce gives you a 100% pro-business rating, while the AFL-CIO gives you a 0% rating on your support for unions.
With five children and PhD work, you know the importance of education. That’s why you voted against moving $11B from corporate tax loopholes to education.
As a proud man of faith, you know that attempts to reduce teen pregnancy through education and contraceptives should be stopped at all costs. That’s just part of why NARAL gives a 0% rating to your support for reproductive rights.
Chuck, you have been serving Iowans for almost fifty years, don’t let us down now.
Next time you feel like breaking with the Bush administration, make sure it’s about corn syrup. We like that.
-Your loving state, Iowa.
April 27th, 2006
In response to a constituent letter from another student, Senator Grassley writes
I believe the original Patriot Act and the current Patriot Act Conference Report provide the right balance between assisting our law enforcement agencies with the means to combat terror while protecting the civil liberties that we as Americans hold so dear. You should know that virtually all of the actions taken by the Federal government under the Patriot Act are reviewed by independent Federal judges.
Virtually all? I don’t know about you, Chuck, but the administration hasn’t exactly earned my trust lately in consulting independent judges.
Here’s hoping Feingold’s move to censure Bush is taken seriously.
March 13th, 2006
