Health Care Reform Obstruction

Just how much of an obstruction to healthcare reform is Senator Charles Grassley? And why is Max Baucus giving him that much sway? These are questions raised in my mind after reading this post from Matt Yglesias.

I think it’s right to say that one of the important dynamics in the health care fight is that even though Chuck Grassley is up for re-election in 2010 he doesn’t seem to have a serious Democratic challenger.

[snip]

Instead, the only thing Grassley has to worry about is a primary challenge from the right. Which means that the only thing Grassley has to do to secure his tenure in office is obstruct health care reform. Which wouldn’t necessarily be so bad, but Max Baucus appears determined to get Grassley’s support for reform. Which, in the presence of pressure from the right and the absence of pressure from the left, is almost certainly impossible.