DES MOINES - For three decades Iowa’s senior Senator has bragged about doing town halls in all 99 counties, but now that he’s involved in his toughest reelection ever, Senator Grassley has stopped doing public events in favor of private fundraisers with Republicans like Newt Gingrich. Since the Senate recessed for the month on August 6th, Senator Grassley has not released his public schedule once.

“Iowans look forward to Senator Grassley’s town hall meetings and the incendiary rhetoric he spouts, like last summer when he misled Iowans to believe the health care reform bill would let the government decide when to ‘pull the plug on grandma,’” said Sue Dvorsky, chair of the Iowa Democratic Party.  ”Is the Senator who brags about being one of the people hiding from the people?”

Grassley’s opponent Roxanne Conlin has held well-publicized town hall meetings in all 99 counties and to date she’s held more than 125 of these public forums.