Fellow Iowans, did any of you catch Grassley today on NPR "Talk of Iowa?"

[Skidmore]

He was on ahead of the President's speech tonight. Host pushed him on whether he supported Perry's statements about Social Security being a lie and a Ponzi scheme, and he said he did not. A surprise in and of itself.

He was doing some fancy footwork on the issue of raising taxes on the wealthy by implying that it would be a huge tax raise next year on the majority of Americans. He also kept talking about Congress as "they," as if he was not a part of the organization for several decades. He also said farm subsidies should be on the table right there with entitlement programs and went on to say that there was really only one legislator he knew of who would vote to end Social Security and that he knew of no one else who would vote to so.

Now either he's blowing smoke or some new line of BS is about to be peddled on behalf of Rs which teabaggers would likely not get behind.

Just interested in your take on this program if you heard it.

[OHdem10]

1. Just a reminder: Even Paul Ryan was extremely careful to keep

SS away from his Ending Medicare as we know it.

Ryan knew not to play around with SS.

[Sal Minella]

2. Grassley admitted he's collecting SS himself --

"because I paid into it all those years" -- but in almost the same breath he called it "an insurance program" -- I always wonder if people who think like this eventually set fire to their homes to collect on the fire insurance just because "I paid into it all those years."

My understanding of SS is that people who can afford not to claim benefits are expected to forego claiming benefits. Irks the daylights out of me that somebody as well-to-do as Grassley (thanks in large part to farm subsidy payments, which he is notoriously sensitive about) collect SS when they don't need it.

And it was cute, when asked about raising taxes on the wealthy, he went immediately to small businesses who take in only $250,000 a year and what a hardship it would be for them to pay higher taxes (as though letting the **** Bush tax cuts expire = "raising taxes.") --

I wish the host had followed up with a question on WHY a man whose income is $350 MILLION a year pays income taxes at the same rate (or much much less) as the guy whose income is $350 THOUSAND a year -- I really wish the host had grabbed that one and run with it.

[rurallib]

3. missed it but will try to do a pod cast

[rurallib]

4. Ok - I am listening now and about ready to throw my computer

what a lying sack of shit.
I will hang in there and try to make it through.
"cut taxes, cut taxes" Jesus effing Buddha what an asshole.

ETA - OK i listened - what a lying sack of shit.
- Here is a video from Thom Hartmann saying he wanted to privatize SS back in 2005
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YyAq1Ud5IE

[Skidmore]

5. Isn't he, though?

Ole Lawnmowerman has stuck his finger in the air and tested the wind. He's blowing where it lists.