Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) is a freshman from Orlando. He’s probably most well known in the blogosphere for hiring Matt Stoller to serve on his staff. His district is highly competitive but I believe he joined the Progressive Caucus and he’s made it a habit to use his seat on the Financial Services committee to ask uncomfortable questions. He’s basically violating every rule the consultants have written about how to get reelected as a Freshman from a competitive seat. That’s good, because we’ll get to find out if you can be aggressively partisan in a swing-district and get away with it. Yesterday, he took to the House floor with some giant charts and said that the Republicans health care plan was ‘don’t get sick’ and if you do, you should ‘die quickly’ in order to save the insurance companies money. Over the top? Yeah, a bit. The Village is horrified.
Personally, I think Grayson should adjust his message slightly. I like his aggressiveness. I like the substance of what he’s saying. But he’s probably making himself more a lightning rod than he needs to to get his message across. He’s putting his seat at risk. That’s good and bad. It’s good that he’s willing to lose and unafraid to stick up for people in need. But there might be a degree of recklessness involved, too, that isn’t necessary.
I hope the people from his district reward him for his honesty. But, if they don’t, at least he will have provided some seriously good entertainment.
I hope he doesn’t soften his tone. All you have to do is put together a video montage of all of the batshit crazy stuff the Republicans have been saying about death panels and killing off grandma, etc., and play that alongside what Grayson said.
This is just nonsense, I’m glad he’s not backing down.
Yeah, what he said is nothing compared to what the Republicans are chanting every day for weeks on end with no hint of outcry from the Villagers…
So far, the netroots have raised over $70,000 in one day to reward Grayson for kicking ass and taking numbers.
Keep up the good work, here:
http://www.actblue.com/entity/fundraisers/18665
I’m with you on that. Americans don’t respect someone that moderates their tone, Americans respect taking names, kicking ass, and getting in everyone’s face. I think he should take the gloves off and stop being so nice and pleasant, maybe even bust a few knee caps.
I just like the lineup in the Situation Room trying to talk their version of reason to him. Almost like they’re watching an auto-de-fe and they want to put out the fire.
I like this this Grayson performance myself:
I found in a Matt Taibbi post on True Slant.
OMG . . .
He wants to audit the Federal Reserve.
What a kooky conspiracy theorist.
Just like Ron Paul or Dennis Kucinich.
And he’s asking questions about whether the Federal Reserve manipulates markets.
Que the MSM hitjob in 3 . . . 2 . . . .1. . . .
And shortly following the MSM hitjob look for Obama and his “lefty” followers to disown him to show how reasonable they are . . . and to disassociate themselves from such a “kook”.
This isn’t the first initiative of his that has caught my attention:
http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com/2009/09/stand-up-for-acorn-cut-blackwater-and-halliburton/
I would say this guy has a bright future in politics..
Mr. Grayson was only slightly wrong: the Republican message is “F you! You’re on your own!” If he makes that adjustment then he’ll be untouchable.
If they don’t it means Matt Stoller is full of FAIL and that will almost be worth it by itself.
I think Grayson should adjust his message slightly.
I don’t think so. We have more than enough reasonable Democrats. I’d like to see the results of having a (slightly) unreasonable one. After all, the dittoheads love to swallow right-wing hyperbole whole. Maybe there are some potential Dems out there who would enjoy a bit of exaggeration on our side, too.
Now as for the liars on their side, if we want to have liars too, they should not drawn from members of Congress. Yes, the whole idea is distasteful and probably dangerous, but why should the R’s get a free pass on exaggeration and lying, while we just have to sit innocently by, protesting weakly that it’s all nonsense?
What did he exaggerate? What was unreasonable (even slightly)?
I think his message is fine. But I don’t think he necessarily advances his cause or his career by calling people knuckle-draggers and neanderthals. That’s my job. He should make a few tweaks in his presentation so that he doesn’t come off as unhinged as those he criticizes.
What’s “over the top” about what he said?
Do you agree that the GOP’s goal is to keep so-called health care just the way it is, in the hands of for-profit corporations? And what is the business plan of these corporations except to bet that their customers will either not get sick or will die fast if they do get sick?
So what exactly did Grayson say that is anything other than absolute clear-eyed truth? Personally I like to see the roaches scatter when some light finally shines on them.
Right on Congressman. Tone it down? I say ratchet it up and get some of the do nothing slackers on the dem side to do what we freaken elected them to do…Public Option Now!
Grayson doesn’t need to tone it down, we need a lot more of this! Our current crop of weak kneed dems need someone to show them how it’s done. I feel let down by the people we voted into office, and I especially hate the idea that the repubs will get to slap us in the face with all the fail coming from our side.
Let’s see how the maniac republicans react to some tough and relevant language from the democratic side. It’s about time someone in Congress called the GOP on their do nothing tactics. Note that it was a freshman Congressman who levied the charges which were long overdue. How come those national legislators with experience have been quiet for so long?
Give them hell, Representative Grayson, and show the senior members of the democratic party how it is done.
So – he finally did make an apology…
Another must see.
This guy is going to get a nice chunk of my money – I like him.
The best way to assure that Rep. Grayson stays on the course we love is to contribute to his re-election.
calvin has made his first contribution. calvin is investigating the possibility of adopting Rep. Grayson has “his” Congressman since his representative is a political buffoon. Needless to say, he’s a FL GOPer.
My hero!
And I loved his easy way of dismissing dumb BS. Nice.