Grassley to run again
Funny thing: Nobody asked him that during stops Monday
By Tim Gallagher Journal staff writer | Posted: Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Ray Kruger of Cherokee, Iowa, speaks with U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, a New Hartford Republican, following Grassley's town hall meeting at the Aurelia Community Center in Aurelia, Iowa, on Monday. (Photo by Tim Gallagher)
STORM LAKE, Iowa -- Sen. Chuck Grassley, the most popular Republican -- or political leader of any stripe -- in Iowa, began a tour of Northwest Iowa counties Monday with stops in Storm Lake, Aurelia and Le Mars.
As you read this today, the working farmer (one of only two in the U.S. Senate) has already conducted a Sioux City town meeting and is headed for Anthon, a small town in Woodbury County. He'll return to Sioux City for a tour of Sadex later today.
I followed him through two stops Monday and was surprised nobody asked of his re-election plans. For the record, he is up for election in 2010. And, yes, he plans to run again.
The Iowans I listened to Monday are more concerned about events of the day, things like Grassley's farm near New Hartford (200 acres flooded), taxes, Iraq and ethanol.
Maybe 2010 is just too far off. Maybe everyone assumes he will run again, even though he'd be 76 when his next term begins. He said he's happy and healthy.
"I have no complaints," said Grassley.
Well, not everything is rosy. Grassley went to the floor of the Senate on Wednesday to plead with or blast Kwik Star, the convenience store chain that announced plans it was pulling out of New Hartford following the tornado of May 25 and the devastating June flood.
Kwik Star in New Hartford is where Grassley purchased his gas and peanuts for years. He said he was 1 1/2 miles from the tornado when it struck northeast Iowa five weeks ago.
"Kwik Star after 22 years is going to abandon New Hartford," said Grassley, now in his 28th year in the Senate. "If any of you have any connection to Kwik Star in LaCrosse (Wis.), call them."
His takers in Storm Lake, he said, would be treated to dinner with him -- and on him -- in Washington.
Mother Nature also knocked out a diesel business and a 75-year-old hardware store in New Hartford, population 659. Neither business will rebuild.
If businesses such as Kwik Star don't see value in rebuilding, why should residents of Grassley's hometown?
On another front, disaster response seems to have improved. Although the federal response to Hurricane Katrina three years ago fell flat, things in Iowa have gone better. Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Grassley, are more professional. Gone is the "Brownie, you're doing a helluva job," statement by President Bush that became a national punch line in 2005.
"I am satisfied that not only is FEMA doing better... I feel that the conglomeration you saw on TV after Katrina isn't there," he said.
There were other topics:
* Energy: Grassley is in favor of drilling for oil domestically. He said the debate breaks down along party lines, with Democrats opposed to more drilling. Grassley also favors more incentive programs for those who conserve energy and extending tax credits for development of alternative forms of energy, such as wind and solar power.
"I'll vote for more drilling. I'd rather keep that $140 per barrel in the U.S. Why send that money to Arabs who might fund and train terrorists?" he asked.
* Taxes: Grassley seeks to keep taxes at 18 to 19 percent in a 40-year average, a level that he contends won't limit job growth. He worries taxes will soar if Democrat Barack Obama is elected and subsequently allows the Bush tax cuts to expire.
(In two hours of talks, these issues -- domestic drilling, tax cuts and one line about the Supreme Court nominees -- were the only times Grassley noted his division with Democrats.)
* Ethanol: Grassley disagrees with Republican John McCain that the ethanol industry shouldn't receive tax incentives. On TV, said Grassley, he noticed McCain indicated he's for tax incentives for the wind and solar concerns but not ethanol. "That is inconsistent," he said.
"I think as president, he (McCain) obviously would have ethanol as part of his energy policy," Grassley said.
While critics bemoan the ripple effect ethanol has had on soaring livestock feed costs, Grassley quoted an Iowa State University study that concluded fuel would be 30 cents higher without the presence of the corn-based fuel as a choice for consumers at the pump.
Ethanol, he added, is merely the first generation in the switch from oil. Soon, he said, we'll make fuel from grasses and lessen our dependence on foreign oil.
* Iraq: "Iraq wants us there to finish the job," said Grassley. "Since April, they've done a lot more on their own."
Grassley said our work in that part of the world is to promote democracies and cut down on the training of terrorists who want to harm us.
* His lawnmower: The homemade lawnmower featured in a popular TV ad for Grassley in 2004 survived the twister this spring. The riding mower, you might recall, tows two push mowers that allow Grassley to widen his path.
"The mower is fine and he's still using it," a spokesperson for Grassley told me.
As you read this today, the working farmer (one of only two in the U.S. Senate) has already conducted a Sioux City town meeting and is headed for Anthon, a small town in Woodbury County. He'll return to Sioux City for a tour of Sadex later today.
I followed him through two stops Monday and was surprised nobody asked of his re-election plans. For the record, he is up for election in 2010. And, yes, he plans to run again.
The Iowans I listened to Monday are more concerned about events of the day, things like Grassley's farm near New Hartford (200 acres flooded), taxes, Iraq and ethanol.
Maybe 2010 is just too far off. Maybe everyone assumes he will run again, even though he'd be 76 when his next term begins. He said he's happy and healthy.
"I have no complaints," said Grassley.
Well, not everything is rosy. Grassley went to the floor of the Senate on Wednesday to plead with or blast Kwik Star, the convenience store chain that announced plans it was pulling out of New Hartford following the tornado of May 25 and the devastating June flood.
Kwik Star in New Hartford is where Grassley purchased his gas and peanuts for years. He said he was 1 1/2 miles from the tornado when it struck northeast Iowa five weeks ago.
"Kwik Star after 22 years is going to abandon New Hartford," said Grassley, now in his 28th year in the Senate. "If any of you have any connection to Kwik Star in LaCrosse (Wis.), call them."
His takers in Storm Lake, he said, would be treated to dinner with him -- and on him -- in Washington.
Mother Nature also knocked out a diesel business and a 75-year-old hardware store in New Hartford, population 659. Neither business will rebuild.
If businesses such as Kwik Star don't see value in rebuilding, why should residents of Grassley's hometown?
On another front, disaster response seems to have improved. Although the federal response to Hurricane Katrina three years ago fell flat, things in Iowa have gone better. Officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Grassley, are more professional. Gone is the "Brownie, you're doing a helluva job," statement by President Bush that became a national punch line in 2005.
"I am satisfied that not only is FEMA doing better... I feel that the conglomeration you saw on TV after Katrina isn't there," he said.
There were other topics:
* Energy: Grassley is in favor of drilling for oil domestically. He said the debate breaks down along party lines, with Democrats opposed to more drilling. Grassley also favors more incentive programs for those who conserve energy and extending tax credits for development of alternative forms of energy, such as wind and solar power.
"I'll vote for more drilling. I'd rather keep that $140 per barrel in the U.S. Why send that money to Arabs who might fund and train terrorists?" he asked.
* Taxes: Grassley seeks to keep taxes at 18 to 19 percent in a 40-year average, a level that he contends won't limit job growth. He worries taxes will soar if Democrat Barack Obama is elected and subsequently allows the Bush tax cuts to expire.
(In two hours of talks, these issues -- domestic drilling, tax cuts and one line about the Supreme Court nominees -- were the only times Grassley noted his division with Democrats.)
* Ethanol: Grassley disagrees with Republican John McCain that the ethanol industry shouldn't receive tax incentives. On TV, said Grassley, he noticed McCain indicated he's for tax incentives for the wind and solar concerns but not ethanol. "That is inconsistent," he said.
"I think as president, he (McCain) obviously would have ethanol as part of his energy policy," Grassley said.
While critics bemoan the ripple effect ethanol has had on soaring livestock feed costs, Grassley quoted an Iowa State University study that concluded fuel would be 30 cents higher without the presence of the corn-based fuel as a choice for consumers at the pump.
Ethanol, he added, is merely the first generation in the switch from oil. Soon, he said, we'll make fuel from grasses and lessen our dependence on foreign oil.
* Iraq: "Iraq wants us there to finish the job," said Grassley. "Since April, they've done a lot more on their own."
Grassley said our work in that part of the world is to promote democracies and cut down on the training of terrorists who want to harm us.
* His lawnmower: The homemade lawnmower featured in a popular TV ad for Grassley in 2004 survived the twister this spring. The riding mower, you might recall, tows two push mowers that allow Grassley to widen his path.
"The mower is fine and he's still using it," a spokesperson for Grassley told me.
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Used to like Grassley wrote on Jul 1, 2008 8:35 PM: