Profile Of Sen. Charles Grassley

On Sunday, the Philadelphia Inquirer ran a profile of Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), longtime thorn in the side of government waste, the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry, and friend to whistleblowers. His thoughts on the FDA's relationship with drug and device companies:

"'The pharmaceutical industry feels it's got a seat at the table, whereas the only person that should have a seat at the table across from the FDA is John Q. Public,' he said in an interview in his Senate office."

No kidding.

While the profile doesn't offer much that readers of this site don't already know or can't guess at, there was this classic bit:

"When Hustler publisher Larry Flynt sent free subscriptions of his magazine to members of Congress, Grassley skipped the moralizing speeches his colleagues gave in response and sent a letter:

"'Dear Larry: Since you have sent me a slice of your mind, I'd like to send you a slice of mine. You will shortly receive your first installment of an annual subscription to Christianity Today.'"

The Senator apparently has a sense of humor. I suspect that's needed in large doses as an elected official in Washington, D.C.

I've previously written about Grassley's various investigations of Big Pharma and psychiatry here.