A Dunce for a Day: Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL)

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Rep. Alan Grayson, a democrat from the 8^th District of Florida, uncovered his bitterness toward the right as he took the floor in the House Tuesday evening. He ranted about the Republican Party having only two solutions to the health care plan – “don’t get sick and if you do get sick, die quickly.” However, Grayson tantrum was nothing more than a child throwing a fit because he didn’t get his way.

Rep. Jimmy Duncan (R-TN) said of Grayson’s tirade, “That is about the most mean-spirited partisan statement that I’ve ever heard made on this floor, and I, for one, don’t appreciate it.”

National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Andy Sere said, “This is an unstable man who has come unhinged. The depths to which Alan Grayson will sink to defend his indefensible comments know no bounds.”

And how does the Democratic Party feel about Rep. Grayson’s outburst? Democratic Caucus Chairman John B. Larson of Connecticut, at one point publicly called on him to apologize for Tuesday night’s speech.

“I wouldn’t have used the words that Mr. Grayson has,” Larson said. “I would encourage Alan to apologize.”

Similar to the democrats who reprimanded Rep. Joe Wilson’s for his outburst during Obama’s speech to the joint session and refusing to apologize on the floor, the republicans now demands the same from Grayson. And how did Grayson respond:

“I would like to apologize; I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven’t voted sooner to end this holocaust in America.”

Holocaust? We really need to shut down that Auschwitz Episcopal Hospital. Its insane. What was that? Where is this hospital? I have no idea but I bet Rep. Grayson can tell you.

When asked by FOX News why he won’t apologize, Grayson said, “Because I told the truth.”

Well, let’s just see how credible this man who is full of piss and vinegar really is.

Town Hall More Like a Union Picnic

You would think during Congress’ recess break over the summer that their town hall meetings would be business as usual. But home videos have captured many meetings where scandalous and unethical dealings were going on. Grayson was one of several staged meetings:

Hmmm. So Rep. Grayson and his staff prefer to “stack” his town halls with leftist extremists, pro public health care activists before his very own citizens from his district are allowed in. Its exceptionally odd for a man who declares on the side of righteousness. But, just to make sure the video is legit, let’s take another view from the same town hall meeting:

Well, I guess our Florida representative is not that trustworthy after all. And he had the audacity to stand before Congress and portrayed himself like a conqueror of the damned. Typical liberal attitude.

The President Rebuffs Our Proposals

Grayson accuses the Republican Party with NO type of health care plan proposal. Do you really think so, Rep. Grayson? Well, let’s just take a peek, shall we?

When Obama announced blame toward republicans for not being forthcoming with new ideas for a public health care plan during his speech to the Joint Session of Congress, republicans sitting on the right were waving their proposed bills.

Republicans have quite a few proposals. More than 30 total. You would think the Democratic Party or the president would read just one. Nope. The left, including the president, refused to read any of these bills. Partisanship in action. And Obama wanted to reach out to the republicans. Yeah, right.

Why use the props? Rep. Tom Price, the Georgia Republican who heads the House GOP Study Committee said, “To say in a quiet and respectful way, ‘Here are our ideas.’ To say to the president, ‘You’re not being honest with the American people when you say that there haven’t been ideas put forward, and that you’ve listened to them, because you haven’t.’ “

So you can imagine the frustration from republicans when lies and deceits from the president and the democrats are involved. And that is perhaps why Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) made the outburst during Obama speech when he said, “You lied!” I would have done the same.

Rep. Price has introduced H.R. 3400, the Empowering Patients First Act, back in July to the floor but was cut off at the pass by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the president. Price states that “the White House, in spite of saying they look forward to meeting with anybody who wants to solve these challenges, has rebuffed us at every turn.”

A search of the LexisNexis database of newspapers, magazines, television programs and major blogs finds about 3,000 mentions of the major House Democratic bill, H.R. 3200, in the past six months. (Those are just the stories that refer to the bill by its House number; there have been thousands more stories referring generally to the Democratic legislation.) A similar search found only 60 mentions of H.R. 3400, the Republican bill.

Just for the record, in case you want to check them out, these are the bills proposed, so far, by Price and his allies in the House: H.R. 77; H.R. 109; H.R. 198; H.R. 270; H.R. 321; H.R. 464; H.R. 502; H.R. 544; H.R. 917; H.R. 1086; H.R. 1118; H.R. 1441; H.R. 1458; H.R. 1468; H.R. 1658; H.R. 1891; H.R. 2520; H.R. 2607; H.R. 2692; H.R. 2784; H.R. 2785; H.R. 2786; H.R. 2787; H.R. 3141; H.R. 3217; H.R. 3218; H.R. 3356; H.R. 3372; H.R. 3400; H.R. 3438; H.R. 3454; and H.R. 3478.

Wow! And Grayson said the Republican Party had nothing to offer. Surely he nodded off  in his chair when these bills were introduced. Only if we can capture the scenario on video!

What Now

It appears that Rep. Grayson is hanging on a fine rope with his constituents. The probability of his re-election is nil at best. He does not represent his constituents in the 8^th District and surely does not tell the truth to all Americans. All he did in achieving on the floor was making a total ass out of himself.

The best thing for him to do if he wants to preserve his dignity is to pick up his fictitious poster boards and with his embarrassing tail tucked, go back to his seat and not say another word during his remaining days in the House of Representatives.

Grayson told reporters he’s not worried at all about a backlash from voters and instead thinks his chances for re-election have been boosted.

“It improves them,” he said. “People like elected officials with guts who say what they mean.”

Really Rep. Grayson? I think using common sense is a far better tool than arrogance. As the song goes – “Na na na na, na na na na; hey hey hey, goodbye!”

Rep. Grayson, Alan (D) – 8th District

“It’s my duty and pride tonight to be able to announce exactly what the Republicans plan to do for health care in America… It’s a very simple plan. Here it is. The Republican health care plan for America: “don’t get sick.” If you have insurance don’t get sick, if you don’t have insurance, don’t get sick; if you’re sick, don’t get sick. Just don’t get sick. … If you do get sick America, the Republican health care plan is this: “die quickly.”

September 29, 2009

On the floor of the House of Representatives

“Chickens” Refusing Town Hall Meetings

UPDATED SEPTEMBER 4, 2009

The following list contains the elected officials who refuse to hold town hall meetings on the matter of health reform. Do you really want to vote in favor of these individuals who have better things to do than to listen to your concerns? Print this list so you will have it in hand when the 2010/2012 polling stations open. Congressional members run for reelection every 2 years; senators run every 4 years.

Alabama

Rep. Bobby Bright (D) – 2nd District

Rep. Mike Rogers (R) – 3rd District

Alaska

Sen. Mark Begich (D) – reelection in 2012

Arizona

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) – 8th District

Rep. Ed Pastor (D) – 4th District

Rep. Harry Mitchell (D) – 5th District

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D) – 1st District

California

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D) – reelection in 2010

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) – reelection in 2012

Rep. Jane Harman (D) – 36th District

Rep. Henry Waxman (D) – 30th District

Rep. Doris Matsui (D) – 5th District

Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D) – 6th District

Connecticut

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D) – 3rd District

Florida

Rep. Robert Wexler (D) – 19th District

Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (D) – 24th District

Rep. Alan Grayson (D) – 8th District

Sen. Bill Nelson (D) – reelection in 2012

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) – 20th District

Illinois

Rep. Melissa Bean (D) – 8th District (note: Rep. Bean is charging a $25 entrance fee for her town hall meeting)

Rep. Debbie Halverson (D) – 11th District

Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D) – 2nd District

Sen. Roland Burris (D) – reelection in 2010

Rep. Peter Roskam (D) – 6th District

Rep. Bill Foster (D) – 14th District

Sen. Dick Durbin (D) – reelection in 2012

Indiana

Rep. Andre Carson (D) – 7th District

Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D) – 8th District

Kansas

Rep. Dennis Moore (D) – 3rd District

Kentucky

Rep. Ben Chandler (D) – 6th District

Maine

Rep. Chellie Pingree (D) – 1st District

Maryland

Rep. John Sarbanes (D) – 3rd District

Massachusetts

Rep. John F. Tierney (D) – 6th District

Rep. John Olver (D) – 1st District

Rep. Richard Neal (D) – 2nd District

Michigan

Rep. Mark Schauer (D) – 7th District

Rep. Bart Stupak (D) – 1st District

Rep. Mike Rogers (R) – 8th District

Minnesota

Sen. Al Franken (D) – reelection in 2012

Rep. Jim Oberstar (D) – 8th District

Mississippi

Rep. Travis Childers (D) – 1st District

Missouri

William “Lacy” Clay, Jr. (D) – 1st District

Ike Skelton (D) – 4th District

Emanuel Cleaver (D) – 5th District

Montana

Sen. Max Baucus (D) – reelection in 2012

Sen. Jon Tester (D) – reelection in 2012

New Hampshire

Carol Shea-Porter (D), 1st District

Paul Hodes (D), 2nd District

New Jersey

Rep. Bob Andrews (D) – 1st District

Rep. Chris Smith (R) – 4th District

Rep. Donald Payne (D) – 10th District

Rep. Leonard Lance (R) – 7th District

New York

Rep. Tim Bishop (D) – 1st District

Rep. Steve Israel (D) – 2nd District

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D) – reelection in 2010

Rep. Brian Higgins (D) – 27th District

Rep. Louise Slaughter (D) – 28th District (added September 4, 2009)

North Carolina

Rep. Brad Miller (D) – 13th District

Rep. Mike McIntyre (D) – 7th District

Rep. Mel Watt (D) – 12th District

Sen. Kay Hagan (D) – reelection in 2012

Rep. David Price (D) – 4th District

Rep. Heath Shuler (D) – 11th District

Ohio

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D) – reelection in 2012

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D) – 9th District

Rep. Betty Sutton (D) – 13th District

Rep. Tim Ryan (D) – 17th District

Rep. Charlie Wilson (D) – 6th District

Pennsylvania

Sen. Robert Casey (D) – reelection in 2012

Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D) – 13th District

Rep. Patrick Murphy (D) – 8th District

Rep. Chris Carney (D) – 10th District

Rep. John Murtha (D) – 12th District

Rhode Island

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D) – 1st District

Sen. Jack Reed (D) – reelection in 2012

Tennessee

Rep. Jim Cooper (D) – 5th District

Rep. John Tanner (D) – 8th District

Texas

Rep. Chet Edwards (D) – 17th District

Rep. Lamar Smith (R) – 21st District

Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D) – 15th District

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D) – 28th District

Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D) – 27th District

Utah

Rep. Jim Matheson (D) – 2nd District

Virginia

Sen. Jim Webb (D) – reelection in 2012

Rep. Gerald Connolly (D) – 11th District

Washington

Rep. Norm Dicks (D) – 6th District

Rep. Jay Inslee (D) – 1st District

Sen. Maria Cantwell – reelection in 2012

Sen. Patty Murray – reelection in 2010

Chickens Refusing Town Hall Meetings – Florida

The following list contains the congressmen and senators who refuse to hold town hall meetings on the matter of health reform. Take note of these individuals come election time. Congressmen run for reelection every 2 years.

Rep. Robert Wexler (D) – 19th District

Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (D) – 24th District

Rep. Alan Grayson (D) – 8th District

Sen. Bill Nelson (D) – reelection in 2012

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) – 20th District