Chuck Grassley has done a fantastic job of exceeding expectations for being a hack of politician, even for a Republican, through the HIR debate. He continues to do this so shamlessly that you almost have to admire him for it. Anybody who was paying attention to the debate last year remembers Grassley's role: he was key in the Baucus debacle, on of the elusive Republican votes in Baucus's little gang, on the one hand holding out his potential vote and on the other squawking about "death panels.
Then last month, Mr. Death Panels started taking credit for the bill he fought so hard to kill. And he's still at it. From Think Progress:
Now, Grassley’s office has issued another release, highlighting how the new law would help Medicare beneficiaries in rural Iowa:
Q: What’s the impact of Americans living stronger and longer?
A: Americans are living stronger and longer as nutrition and medical technology improve. According to the Administration on Aging, one out of every eight Americans is age 65 and over. That number will jump to one out of five Americans by 2030….Making sure doctors are available to Medicare patients is another challenge for policy makers. When doctors in states like Iowa are not fairly reimbursed for their services, it makes it difficult to recruit doctors and it makes it a challenge for them to keep their doors open to new Medicare patients. I worked successfully to improve Medicare payments to doctors in rural states like Iowa and, in turn, access for beneficiaries, as part of the health care reform enacted this year. I’ve previously won passage of legislation to help hospitals in rural America keep their doors open.
Grassley, of course, also supports legal efforts to deem the bill unconstitutional.