Sen. Chuck Grassley says that President Barack Obama has "got nerve" to go sightseeing in Paris while telling lawmakers it's time to deliver on a health-care overhaul.
Sen. 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 senator issued two angry "tweets" Sunday morning as the president wrapped up an overseas tour.
For months Mr. 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.
Sen. 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 Sen. 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."
Sen. 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.
Despite strong opposition from most Republicans to one of Mr. Obama's key goals for a health-care bill -- the inclusion of a new government insurance plan to compete with private insurers – Sens. Baucus and Grassley hold out hope that they can find a bipartisan solution.
Here's my message to Obama: stp gvng in'views, blmn n plyin & lrn how 2 lead.
A Grassley spokeswoman verified that the senator was the author of the messages.
Asked to respond to Sen. 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."
Sen. 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.
Despite strong opposition from most Republicans to one of Mr. Obama's key goals for a health-care bill -- the inclusion of a new government insurance plan to compete with private insurers – Sens. Baucus and Grassley hold out hope that they can find a bipartisan solution.
Here's my message to Obama: stp gvng in'views, blmn n plyin & lrn how 2 lead.
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