Before this week, I had never heard Senator Charles Grassley speak – on anything. In the last few days, though, I’ve been sent a number of emails about him being a “strong 10th Amendment supporter.” Skeptical of any Senator in DC actually supporting the Constitution in a meaningful way, I browsed around YouTube and found what must’ve incited the onslaught of emails about him. It was a clip called “Sen. Grassley: Health Overhaul Violates 10th Amendment.”

Title: Good.

Before the 1:30 mark, he had this to say:

“This is the first time in the 222 year history of our country that we have forced you as a constituent – any of our constituents – to buy a product…..And if you don’t buy it, IRS is gonna tax a family $1500.”

Interesting comment. Ok, I’m listening.

He’s then asked a question: “Is this Constitutional – forcing them to buy it and punishing them through the IRS if they don’t?”

His response

“Uh…I’m not a lawyer …”

Alert: Politician Code Word.

Whenever you hear a politician talk about the Constitutionality of something by saying “I’m not a lawyer,” what they’re really saying is “I’m weak and won’t take a stand on this.”

That’s pretty much what the rest of his response was – “blah blah blah, some lawyers have said it might be unconstitutional, blah blah blah”

So, I started to wonder a bit – what out there, does Chuck Grassley think is a “violation of the 10th Amendment.”

He sure doesn’t think that the largest-ever expansions of government-run health care since Medicare and Medicaid was a violation – in 2003 he and his republican buddies voted for both SCHIP and the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act. The latter is now projected to cost Americans over a trillion dollars.

I guess he likes government health care when a Republican is in charge.

And just a day later, he comes out and tells us that we need “national” laws for medical marijuana.

Where in the Constitution is that authority, Chuck?

He also voted in favor of the Patriot Act – and its renewal in 2006. In favor of No Child Left Behind and Real ID.

If I have to explain the problem with those, you’re on the wrong website.

The moral of the story? Almost no one in DC has any real respect for the 10th Amendment or the Constitution as a whole. If they say something about it that appears to be right – be wary – they’re probably just paying it lip service.

Grassley is no 10th Amendment supporter – he’s little more than a thug in a suit.