From the New York Times just now:
Patty Judge, a former Iowa lieutenant governor and state agriculture secretary, is expected to announce her challenge this weekend to Mr. Grassley, who is seeking a seventh Senate term and had previously been seen as having little opposition to re-election.
Mr. Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has come under fire in Iowa for his refusal to hold hearings on a potential nominee for the Supreme Court after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.
The issue became more local for Mr. Grassley on Wednesday when it was revealed that the White House is vetting Jane L. Kelly, a federal appellate judge in his home state, as a potential replacement.
The nexus of the Supreme Court fight and Mr. Trump’s ascendancy are most apparent on Capitol Hill, where Republican senators are simultaneously weighing whether to support the billionaire businessman as they continue to back Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, in his firm insistence on refusing to consider a judicial nominee.
Clearly Senator Grassley is feeling the pressure:
A day after a meeting at the White House with President Obama that he characterized as “cordial,” Sen. Charles Grassley had a fiery exchange with some reporters on his stand on the US Senate taking up Obama’s expected Supreme Court nomination.
It’s worse than it sounds.
Take a listen to the audio clip posted here. The Des Moines Register’s Kathie Obradovich asked Grassley about his approach, which the senator defended by pointing to the 2014 midterm elections, as if the results somehow invalidated the constitutional process and the authority of President Obama’s office.
Around the 2:15 mark, however, Grassley starts coming unglued, raising his voice and shouting bizarre arguments about the EPA, court “packing” (the poor guy still doesn’t know what that means), and his general contempt for the president.
Hopefully in November the voters will decide, to replace the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee:
Judge, who was twice elected statewide as the secretary of agriculture before serving as lieutenant governor under Chet Culver from 2007 to 2011, said Grassley deserves a strong challenge this year because of the distinctly un-Iowan way he’s handled the High Court vacancy left by Justice Antonin Scalia’s death earlier this month.
“Iowans have always been straight shooters, and up until the recent time I would have said the same thing about Chuck,” Judge said….
“I don’t like this double-speak," Judge said. "I don’t like this deliberate obstruction of the process. I think Chuck Grassley owes us better. He’s been with us a long time. Maybe he’s been with us too long.”
I’m sure former Lt Gov Judge can expect quite a bit of grassroots fundraising if she enters the race.