Tempers flare at Grassley meeting
By IAN SCHMIT Messenger staff writerFact Box
Video footage from Grassley's town hall meeting in Pocahontas can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh1AixcFAKU
POCAHONTAS - President Barack Obama is a fascist.
This and other assertions flew through an emotionally-charged town hall meeting conducted by Sen. Chuck Grassley Monday in Pocahontas.
"The president of the United States, that's who you should be concerned about. Because he's acting like a little Hitler," said Tom Eisenhower, a World War II veteran. "I'd take a gun to Washington if enough of you would go with me."
Grassley met with constituents as part of a junket that also brought him to Humboldt, Ruthven and Rockwell City Monday.
By his count, Grassley's Pocahontas town hall was his 2,848th such gathering since being elected to the Senate in 1980.
Grassley said the attendance at the town hall meetings has been six times what it was last year.
"It's great that so many people are getting involved and want to participate in these meetings," he said. "I want to hear what people have to say, and encourage every Iowan to participate in the democratic process by having dialogue with their elected representatives."
Although health care was the primary topic of discussion, the audience also had concerns with earmarks, the bailout, and the recent stimulus package.
Harry Aden, of Jolley, said he came to the meeting to express his anger over the government's irresponsible spending.
"I wanted to explain to Chuck why we're so angry about this irresponsible spending since they've started the bailouts and stuff," he said. "I don't want this health care bill either, but that's just the straw that broke the camel's back. The real problem is irresponsible spending on all fronts."
Grassley seemed to elicit approval from the crowd on a number of key issues.
"I'm not going to vote for any bill I'm not going to read," said the senator, as the audience rang out with applause.
One of the major things Grassley said needs fixed is medical malpractice reform, as lawsuits are one issue that drives up the cost of health care. He said he would like to see a $250,000 cap on malpractice suits.
He also stated repeatedly he was not for a public option, as he said it does not allow a choice for the consumer.
"I think most of us believe we have the best health care system in the world, but I think we all know there's some things we need to change," said Grassley. "We need to fix what's broken and leave alone what's working well."
Despite his reassurance though, he did not persuade all of the audience that health care reform was in their best interest.
Dwayne Hornor, of Varina, said he still was not satisfied that his concerns had been addressed, but that he was, however, satisfied with Sen. Grassley.
"Grassley is pretty much, how would you say, one of us," he said. "If it had been Harkin this might have been a bit more vocal."
Contact Ian Schmit at (515) 573-2141 or ischmit@messengernews.net
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Anderson
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08-31-09 12:48 PM
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Which is worse: throwing tea bags on the WH lawn or throwing VN medals you hardly earned? Wilcoxx: Did you see that piece about Obama's feds now seizing and viewing laptops of US citizens traveling abroad and keeping them for up to five days to scan their email, financial records, etc., giving feds access even to your medical data? Yet, Holder was Asst AG and helped set it up so the FBI couldn't even access that foreign terrorist's laptop in MN, which could have saved over 3,000 American and other innocents' lives on 9/11 had the FBI accessed the info on it. Now that IS a set of warped priorities re privacy and civil liberties - Obama style. As for "ignorance." you need to study Il Duce's fascism a bit more yourself and learn the extent to which it was a precursor to Nazism's economic and political policies.
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Wilcoxx
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08-31-09 7:59 AM
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Wow...quite the group we have here. On one side we have the ignorant and on the other we have the incredibly ignorant. Your man and his idiot sidekick lost..."get over it". Time to*****it up like the majority of this once great country did for 8 long years. You people crack me up...fascist? I don't think that word means what you idiots think it means. You morons spend 8 years letting the Boy Prince whittle away at your civil liberties, all in the name of some illusion of security, and Obama is president for 8 months and you idiots lose it. Whew...gonna be a long 8 years. I can't wait. Listening to you sheeple mew and moan is music to my ears.
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NOJOKE1
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08-30-09 11:13 AM
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Silly me, like the administration, I had a typo in my last comment; "I'd take a gun to Washington if enough of you would go with me" is NOT a direct threat to anyone. How many is enough? What will you do once you get to Washington? Which tea bags would you throw over? Thank you for your service, Mr. Eisenhower.
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FreedomisntFree
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08-29-09 7:51 PM
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Isn't curious that when some calls a president a hitler or stalin it is free speech but when another person says the same about a new president it is hateful and the person is supposedly a lunatic. I am not one of those old*****who hate everything as one commenter said. I was raised by parents who taught me that I can not rely on the government to take care of me. I pay my taxes and understand there are those who can not always get what they need. I have no problem lending a helping hand but I do have a problem just giving money away. Putting the government in charge of health insurance is not creating competition, it is creating a monopoly. By law they can dictate what doctors, hospitals and drug companies can charge and by doing so make themselves the only game in town for health insurance. Even Obama has said this is the first step to a single (i.e. government) payer system. That sounds like socialized medicine to me
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Anderson
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08-26-09 11:12 PM
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YOU, MeBe, bring up finger pointing, cooperating with authorities, and the communist infiltration issue - all, by your warped logic, indicative of that small generation of "greedy old coots worrying about their next handout" who put fini to a war that consumed 63 million lives, untold treasure, and makes it possible for such sorry specimens as you to denigrate them and the country they fought to preserve - yet, when I reply I'M off subject? I may not be of that proud and deserving generation of patriots, MeBe, but like them I have both education AND experience enough to be fearful of where over-educated but inexperienced, impractical ideologues like Obama and that crowd of far-left retreads around him are trying to take us.
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Brotherbag
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08-26-09 9:53 PM
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Um whip, apparently you didn't get too far. Its the second amendment.
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Anderson
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08-26-09 5:51 PM
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MeBe: Read the Venona Papers and learn what was really going on with communist infiltration in the '30s and '40s. Security, national or local, depend on the public's cooperation, or so it used to be except when perps were leftists and zones of silence descended over segments of society that then complain they lack police protection. Obama and Holder have zero practical experience (but lots of empathy) on which to base their approach to critical internal and external security issues, as is evident in their pas de deux around terrorist interrogations, those Panther thugs in Philly, and ACORN fraud. FDR ran an OSS operation for years without Congressional knowledge or oversight and just interred the suspicious for the duration, and Jack and Lydon had foreign friends assassinate foreign leaders out of favor and had recalcitrant agents pushed out of helicopters at 2000 feet. No Marquise of Queensbury rules when the chips were down then.
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Anderson
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08-26-09 4:56 PM
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FireThem: Not a couch, a fridge. Just saw that this crew is thinking of doing for fridges what they did for clunker autos. Now, when they get to helping me replace this old 1956, environmentally unfriendly thing I live in we will certainly have achieved Nirvana. Gladly, NoJoke; had a great chat with Huevo in July and we don't see eye to eye on lots. More's the fun.
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FireThemAll
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08-26-09 3:17 PM
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Perhaps a few of you need to do some research yourself. If you check out some things for yourself you might be able to figure out why so many people are riled up. I suspect none of you are old enough to have been in any of the wars fought by this country. We fought those wars to stop facism, socialism, and communism from coming to our country. Now in one election it appears that we have a president who is determined to "Transform our Nation" from a Capitalist nation to a socialist nation. When people like Chauves start praising him, you should take note. What would you do if I decided I want a new couch and came to your house and demanded you buy it for me. Well that is what President Obama is doing with many of his programs. He is coming to our houses, taking our money in the form of taxation, and giving it to someone who is demanding health care. I provide for my own family, you should do the same.
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NOJOKE1
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08-26-09 2:39 PM
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Anderson, it would be a pleasure to meet you someday, not because I agree with you on issues, but because it sounds as though you don’t spend your evenings watching “Reality” shows. Perhaps we can sit and have a “beer” someday. It’s the realist and informed that will see this country through. Maryjane, while your moniker says it all, your last comment was insulting to both my intelligence, as well as yours. Thirdly, I don’t believe the comment; "I'd take a gun to Washington if enough of you would go with me" is a direct threat to anyone, based upon my years of prosecuting experience. Frustration may be temporary, but vigilance is a patriotic duty of all Americans. We have the rights and freedom to carefully examine and analyze the issues, voice our opinions, and make informed decisions; though some may not fully choose to exercise such rights and freedom.
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Anderson
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08-26-09 12:15 PM
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Was it not Thomas Jefferson who said that from time to time it becomes necessary to water the tree of liberty with the blood of patriots? My, my, what a nut job he was! And the second Amendment was one of those in the Bill of Rights that he, above all, championed even though he was not a military veteran of the Revolutionary War. Indeed, we can't wait for Obama's radical remake of the America and the liberties old Tom bequeath us - NOT!
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72topaz
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08-26-09 12:09 PM
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Bottom line is that we FINALLY have a president who is willing to actually do something to move this country forward and now that all this is happening, people are feeling threatened. Okay, so let's just go back to how it was a short year ago when ol' George W. was in office. I think he sat around and twiddled his thumbs more often than not. My fear is that in the future, once we get what we've been wanting in regards to health care, etc., we will end up with a different president who will switch it all back in the blink of an eye. Anyone ever think about that?
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Maryjane
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08-26-09 11:12 AM
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NoJoke, Do the math. Barack Obama wasn't "running the beach" during WWII- he wasn't even born yet! My father was a WWII combat vet, and he could see through this phony patriotism faster than you could blink your eye. Nobody has the right to threaten our president- the first one in a long time I'm proud to call "my president." No one. He should be sitting in jail.
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whip1960
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08-26-09 10:43 AM
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I guess I never read in the bill of rights anywhere if you were a veteran that gave you the right to take a gun to Washington. Because of a policy you disagree with. All the vetrerans I know would call that treason. Even during the Nixon years I never heard any of WWII vets I was around say they wanted to to Washington with a gun, they just said it was time for him to resign, Big Difference!
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NOJOKE1
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08-26-09 9:32 AM
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Barak Obama has not even earned the right to wipe the snot from Mr. Tom Eisenhower’s nose! While Mr. Eisenhower was offering his life for the preservation of your rights at a young age; Barak Obama was running the beach experimenting. A vast difference in the level of patriotism! As a 21 year veteran, we are not fond of those who hide behind the word patriotism; especially from those who have not served in the U.S. Armed Forces and use such terms in vain. Mr. Eisenhower did not serve nearly 70 years ago for Barak Obama, but offered his life against fascism, socialism, belief in country, and for the future generations of Americans. His historic service, will undoubtedly outlive any accomplishments of Barak Obama and his cabinet. Mr. Eisenhower was just expressing our frustrations of this nation’s leadership and direction this country is tilted towards. After all, he is the one who really has the most stake in this country; he bet his life on it.
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malachy
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08-26-09 2:05 AM
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GRASSLEY IS SUCH AN OBVIOUS OPPORTUNIST TO EVERYONE IN THE US BUT THE PEOPLE IN IOWA WHO VOTE FOR HIMS because he is one of us. My Gawwd, talk about dumb~! Grassley will do anything to get elected and he keeps doing it to you unthinking supporters.
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malachy
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08-26-09 2:01 AM
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Renko, you are a blatent liar and a stooge for Limbaugh, and all those who want to kill health care (NOT INSURANCE STUPID) reform. You people stink worse than the hog bins you have put up to humiliate the state of Iowa.
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malachy
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08-26-09 1:58 AM
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PUBLIC OPTION IS OUR ONLY HOPE TO KEEP THE GREEDY INSURANCE COMPANIES HONEST. Do you favor an insurance salesman between you and your doctor? This Horney guy is so prejudiced that he admits he would give Harkin a bad time, just because of his party. Lets grow up and think for ourselves and knock off party lines to kill PUBLIC OPTION. ITS A MUST.
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CommunityOrganizer
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08-25-09 10:46 PM
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Ha! What a joke. Tom Eishenhower might be a veteran, but he's far from acting like a patriot. That type of talk is unacceptable, plain and simple. This just goes to show you that "Country First" was never more than a Conservative punch line ...
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whip1960
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08-25-09 8:40 PM
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What kind of WWII vet would call any President a facsist? I grew up with WWII vets stopping by and visiting my father also a WWII vet. They were all very patriotic and would have never used their service time in such a disgraceful manner. And for a US Senator to not stop him in his tracks is even more disgusting.. I would also like to know why any reporter would start a so called NEWS story with the hateful ramblings of a man like this ? There had to be some comments made during the meeting that actually had to do with subjects that matter.. Please call the MESSENGER and complain about this story and insist on printing NEWS not propaganda. It is time to make GRASSLEY ex senator from IOWA before he embrasses are state any more.
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docfate
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08-25-09 8:34 PM
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time to retire this clod.as for mr.eisenhower...what health benefits do you have?oh,the v.a. and medicare?how un-american...not to mention your terrorist threats.
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prairiernnr
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08-25-09 8:24 PM
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Maybe someone should have asked old Chucky-boy how much money he has received from the health care industry....$2,034,000. Guess we know where his loyalties reside.
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Barleycorn
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08-25-09 7:57 PM
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Tom Eisenhower is not only an embarrassment to veterans, he is an embarrassment to his family and relatives. His generation sucked away more money tan Grassley. And speaking of that spineless politician, he should be asked to resign if he can't, or won't stand up to a nut calling the American President Hitler. He should be ashamed. You have been around way to long Grassley.
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nellpost
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08-25-09 7:42 PM
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Live in the cedar rapids area, please ,,do not take these other Geezers as real, someone said old, cranky, See them daily, giving store clerks trouble for no reason, complaining about any and everything done in the community, crank letters to the local paper,,nothing is ever right...and why, Selfish, self centered and totally uncaring about their fellow man,,me, me ,,,me..and they are a disgrace to the community of very nice people overall,,the only reason they showed was to hiss...ok they hissed,, Now they can go home and hiss at each other,,,,again, again, and again,,
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Anderson
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08-25-09 7:22 PM
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To remind: one swallow is not a spring; one nut, not a Turttle. But since running off at the pen is in vogue, again: Obama's trending more like a third-world politician, say Mugabe or Chavez, although 'tis true that state capitalism IS where the far-left and far-right join. The difference "back when" was that commissars trusted to run industries disastrously in the USSR were "working-class" (actually intellectual politicos - seem familiar?), whereas under Hitler and Mussolini established oligarchs were co-opted and ran industries extremely well. The point is, free-market capitalism has virtually disappeared in the US (even to subsidizing bird seed), and US Motors, US Banks, Cap & Trade, Stimulus Bill(s?) and Obamacare are all hastening us toward a command economy and social abyss. And that does dismay us who observed it all before - and even, it seems, many who know their history and have LEARNED from it.
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