Grassley: Obama budget step toward 'socialism'

President Obama's budget of tax hikes to pay for massive new spending programs is a "trend toward socialism" that will stifle a creative free market, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee said in an interview Monday.

Sen. Charles Grassley, Iowa Republican, also criticized the new president for going back on campaign promises to run an open and transparent government, citing Mr. Obama's use of a presidential "signing statement" on the recent stimulus law unilaterally cutting back protections for federal whistleblowers.

"I'm just telling you a president who said he was going to be the most transparent president, the most open president ought to stick with it," Mr. Grassley told reporters and editors at The Washington Times. The signing statement was "completely contrary to what he said in the campaign."

While saying he was open to working with the new president on key agenda items such as health care, the five-term conservative lawmaker directly attacked Mr. Obama on a number of fronts, from his handling of the economic crisis and relations with Congress to taking time to predict the winners of the college basketball tournament live on national television.

"We should just be asking the president to not be a showman, to be on ["Tonight Show host Jay] Leno or other things that detract from what he's doing, like bracketing the NCAA game. Those are distractions," he said.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/23/grassley-obama-budget-step-toward-socialism/print/