Charles Grassley May Be Down, but He's Hardly Out

A poll earlier this week and a story in the New York Times suggest that five-term Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley is paying a political price for his role in the health care reform debate. However, matched against Democrat Bob Krause, a former state representative, Grassley comes out on top, 56 percent to 30 percent with 7 percent undecided, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Sept. 22.

Grassley is seen favorably by 68 percent of Iowans and unfavorably by 30 percent. The most significant figure on this measure for Krause is that 37 percent of respondents don't know him well enough to have an opinion.

Grassley won in 2004 with 70 percent of the vote against Democratic state Rep. Arthur Small. A Des Moines Register poll earlier this week had his job-approval rating at 57 percent, a drop of nine points since April and down from 75 percent in January. The poll suggested that the drop in support was among Democrats and independents because of his increasingly sharp criticism of the proposed health care reform, although his stance appeared to shore up his standing with Republicans.

The Rasmussen poll says Iowa voters oppose the health care package being pushed by President Obama and congressional Democrats, 52 percent to 41 percent, with those "strongly" opposed outnumbering those who strongly favor it, 43 percent to 20 percent.