Grassley: ‘Government Is Not A Competitor, It’s A Predator’

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, 75, is presenting new skepticism about reform plans, The Wall Street Journal reports. "(S)peaking in front of a mostly friendly audience of about 250, Mr. Grassley stressed the distance between the two parties and what he thinks wouldn't work. 'Government is not a competitor, it's a predator,' he said of the public option that has been embraced by key congressional Democrats. 'We'd have 120 million people opt out [of private insurance], then pretty soon everyone is in health care under the government and there's no competitor.'" Grassley added that "now is the time to do this right or not do it" (Belkin, 8/25).

The Des Moines Register: "Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley returned Monday to ground that proved treacherous earlier this month by arguing again that Americans were understandably scared about health care legislation in the Democrat-controlled U.S. House. However, Grassley, during heavily attended public forums across northwest Iowa, was more nuanced than he was two weeks ago when he said that 'you have every right to fear' a bill with end-of-life counseling." 

The Register reports that Grassley said "he supported Obama's claim of a moral obligation to enact health care reform, while stopping short of calling it an unqualified right for all Americans"  (Beaumont, 8/25).