Senator Grassley spent this week touring several counties in Iowa, holding Town Hall meetings and doing tours of various facilities. This evening he was in Mechanicsville, IA. This is a pretty small town - it's in Cedar County - eastern side of the state.
You can see it here:
In 2004 Cedar County was Bush 50% and Kerry 49%. In 2008 Obama got 54% to McCain's 44%. I was told by a volunteer tonight that the Obama campaign's goal in this county was 5,200 votes. Obama got 5,221 votes.
Senator Grassley set up all his events this week in small towns - ensuring that media outlets would have to travel to see him. Well, clonecone and I went to see him - and we brought a video camera. We haven't been able to upload the video yet, but I expect to do another diary with video and more details tomorrow or Saturday...in the meantime, some highlights!
We started off the evening with a question from an older woman - a woman who volunteered for Obama in this county and worked her tail off - she asked Senator Grassley why he voted against the Stimulus bill, she asked him about funding abstinence only education programs and Lautenberg's upcoming bill to request those funds from research be recouped, and then she gave Senator Grassley the gift of Hyvee peanut butter and a sleeve of saltines and said, "I don't know about you, but I'm afraid to eat this."
His response was - not enough tax cuts...and that he doesn't think the spending will happen quickly enough. He was clueless about abstinence only...and he didn't even comment on the peanut butter. I think he regretted picking her as the first question!
There were some other good questions about banks and accountability, but I have to say there are a lot of people that are very uninformed out there - and I'm guessing that's mostly because the majority of people in attendance seemed to have gotten invites from Grassley's email list (which I'm certainly not on).
clonecone asked him if he thought the Republican Governors who lobbied against the stimulus should take a principled stand and refuse to accept any of the funds for their state.
Grassley said he would leave that choice up to them, but he did say that they should keep in mind their constituents.
And then we got to my question - which was something like this:
"Senator Grassley, we both know you represent Iowans in the Senate, but I'm not sure you're actually representing the interest of Iowans with your votes - for instance, you created the Medicare donut hole (and when Seniors fall into that hole, over 60% of them stop taking their medications altogether), so you voted against the interest of Seniors, you say you're concerned about spending, but you had no problem voting for over $1 trillion in funds for the war in Iraq. And yet, when it came to the stimulus package - which provides $2 billion for Iowa - including $800 million in flood relief (which people are still waiting for) - and which over 50% of voters support, you again voted against the interest of Iowans."
His response was to blather on about how Congress has appropriated $24 billion in flood relief in October and the city governments have to figure out how they want to spend it. He didn't look at me again - he wouldn't look at me while he answeredignored my question.
But the final question of the evening REALLY got under his skin!
A gentleman got up and asked why we didn't impeach George W. Bush and Dick Cheney when both clearly admitted that they participated in decisions that led to the torture of prisoners.
Grassley started putting on his coat as soon as this guy mentioned impeachment. He stomped out like a 5 year old throwing a temper tantrum and didn't even let the guy finish talking.
I guess Grassley doesn't like people who ask tough questions. You'd think if you're going to be a Senator, you'd have thick enough skin to be able to deal with this kind of thing. I mean, if you can cast those votes - you should be able to answer for them.
I'll have more with video uploaded tomorrow. In the meantime, let's take a look at some Top Comments!
From Hardhat Democrat:
In samantha in oregon's hilarious diary, Chicago Lawyer frightens me and my fellow Native Tongues fans with visions of a Bizarro "Scenario"...
From Sharoney:
Moody Loner in Kos' frontpage story "Michael Steele, Yo yo yo!" translates the new RNC Chair's marketing-speak into plain English.
From Land of Enchantment:
Perhaps everyone's seen Meteor Blades' praise for Billmon's brilliant Chocolate Covered Cotton. If not? Take a peek.
From Samer:
Let's play Match Game, everyone . . .
Gene Rayburn: "Michelle Bachmann is so far beyond stupid . . ."
Audience: How stupid is she?
Rayburn: She's so far beyond stupid . . .
gnikrnov comes up with perhaps the best answer of all time.
From noddem
Elise shares her platform for a run at office that I had never considered in Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse's diary about the knuckle-dragging legislation that just passed in the House in my home state. Ugh.
From Elise (me):
War on Error has a comment on banks with a good cartoon.
droogie6655321 has a very informative comment on GLBT adoption from boofdah's rec-listed diary, "I am a homosexual." Check Yes or No. The part of the app that chaps my hide. (I am so offended I can't even write a comment for this diary because all I can get out is profanity.)
From sardonyx:
In Deoliver47's diary Black Bodies, White Gazes, IreGyre has a very long, very thoughtful comment.
Sardonyx has your top mojo tonight...and can I just say here before you take your peek at it - he deserves huge applause for everything he does, so give him mojo and applause and hugs, etc.
Top Mojo (cskendrick/sardonyx-style) excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first diary comments, and Cheers and Jeers:
1) billmon's Diaries not only make me ... by Meteor Blades — 192
2) Get armed with the facts by droogie6655321 — 165
3) I don't want to subsidize Wall St. losers by FishOutofWater — 146
4) Or shot to death. by War on Error — 146
5) And yet not single one of them.... by Ken in MN — 121
6) I by Lava20 — 111
7) Geez by droogie6655321 — 111
8) These are the same people who by Granny Doc — 99
9) Did you file a complaint? by ml232 — 91
10) Rush is freaking out by COkdub — 86
11) Thanks by bbsrock — 86
12) Condensed version by droogie6655321 — 83
13) The only thing the diarist should be called is by Goodbye Kitty — 82
14) You are on quite the tear lately, clammyc by Land of Enchantment — 81
15) Seriously, dude... by swampus — 77
16) The first thing, I think, it to call it out by grannyhelen — 77
17) The personal attacks were ironically humorous by FishOutofWater — 77
18) Exactly. by dclawyer06 — 74
19) Nice to see the contempt the parasite by beltane — 74
20) And 518,000 kids are languishing in foster care by earicicle — 72
21) Yep. by litho — 71
22) Not a defense but: When a cop tells you to leave by LiberalCanuck — 70
23) Seriously by conlakappa — 69
24) 'twas ever thus by bumblebums — 65
25) oooooh by ekthesy — 65
26) Sounds good to me. by Newzie — 64
27) Yeah... so I guess you need to announce your by Justashotaway — 64
28) Hilarious by gchaucer2 — 61
29) Are you serious? by DailyDrew — 61
30) The sheer air of entitlement... by droogie6655321 — 60
31) I'd like to see by NogodsnomastersMary — 60
Top Mojo with No Exclusions:
1) Tips Please by Muzikal203 — 399
2) Please feel free to add links to actions/orgs... by boofdah — 369
3) the problem I see here by clammyc — 359
4) I think they were being overzealous by bbsrock — 295
5) Tips For Ending Offshore Tax Evasion by Nulwee — 274
6) This is a reporter who has forgotten he is one by droogie6655321 — 251
7) And it's free by billmon — 250
8) This is not about the cartoon. It's way by Justashotaway — 226
9) Only QUIET, Gentle tips please by WineRev — 218
10) billmon's Diaries not only make me ... by Meteor Blades — 192
11) Tips for the demise of the GOP posse. by One Pissed Off Liberal — 175
12) Get armed with the facts by droogie6655321 — 165
13) Is this a big deal? by TechBob — 156
14) Or shot to death. by War on Error — 146
15) I don't want to subsidize Wall St. losers by FishOutofWater — 146
16) tip jar here by slinkerwink — 143
17) Heh. by dennisl — 123
18) And yet not single one of them.... by Ken in MN — 121
19) Damn. You write with such amazing clarity. by swampus — 114
20) I by Lava20 — 111
21) Geez by droogie6655321 — 111
22) These are the same people who by Granny Doc — 99
23) Did you file a complaint? by ml232 — 91
24) Rush is freaking out by COkdub — 86
25) Thanks by bbsrock — 86
26) Condensed version by droogie6655321 — 83
27) The only thing the diarist should be called is by Goodbye Kitty — 82
28) You are on quite the tear lately, clammyc by Land of Enchantment — 81
29) Seriously, dude... by swampus — 77
30) The first thing, I think, it to call it out by grannyhelen — 77
31) Tips for ordinary Americans :) by NCrissieB — 77
32) The personal attacks were ironically humorous by FishOutofWater — 77