Grassley: Medicare Is Part Of Our “Social Fabric,” But Government Is A “Predator”

[babylonsister]

:crazy:

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/senate-republicans/grassley-medicare-is-part-of-our-social-fabric-but-government-is-a-predator/


Grassley: Medicare Is Part Of Our “Social Fabric,” But Government Is A “Predator”


A pretty fascinating and testy exchange at today’s Finance Committee hearing: Senator Chuck Schumer pressed Chuck Grassley very hard on his opposition to a public option, leaving Grassley struggling to explain how he can support Medicare but see government-run insurance as a danger to the republic because government is a “predator.”

First Grassley praised Medicare as part of the country’s “social fabric,” but then predicted all kinds of frightening consequences from the public option amendment that Schumer and Senator Rockefeller are proposing today.

In response, an incredulous Schumer asked Grassley how he could predict the “horrors of a government run plan” while being “supportive of Medicare.”

“I just don’t understand the difference,” Schumer said. “If Medicare is good and part of the social fabric, that’s a government run plan. The main knock you’ve made on {our amendment} is it’s government-run. Medicare is government-run, and most people like it very much.”

Grassley responded that the government-run plan would deny people “choice” and would lead to a “single-payer system.” He continued that “if you want competition you don’t want the government running everything,” adding that government is a “predator.”

“So you don’t wan’t Medicare,” Schumer rejoined.

“I told you that Medicare is part of the social fabric of America,” Grassley retorted.

Full circle…

[WCGreen]

1. Rosencan't and Gildercan....

[eleny]

2. A wild mouse ride of reasoning from Grassley

[Kermitt Gribble]

3. Rec'd for the hypocrisy. n/t

[Solly Mack]

4. It's not funny

but I'm laughing.

[Ruby the Liberal]

5. This needs to be used in his reelection bid.

Aired over and over and over.

:rofl:

[aintitfunny]

6. And apparently Rebpulicans are too stupid for words (n/t)

[valerief]

7. He's right. If government works correctly, it should be a predator, a predator of predators. nt

[madrchsod]

8. chuckles the clown has a county fair side show....

that finally made it to a main street attraction of the state fair. sadly, no one enjoyed his act.

[stuball111]

9. WTF!

And what the hell is private insurance if it's not predatory! This guy needs to sit with Bachman! And people don't have "choice" right now! They're stuck with a corporate system! Jesus! (shaking head)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. Greatest Page!

[Hepburn]

11. Grassley is seriously fucked up....

...I watched that exchange and I do have to say it was fascinating to watch Grassley try to play both sides of the street. LOL

[damntexdem]

12. So how long does it take a predator to become part of our social fabric?

All of 44 years, or did Medicare do it earlier? But if Medicare became part of our fabric at some earlier time, why weren't we told? Come on, Sen. Grassley, why didn't you tell us before?

In any case, were a public option to pass this year (or for that matter, single payer), by 2053 at the latest, it would presumably be part of our social fabric.

;-)

[defendandprotect]

13. Grassley should be a TARGET for Democrats whenever he's up next . . .!!!

[gratuitous]

14. And after everything the Dems did to get all bi-partisan-y

It's almost as if the Republicans weren't negotiating in good faith or something. After all the negotiations, concessions, compromises and appeasements, the Democrats wind up looking like Neville Chamberlain for their efforts. Which leaves the Senate Republicans to be cast in the role of Chamberlain's historic adversary.

So, even though that's exactly what this little charade of the last few months looks like, we know it can't possibly be true.

[defendandprotect]

15. Rockefeller Amendment just failed --

[Kadie]

16. whooosh.

K&R

[liberalhistorian]

17. And insurance companies are NOT predators?

Take your horrendous premiums but don't pay anything because the deductibles are so high, refuse needed care while raising premiums and deductibles, cancel your policy if you have the nerve to get sick and actually want to use the policy, cause hundreds of thousands of needless deaths/injuries every year and an untold amount of suffering in the name of almighty profits, and GOVERNMENT is supposed to be the fucking predator? Someone needs to cancel HIS socialized medicine that WE PAY FOR, even though we may not even have our own insurance, NOW and let HIM deal with the goddamn private companies he's so fucking enamored of.

[Skidmore]

18. I just called his DC office and requested a reply from him reconciling

these statements. I also related a couple of cases to the young lady and asked that Grassley explain to me what he expects people like me--cancer survivors who cannot get insurance or afford it and those working well past retirement to maintain employee-based insurance policies that refuse coverage when needed--to do. Are we supposed to just roll over and die for the comfort he wants to give to this insurance cartel? The lady started saying that he did not but I cut her off and told her that this is what is happening out here. We are real people and there are millions of us and we won't forget.