McDermott (D-Wash.) Calls Grassley Un-American

[Newsjock]

Source: The Stranger (Seattle)

... Here's how it happened: McDermott was asked by an audience member to name the single best thing that ordinary citizens can do to make sure health insurance reform passes this year. "I would tell you that one thing you oughta do is make sure your Senators know what you think," he replied. "You won't have any problem with me, so you don't have to call me ... (But) this bill we have in the House is gonna go over to the Senate, and we’ve got lots of problems there."

Later, in a reference to Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Finance Committee, McDermott said:

The people who are talking about these death panels make me so angry because it's so irresponsible. Barack Obama wouldn't do that. But everybody should have the right to think about this, and declare their wishes, and let it be known by their physician and they family. That's why it is so irresponsible—and so un-American—for a Senator from Iowa to suggest this.

Read more: http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2009/09/04/mcdermott-on-whats-really-un-american

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Kick for a bit of honesty

[babylonsister]

2. Nice to see (a) Dem firing back. nt

[lysosome]

3. That's "Baghdad bob" McDermott. The most liberal member of congress.

I proudly vote for him every election!

[Hubert Flottz]

4. Grassley represents the rich 1% who funds the GOP.

PERIOD!1!11!!1!!!!!1!1

[progressoid]

5. k/r

[Jim Lane]

6. No, he didn't call Grassley un-American. He described one particular statement of Grassley's.

I don't think we should call our adversaries "un-American" in a general sense. McDermott's criticism was more nuanced (we're not the ones who have a problem with nuance, remember?). He didn't try to assess Grassley's overall character. Instead, he expressed his disagreement with that one statement that Grassley had made.

As St. Augustine said, "Love men. Slay errors." That's what McDermott was doing. More power to him!

[DCKit]

7. +1 He said what he meant to say.