Grassley shifts blame on health care

Shame on Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, for his letter refuting a reader's criticism of the senator's scare tactics leading up to the health care vote. Shame also on The Gazette for captioning the letter “Grassley sets the record straight on health care.”

Using rhetorical tricks that are his trademark, Grassley refuted Tim O'Brien's powerful letter about his daughter's pre-existing condition that would have made her

uninsurable for life without the new health care bill.

It is hard to believe Grassley had any intention of improving the health care situation for O'Brien's daughter or any other Iowan. Supported by more than $1 million in insurance industry campaign contributions, he has been busy spreading misinformation and outright fabrications about Democratic proposals while pretending to be working on a bipartisan compromise. Grassley can be seen on video telling older residents that they should be very afraid of government panels that would result in “pulling the plug on grandma,” (later dubbed “death panels” by his allies). His frequent use of words like “people say” and “I have heard” allow him to avoid responsibility for his words. He even blamed President Barack Obama for his own “grandma” statement.

Perhaps, senator, when you mistake your own tricky rhetoric for facts, it is time to retire.

Bob Yeats

Mount Vernon