Grassley Scolds Obama on Twitter

Associated Press ^ | June 8, 2009

[reaganaut1]

Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley says that President Barack Obama "got nerve" to go sightseeing in Paris while telling lawmakers it's time to deliver on a health care overhaul.

Grassley, the top Republican on the Finance Committee, is key to any bipartisan health care deal. Using Twitter — the Internet-based social connection service allows users to send mass text messages called "tweets" — the Iowa Republican issued two angry "tweets" Sunday morning as the president wrapped up an overseas tour.

For months Obama had left the details of health care legislation to Congress, then inserted himself firmly into the debate in recent days, including using his weekly radio address Saturday to declare "it's time to deliver" on health reform.

Grassley's first tweet: "Pres Obama you got nerve while u sightseeing in Paris to tell us 'time to deliver' on health care. We still on skedul/even workinWKEND."

A short time later: "Pres Obama while u sightseeing in Paris u said 'time to delivr on healthcare' When you are a 'hammer' u think evrything is NAIL I'm no NAIL."

A Grassley spokeswoman verified that the senator was the author of the messages.

Asked to respond to Grassley's Twitter commentary, White House spokesman Reid Cherlin said: "President Obama is gratified that the Senate is working hard to bring a health reform bill to the floor on schedule. He looks forward to continuing his work with them upon his return from the commemoration of Allied heroism at D-Day."

Grassley's attitude is significant because any hope for bipartisan consensus on health care rests on an alliance between Grassley and Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont. The committee has been laboring to come up with a health care bill that Democrats and Republicans can support.

[reaganaut1]

Grassley may be right, but he still sounds like a stupid, illiterate, whining teenager.

[yankeedame]

Health care, baloney! How about that dutch uncle speach of his telling us we’re going to to sacrifice today for our children and grand-children’s glorious tomorrow. (You know, the same old smuck you hear in every socialist/communist country?)

[NordP]

Very easy to assume an ID on twitter. Very easy for the State Run Media to report a made up story...heck, the NYT does it every day!

Think more about the motive of a story/article you read in today's world, rather than the content.

[reaganaut1]

Ok, but the article says “A Grassley spokeswoman verified that the senator was the author of the messages.”

[hosepipe]

Democrats perform a bass Twarf when trying to Tweet..
could be because of all the Kool_Aid they drink..

[AliVeritas]

I don’t believe it, i’m going to view his twitter thread.

[IIntense]

A mirror in front of me would show the bewildered expression on my face. These comments on Twitter obviously were said by a semi-illiterate person.

What am I missing here?

[NordP]

Whoops...you are right. Grassley may come through for Conservatives, but in this incident, he is an idiot - sounded like a total whiner. We really need to get some new blood in Congress. I’m so tired of career politicians.

[Vision Thing]

You only have 140 characters per tweet, so you cram as much as you can into it, regardless of grammar.

[IIntense]

You only have 140 characters per tweet...

Thanks. Now I understand!

[ConservativeMan55]

bttt