Anyone but Grassley

I disagree with the Des Moines Register’s endorsement of Senator Grassley because he has abandoned the integrity which has persuaded me to vote for him in the past regardless of where he and I have stood on issues.  During the 2010 debates on health care, he claimed to be earnestly pursuing compromise with his more liberal colleagues with whom he disagreed, but he later admitted that he had merely been slowing things down in an attempt to kill the proposed legislation entirely.  During this time, he repeatedly and unashamedly voiced his opposition to “pulling the plug on Grandma,” feeding a common misunderstanding among less informed voters that the legislation being considered would do just that.  This reminded one of the notorious “Weapons of Mass Destruction” or “WMDs” of the GW Bush years:  if you say anything often enough, some people will come to believe it.

Grassley has defended his recent pattern of voting against nominees to judicial positions merely because they were nominated by our Democratic president by saying he believes Democrats were guilty of doing the same.  This is the pot calling the kettle black!  If he decries what he truly believes to be despicable behavior by his opponents, why would he imitate them?  Not because he believes it is the right thing to do!

Grassley’s abandonment of integrity in these matters reminds one of former New York Governor Elliot Spitzer, whose rise to that office was largely accomplished by his effective prosecution of dishonest securities dealings while serving as Attorney General of New York.  Having established himself as a person of impeccable integrity, he was utterly disgraced by revelations of his patronizing high-priced prostitutes while claiming to be a faithful husband.  Spitzer’s indiscretions were considered exceedingly egregious precisely because of his reputation for great integrity, just as Grassley’s misguided partisanship during the last two years contrasts so sharply with his prior reputation for being a politician of extraordinary integrity.

Given the change in Grassley’s devotion to his constituents, my vote is going to Conlon.  Not only is she bright and competent, she is not Charles Grassley.  

Vander Platts' Complaint

Bob Vander Platts with no timidity

scorns the court which with unanimity

says Iowa’s constitution protects

the rights of us all in certain respects

including those of Tom, Dick and Harry

to choose whomever they want to marry.

It’s true that most marriages work like this:

A woman and man enjoy wedded bliss.

That works well for Bob so he wants to say

that everyone else must do it his way.

But that’s where the constitution comes in

prohibiting laws that make it a sin

for some to have different priorities

than those of Bob’s vocal majorities.

Still VanderPlatts  says that he’ll take a pass

on this ruling by the bad ruling class.

Fact is, regardless of how it irks Bob,

the judges were only doing their job.