Obama Selects Hatch for Health Care Committee, Despite his Recent Raciest Remarks.

Monday, June 15, 2009, 4:44
Iowa, National, Top Story
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9 comments

hatch-and-biden1 If you’re a radio talk show host that calls female basketball players “nappy headed hos,” Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson will create enough public pressure to see to it that you lose your job. On the other hand, if you are a State Senator who is so passionate about socialized medicine, that you stomp right into the House chambers and tell a black legislator, “They are treating us like [n-words], like masters and slaves,” you end up with a key White House appointment from America’s first African-American president.

The latter is exactly what has happened to Democrat State Senator Jack Hatch, who dropped the n-word on the floor of the Iowa House this April. The last week, President Obama selected Sen. Hatch to lead a group of state legislators from all across the country who will advise the Obama administration on how to provide socialized medicine to all Americans.

At the time of Hatch’s incident, some Democratic legislators said that, had a Republican made a similar statement, the reaction would have been very different. It became obvious that Hatch’s Democratic colleagues tried to sweep the incident under the rug quickly, but the thought that America’s first African-American President would appoint someone with a recent history of flying off the handle and using racial slurs is simply inconceivable.

So, does that mean that maybe President Obama doesn’t know that Sen. Hatch used racial slurs on the floor of the Iowa House less than three months ago? Or maybe Obama does know and doesn’t care. Having been involved in a number of Presidential events in the past, I know that the roster of speakers is closely vetted. It’s probably safe to say that President Obama is aware, but wants Hatch to serve anyway.

While Hatch’s selection to serve on a committee like this wouldn’t be a surprise if he hadn’t used a racial slur a few months ago, he’s not just serving as a member of a committee, he’s the chairman of the group. There will be some who say that the reason Hatch was selected to lead the group is because of his passion on the issue of health care reform. But, let’s be honest. President Obama selected Hatch to lead the group for only one reason, so a fellow Iowan could attack Senator Grassley for opposing Obama’s move towards socialized medicine.

Hatch hasn’t even been to the White House yet, and he’s already attacking Grassley. During a taping of Iowa Press this weekend Hatch said, “In Iowa, it’s kind of ironic that we’re moving so close to a universal healthcare system, and one of our senators who is in a critical position, Senator Grassley, in Washington is opposed to the one element that would really reduce the cost of healthcare. And we really need Senator Grassley to take a look at the public options a little bit more carefully, and he has to change his mind. Otherwise he’s standing in the way of real reform.”

Hatch was selected because the Obama Administration needed somebody to start beating up Senator Grassley for opposing the socialized medicine scheme. One would think that Iowa’s other U.S. Senator would do Obama’s dirty work for him, but it is rare for federal office holders from the same state to tussle over issues publically. Such actions would be considered unbecoming of a United States Senator. So instead, they summon Sen. Jack Hatch, flaws included, to be their attack dog.

Iowans might have to keep their eye on Hatch. A high profile fight with Senator Grassley could somehow morph into a U.S. Senate campaign. Sure, it seems almost laughable, but if you can use the n-word on the floor of the Iowa House and get appointed to a key White House committee a few months later, anything’s possible.

Tags: Health Care, Jack Hatch, Obama, Racial Slur

About the Author

Craig Robinson has written 700 stories on this site.

Craig Robinson serves as the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheIowaRepublican.com. Prior to founding Iowa's largest conservative news site, Robinson served as the Political Director of the Republican Party of Iowa during the 2008 Iowa Caucuses. In that capacity, Robinson planned and organized the largest political event in 2007, the Iowa Straw Poll, in Ames, Iowa. Robinson also organized the 2008 Republican caucuses in Iowa, and was later dispatched to Nevada to help with the caucuses there. Robinson cut his teeth in Iowa politics during the 2000 caucus campaign of businessman Steve Forbes and has been involved with most major campaigns in the state since then. His extensive political background and rolodex give him a unique perspective from which to monitor the political pulse of Iowa.

9 Comments on “Obama Selects Hatch for Health Care Committee, Despite his Recent Raciest Remarks.”

Deace voted for Obama wrote on 15 June, 2009, 6:35
Are Democrats hypocrites? Nah, couldn’t be. Rules are only for Republicans.
Peggy wrote on 15 June, 2009, 7:36
Nothing trumps allegiance to liberalism. Nothing.
Al Swearengen wrote on 15 June, 2009, 8:51
Iowa’s Most Racist Senator is a real piece of work. I am talking about him over in the Saloon today too..
Christine Danielson wrote on 15 June, 2009, 10:09
The more we attack Republicans, the more power we give Jack Hatch…(Peggy)
Hill88 wrote on 16 June, 2009, 7:37
I have to agree with Christine. The hatchet job on hatch is inflamatory. Every Republican and democrat in Des Moines knows the guy is not a racist, he got slapped by his fellow Dems for pushing the right buttons. Mr. President picked the guy because he can talk circles around everyone on healthcare. One of the reasons we are “in the minority,” is because of dumb attacks like this. Jeeeeezzzz when are we going to learn???? Is this the best we can do???
Deace voted for Obama wrote on 16 June, 2009, 7:43
Uh, talk about Hatchet jobs, what about your side doing a huge hatchet job on Bush.

Bush is looking better every day since we got this dangerous man in the WH. Bring back Bush and shame on everyone who voted for the would-be dictator for president.

Republican attacks are nothing compared to Democrat attacks and if they work for Democrats, why not Republicans? Attack!!! Keep it up. This is the truth and everyone with a brain knows it.
DeanFox wrote on 16 June, 2009, 17:30
I am becoming more and more concerned lately that we have all fallen into this trap of twisting words or taking the occasion of very poor taste into efforts to destroy or silence people we dislike politically.

This is a trick that used to only be used by liberals but it seems more and more self identified conservatives are more than happy to engage in the same behavior. The recent dust up over bad jokes by David Letterman is a great example. You know it wasn’t that long ago that Imus made the nappy headed comment and liberals wanted him fired and got their way. Now there are groups out there trying to get Letterman fired. I would have to agree the jokes were in very poor taste but I am not real keen on trying to silence Dave over them by trumped up efforts from some talk show hosts for example.

Similarly with this episode with Jack Hatch. I think his judgment that day was severely lacking in spite of what he may have really meant but I also hate to see people making mountains over mole hills on this.

I frankly don’t know Jack Hatch, never met the guy don’t have a clue what is in his heart and therefore I don’t know if he is or is not a racist. I suspect neither does anyone else who has called him a racist on here. I am just uncomfortable enough with the thought police like tactics of wanting to brandish the racist term around for political reasons I wouldn’t be caught publishing in about someone else unless I was damn sure.

But that is just me, I have made it a point to apply critical thinking to everything and not see things only through my political lenses’ so maybe that is affecting me here. I think it is a cowardly tactic though to toss these stop words around. What I mean by that is words such as racist, sexist, bigot and homophobe are words often used in the political arena to stop the free flow of ideas not encourage it. Branding someone one of those things usually is done to back them down and shut them up and I find that troubling.

Unless any of you know what is really in Mr. Hatch’s heart I fail to see how you can call him a racist or call his speech racist. It was stupid, on that we can agree but that is as far as I would go and since Obama makes saying stupid and uninformed things a daily habit like giving the Iranian elections glowing reviews prior to his sudden realization that they may have been rigged, who would have thunk that, I fail to see why some politician who says stupid stuff is not qualified to be in his administration. Look, he has Biden as his VP after all and most of the others in the cabinet are too stupid to pay taxes properly so maybe Hatch is a good fit after all.
Peggy wrote on 16 June, 2009, 22:06
If anybody can translate whatever point it is the fictitious Christine Danielson is trying to make in her post, I’m all ears.
DeanFox wrote on 17 June, 2009, 11:23
Peggy,

She is saying if we keep attacking Republicans maybe Obama will grand Jack Hatch sub-God powers to help him lord over life the universe and everything. Sometimes being God is a lonely task and even Obama might like some help.

Does that work for you?

If so say 6 hail Barry’s and sin no more.