Kate’s Kitchen Table

I have said before on these pages that I was raised as a Roman Catholic.  Though I now consider myself to be an agnostic, I still remember what all those years of religious instruction taught me; feed the hungry, clothe the naked, love thy neighbor, forgive the sinners, and heal the sick. 

One doesn’t need religion – or even to believe in God – to follow these principles in life.  What amazes me are those people that hold themselves out as Christians that  seem to forget those teachings.

Senator Chuck Grassley (R - IA) is one of those baffling “Christians”.  A member of the ultra-conservative religious organization,  the “Family” – lately in the news for their members’ sexual peccadilloes – Grassley serves on the powerful Senate Finance committee, currently and supposedly working on a “bi-partisan” health care reform bill.   I say “supposedly”  because Grassley has continually drawn lines in the sand regarding the centerpiece of any reform legislation – the public option.  Could it be because he has taken over $2.5 million from the various health care lobbies?

Though Grassley’s corporate opposition has had me angry for weeks now, I at least appreciated that the man had a real ideological difference with my view (even though it seems to be bought and paid for).  Everyone knew that health care reform would be a real fight – we shouldn’t have expected anything else.  What I never anticipated, however, was the outright lies and scare tactics the right wing is using to cloud the debate.  The latest, and most outrageous, is the assertion that the advance directive counseling provisions in the House bill are there to euthanize senior citizens. 

Grassley was quick to denounce this lie when Sarah Palin wrote on Facebook that the plan would force her parents or handicapped son to stand in front of a “death panel” to determine if their lives were worth preserving.  Then yesterday, at a town hall meeting in Iowa, Grassley told his constituents that they had “every right to fear”  and that “We should not have a government program that determines if you’re going to pull the plug on grandma.”  The day after President Obama cited Grassley as a person “working hard for bi-partisanship”, Grassley sticks the knife in his back.  What dishonorable behavior.

Joan Walsh said at Salon.com today, “It’s wonderful that Medicare would pay for such consultations for people without the means to do it earlier under most plans Obama supports. And it’s beyond cruel and shameful that a service meant to empower a low- to middle-income Grandma or Grandpa who didn’t make prior plans is now being depicted as pulling the plug on her, or him. Grassley and his elitist buddies, liberal or conservative, should be deeply ashamed.”

Ashamed is right.  And the rest of us that believe that he should be need to get off our collective asses and do something about it.  First, call the White House to tell the President that it’s time to forget bipartisanship and cut these Republicans loose.  Use reconciliation if necessary, but get health care reform with a public option passed ASAP.  Then, write a letter to Senator Harry Reid and tell him to get off his chicken ass and begin censure proceedings against Grassley.  Copy and paste text is included below.  Finally, get in touch with Grassely’s 2010 Democratic opponent Bob Krause – who supports a public option in reform – and give him whatever support you can – even if it’s just words of support. 

Republicans love to quote the 10 Commandments.  They want them posted in courthouses, legislative chambers, and public schools.   Maybe they should remember the ninth commandment – Thou shall not bear false witness.  Bearing false witness, Mr. Grassley,  Christian Conservative, means lying.  Last I checked, you could go to hell for that.

CUT AND PASTE TEXT TO E-MAIL TO HARRY REID:

Dear Senator Reid:

   I am writing today to demand that, as leader of the U.S. Senate majority, you bring censure proceedings against Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa.  Yesterday, Senator Grassley told an audience at a town hall meeting in Iowa that the House health care reform bill will “pull the plug on Grandma”.  For a United States Senator to repeat such an obvious and horrible lie in a public meeting is beyond all reason.  It is a dishonorable act that brings shame on the entire U.S. Senate.

   There is too much at stake here to allow these lies to be placed before the public as facts.  The only reason any of these are being repeated is to frighten and confuse some of our most vulnerable citizens – our seniors.

   Censure is the only option this Senate has.