Sen. Grassley said "... I wouldn't buy a John Deere tractor" WTF? They're made in Iowa!

[SharonAnn]

I didn't catch what he said just before that, but I clearly heard him finish with the phrase "I wouldn't buy a John Deere tractor."

For heaven's sake, these are his constituents whose jobs are at stake in the John Deere tractor factories.

I can't imagine what he could have said before that for the phrase "I wouldn't buy a John Deere tractor" to be acceptable.

Maybe the Iowans should have a senator who represents their interests?

[Common Sense Party]

1. Deere is based in Moline, IL.

I don't know what he was talking about, though.

[Venceremos]

3. They don't build the tractors in Moline

The Illinois plants build hydraulic cylinders, combines, and other heavy equipment/farm machinery (my brother-in-law works at the East Moline JD factory).

The Waterloo, Iowa factory builds tractors so Grassley is being an idiot. Although the JD tractors are more expensive, you'd think he'd be more supportive of a product built in his home state.

[madokie]

8. grassley is a repuke

Nothing else for me to know about him, he's trash. Starting to smell too that pile of shit is

[Critters2]

18. Deere has factories in Waterloo and Cedar Rapids.

It actually employs more people in Iowa than in Illinois.

[Common Sense Party]

24. I guess I remember the one in Waterloo, now that you mention it

But there's a Deere factory in Cedar Rapids? I never heard of that. Granted, I've been gone 20 years.

[SpiralHawk]

2. "It's part of our plan to make America FAIL. Smirk." - Republicon Homelanders

"We are the experts at FAIL. Shock & awe, baby. Smirk."

- Rush 'DraftDodger' Limbaugh & Republicon Homelanders

[elocs]

4. The Bible also says, "there is no God". Full quote, context.

A partial quote can be made to mean anything.

[Winterblues]

15. The selective use of "truth" can be a powerful force for propaganda

Just ask Limbaugh or Hannity or any of the right wing talk show hosts. Doesn't make what they say in any way the "truth" though.

[hootinholler]

5. Maybe he's only a MF?

Massey Ferguson. What were you thinking?

-Hoot

[Lex]

6. The Repubs are really in melt-down mode.

They have no idea what to say or do right now.

[bdamomma]

9. that's what happens when they have people

like Limbaugh, Palin and Joe the Plumber giving them their cues. What a miserable bunch of people.

They just do not care about the American people, nothing new.

[Lex]

11. and no real core principles--just reactionary talking points

that's why they are so lost

for instance, when Bush was President, you never heard them worry about federal spending

[Ikonoklast]

7. He must be a CaseIH guy.

One thing for sure is never, ever get into a discussion about farm tractors or implements with those that use them.

Those people are true zealots.

Religion is a safer subject.

[Sal Minella]

14. Yes. The Red Farm (Case-IH) vs. Green Farm (Deere) partisanship makes Repub-Dem face-offs

look like a Sunday-school picnic.

[Critters2]

23. My dad still talks about the trepidation he felt when he had to go home

and tell my John Deere-loving grandfather that he had accepted his first full-time engineering job...with Case! :rofl:

[Sal Minella]

25. My beloved father-in-law (who said his old red M didn't owe him a nickel) called

the Deeres "poppin' Johnnies" because they tended to backfire so much. Or so he said.

Did your grandfather decide the "good" of having a job outbalanced the "bad" of working for Case?

[Critters2]

26. Yeah. My grandfather came around. Finally even bought one of the

bailers my dad designed. Last piece of equipment he ever bought. But I'll bet it was hard for him!

[Sal Minella]

28. I'll bet it WAS hard for him, but he did it. Thanks for making me smile.

[tangent90]

10. Maybe before that he said "If I worked for Kubota..."

:shrug:

[Oceansaway]

12. yeah, Waterloo,Des Moines,Dubuque,

Ottumwa,and Davenport (where i worked) are all Iowa towns with Deere factorys

Grassley needs to be retired....soon...

i was hoping Vilsack would run against him...but he got a cabinet post with PBO...

[Critters2]

20. I didn't know Davenport has a Deere factory.

I grew up there. My dad worked for Case, at their Bettendorf plant, as a design engineer.

[Oceansaway]

27. it's out by Mt.Joy (rural Davenport) across

HWY 61 from the old CAT plant...it's their Industrial Division

[Bluzmann57]

13. Was it on C-Span?

I ask because I am enraged by that remark and plan on calling his office. But it would be nice to cite a source or two. I would also like to contact the County and State Democrats about his insanity. See, for some reason, Grassley is well liked in Iowa. Why? I don't know, but it may have something to do with his alleged "grandfatherly" image. He cuts his own grass, according to his campaign ads. You'd think with his money, he could afford to hire someone and help stimulate the economy.

[lamp_shade]

16. Chuckie seems terribly childish lately. I wonder if he's okay.

[90-percent]

17. from my american manufacturing lens

John Deere and Caterpillar are among those American Manufacturers that generally do a great job on their corporate mission.

Good market shsre, good quality, good foresite, good corporate governing, treats their workers relatively nice. They still operate the old, obsolete, non-Harvard MBA business model: Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door.

Cummins Deisel is in this category, along with many others.

I work for an international machine tool builder and get to see what goes on with companies like these on the inside. Now and then. I'm in Ct and these companies are midwest.

Anyway, MSM makes it seem like USA basic fundamental manufacturing no longer exists. I'm here to tell you it's still out there plugging away. It's just not sexy enough for MSM to pay any attention!

-90% jimmy

[tangent90]

19. Good points, all. Our little company manufactures specialty lens grinding machinery

not like dvd players that everybody buys. Japan is one of our best markets and has been for years. They could easily
reverse-engineer our stuff and build it themselves but they're not interested in the tiny (relatively) customer base, they would
rather just buy ours and use it to make a billion cameras to sell. :-)

[PVnRT]

22. CAT is starting to lay workers off, though...

The lack of loans for capital projects and construction is starting to take its toll on them, which is a shame.

[DireStrike]

21. I can imagine a phrase that would change the meaning

Several, in fact.

"If John Deere supported terrorists..."
"If John Deere outsourced all their operations..."
"If John Deere didn't make the fine American product that it does..."

[fishwax]

29. I guess he wants to send John Deere a Dear John

Maybe it's because their models are always green

But seriously, that's an odd thing for an Iowa senator to say :wtf: