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rurallib

(63,172 posts)
Thu Feb 18, 2016, 08:59 PM Feb 2016

Went to a Grassley town hall today. The guy won't give a straight answer

He was confronted by several in the audience on allowing a vote on a SCOTUS nominee. We got several versions of a lecture on the process. When asked directly if he would let a vote take place we got one more lecture on Obama's role and the role of the Senate and how he and Leahy and Schumer work together.

Some young folks when asking kept interrupting to turn him back to their question and he gave them a lecture on manners and how Q&A worked. One young lady was really frustrated.

He did accidentally say there would be no vote on the TPP before the election. It may be in the local paper. My friend and I looked at each other in amazement.

Other subjects included climate change caused by humans (evasive answer), social security (lecture on the current state of the system and how Reagan handled it), on and on - no answers just some general answers sort of related to the question.

When he was called on his non-answers (about 4 times) he got into a snit, said he was answering and then continued his mental wanderings.

Probably great theater if you're a Republican.

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Went to a Grassley town hall today. The guy won't give a straight answer (Original Post) rurallib Feb 2016 OP
They're caught in their own bullshit. madaboutharry Feb 2016 #1
and to be honest - I doubt a one of them gives a fuck rurallib Feb 2016 #2
If Bernie Sanders wins, they WILL approve Obama's nominee in December. cascadiance Feb 2016 #3
+1 daleanime Feb 2016 #4
Grassley is kind of a footstool. saltpoint Feb 2016 #5
and that gets him a lot of votes rurallib Feb 2016 #6
Yep. He kind of slips into that Green Acres saltpoint Feb 2016 #7
That's the scary part. progressoid Feb 2016 #9
In 2012 I thought he had a diminished mental capacity. IADEMO2004 Feb 2016 #8
Is this it? progressoid Feb 2016 #10
looks almost exactly like the one I went to rurallib Feb 2016 #11
Pasture faye Feb 2016 #12
I would say it was like we were in two different worlds rurallib Feb 2016 #13
That's where he needs to go. 47of74 Feb 2016 #14
One problem Bluzmann57 Feb 2016 #15

rurallib

(63,172 posts)
2. and to be honest - I doubt a one of them gives a fuck
Thu Feb 18, 2016, 09:04 PM
Feb 2016

they need to lose elections, but our populace fed corporate news (and NPR) never sees beyond the shallow headlines.

 

cascadiance

(19,537 posts)
3. If Bernie Sanders wins, they WILL approve Obama's nominee in December.
Thu Feb 18, 2016, 09:09 PM
Feb 2016

Mark it down. Unless Obama goes completely against my expectations and nominates a total radical, they know they would be doomed if they don't approve Obama's pick, and then give Bernie a chance to nominate another pick instead of Obama. And they know Obama's pick will likely be less of a problem for them than Bernie's pick later.

They won't approve anyone before the election in hopes that a Republican congress and president are elected, but that doesn't seem too likely.

They will do that if they don't get too busy trying to get TPP passed then with Obama to sign it, as opposed to Bernie vetoing it in 2017.

saltpoint

(50,986 posts)
5. Grassley is kind of a footstool.
Thu Feb 18, 2016, 09:27 PM
Feb 2016

He doesn't seem sentient enough to be human.

I've never thought of him as much of a thinker. But of course a footstool doesn't have to do any thinking.



saltpoint

(50,986 posts)
7. Yep. He kind of slips into that Green Acres
Thu Feb 18, 2016, 09:33 PM
Feb 2016

thing he does and I guess Republicans lap it up.

It's a damn shame we lost the Senate. We need it back as soon as possible.

progressoid

(50,734 posts)
9. That's the scary part.
Fri Feb 19, 2016, 12:31 AM
Feb 2016

I can't believe the support he gets from voters in this state.

He'll be 83 this year. Got to think that his diminished capacity and his increasingly crazy views will have an effect during the election.

IADEMO2004

(5,869 posts)
8. In 2012 I thought he had a diminished mental capacity.
Thu Feb 18, 2016, 09:50 PM
Feb 2016

Answered fewer questions and promised to get back to people with answers later. Years before he could explain his position on an issue. We followed his town hall meetings in 2009 & 2010 pushing him on the a ACA but it was a waste of time. His last words before the final vote. "I won't vote against my party"

rurallib

(63,172 posts)
11. looks almost exactly like the one I went to
Fri Feb 19, 2016, 08:11 AM
Feb 2016

different room same words.

He could have saved us a lot of time and taken out some ads where there is an voice over that says "And now a message from your Senator, Chuck Grassley" followed by 30 seconds of an extended middle finger.

rurallib

(63,172 posts)
13. I would say it was like we were in two different worlds
Fri Feb 19, 2016, 11:21 AM
Feb 2016

there was palpable tension in the audience. But Grassley seemed to be floating over the room unaware that there was concern, almost as if he had taken a drug or something to put him in another world.

 

47of74

(18,470 posts)
14. That's where he needs to go.
Fri Feb 19, 2016, 01:09 PM
Feb 2016

It's important for the people of Iowa to vote him out there this fall.

Bluzmann57

(12,336 posts)
15. One problem
Sun Feb 21, 2016, 05:36 PM
Feb 2016

Who is there to take his place? Grassley is as close to undefeatable as any Senator anywhere, unfortunately. And I don't see a strong Democratic candidate to beat him right now. My suggestion is Tom Vilsack but who knows if he even wants to try?

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