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What standard will Chuck Grassley be held to?

August 25, 2009 10:41 am ET by Jamison Foser

For weeks, the punditocracy -- Chris Matthews and Jonathan Alter come immediately to mind -- have been saying liberals are foolish for insisting on the inclusion of a public plan in health care reform. Liberals, they say, are letting the perfect* be the enemy of the good, and risk getting nothing by insisting on everything*.

Well, here's Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, via today's Wall Street Journal:

Sen. Charles Grassley signaled growing skepticism about the likelihood of Democrat-led health-care legislation passing this year, telling a town-hall meeting here Monday, "Now is the time to do this right or not do it."

...

In an interview, he vowed not to vote for an "imperfect bill" that includes a public option or gives the government too much control over end-of-life issues.

I wonder if we'll see the same amount of media hand-wringing over Grassley's refusal to vote for what he considers an "imperfect bill."  Will he be denounced for being willing to do nothing at all rather than something he considers imperfect?  Will he be portrayed as stubborn and unyielding and reckless?

* Never mind that the public option is, for many liberals, neither "perfect" nor "everything," but a huge concession to the Right -- it isn't single-payer.

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    • Author by Ouroborus (August 25, 2009 10:52 am ET)
      1  
      Always remember that the definition of bipartisanship in this country is liberals making concessions while the Republicans give up no ground at all. The fact that the media reports these Party of No people as having any ideas beyond 'no reform' is a travesty.
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    • Author by The_Cat (August 25, 2009 11:09 am ET)
         
      He'll be held to the same standard that applies to everyone: IOKIYAR. The pundits on the right and the far right will applaud him for sticking to his principles, even if it means people die for lack of coverage. They will state, directly or indirectly, that it would be positively un-American to vote for 'death panels' or 'socialized medicine', without noting that neither of these things are actually being proposed.

      Glenn Beck is still on the air. They still refer to the 1/2 term quitter as 'Governor Palin'. That's all you have to know about 'standards' in the 'media'. I hope this is the straw that breaks the back of the liberal media myth...
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