Task Took Two - Unlikely duo thrashed out tax cut bill (Grassley - the Rino)

Newsday ^ | 5/26/03 | James Toedtman

[I_Love_My_Husband]

One is a brainy, sharp-tongued, former professor with a personality like sandpaper. The other is a folksy, thrifty hog farmer from Iowa.

Together Bill Thomas, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and his counterpart, Senate Finance Committee chairman Charles Grassley - with a giant assist from Vice President Dick Cheney - squeezed and pulled for most of three working days to thrash out the economic stimulus and tax cut bill Congress narrowly passed last week.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Interesting article. There are still very good conservatives in California, this Bill Thomas sounds great! Grassley - the moderate(!) RINO! Yuck.

[steve50]

Grassly has been one of the few republicans who over the last few years has been concerned about the bloated budget and massive waste in DC. Far from a RINO/Cino, imo. He's one of the better republicans, at least spendingwise.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Did you read the article?

But Grassley's preoccupation was his commitment to keep the total package cost at $350 billion, the limit he had promised the moderates, including Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio)

If he's your rep you better rethink things.

[steve50]

I heard Grassly discuss DC finances for years, I'll take his word over most of the crew in DC. But then I'm one of those balanced budget, limited central government type conservatives. We don't seem to be very popular with the ruling faction of the party anymore.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

But Steve, it seems that the other guy, Bill Thomas wanted MORE cuts and Grassley put the brakes on it.

Hence my displeasure.

Do me a favor and read the article, then come back and we'll discuss more.

I don't know Grassley (familiar name, but I'm not familiar with him) or Thomas. The article was very interesting, but FReep rules say you can only excerpt Newsday.

Maybe you could explain something I missed in the article, but the article, imho, paints Grassley as being in the pockets of the RINO's like Voinovich.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I've followed Grassley's career since he was in the Iowa House of Representatives, the went on to take H. R. Gross's US House seat and now in the US Senate. He is a strong conservative--but recently, he's moved toward Bob Dole's "tax collector for the welfare state," mentality. He may be closer to Bob Ray and Terry Branstad...

[steve50]

One is a brainy, sharp-tongued, former professor with a personality like sandpaper. The other is a folksy, thrifty hog farmer from Iowa.

With a crooked smile, loose-fitting suits and frequently carrying folders of scribbled notes, Grassley does not show his wealth.

Hit piece is all it looks like to me. The faction running the GOP anymore doesn't like the old conservative party members.