Tuesday, May 24, 2011

He's Not Only Nuts. He's a Heartless Tool

I missed this appearance by former Florida Congressman Alan Grayson on MSNBC last Friday.  Grayson, opining on Republicans in general and Paul Ryan in particular, nails it:

http://youtu.be/BM7u74sHUNk

Said Grayson, in his inimitable Grayson way: "We’ve got 40,000 Americans under the age of 65 who die every year, because they can't afford to see a doctor when they're sick. And now they want to extend that [tragedy] to the most infirmed, most victimized, sickest part of the population, our senior citizens, so that more will die. I honestly believe that if Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck announced one day that they were in favor of the Black Death, you’d see every Republican primary candidate for President go along with it."


I don't know if Grayson plans on running for public office again any time soon, but just on the basis of this graphic of Ryan (credited to "Blue Gal") in the email he sent me this morning, I will vote for him.  I don't care if I am a legal resident of his state or not.  Maybe he will return to his native New York and run here.  We need him.

And here is a petition to be delivered to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in anticipation of that den of vipers' vote on the Lyin' Ryan Medicare Kill Bill: http://dscc.org/.  Just be forewarned that every time you sign one of these petitions, you will receive daily emails from Democratic senators thousands of miles away begging you for money.  When I signed petitions for Single Payer in 2009, I got appeals for donations from Oregon, Illinois, California -- and even a note from Patrick Leahy's wife asking me to sign his birthday card.  You can, of course, always unsubscribe once all this stuff starts jamming your inbox. 

5 comments:

Janet Camp said...

It's okay. I send them all $5 now and then, after signing the petitions. I have sent Bernie Sanders $25/year ever since he was first elected as a representative. I don't care what state they represent, as long as they are fighting for progressive causes. I prefer this method to giving money to the Democratic Party as I think it targets my support more to my choosing.

I especially enjoy the updates I get from Al Franken. He's a good writer and I get my $5 worth just reading about his efforts in Minnesota, man of which have effects on all of us.

Kate Madison said...

Paul Ryan is an immature babyhead, younger than my son, who is not an immature b.head. I do believe Paulie is cut off at the neck in terms of his ability to empathize and think beyond his heartless ideology. Alan Grayson gets that. Hurry back to Congress, Alan. We need you there more than you know.

As for Paulie. Do not despair. Word is that his constituents in Kenosha and Janesville are not happy campers. They lambasted him at his last town hall there, and he had to leave by the back door. Of course, he will always get ALL the votes in Lake Geneva, which is Republican and wealthy to the core of the party barges and trash mansions. However, I think the voters there number less than 15,000, because at least 5,000 homeowners (second or third homes) are from out of state--and are(duh)Republican rich!

Bottom of the line in the lake--Paul Ryan is not a shoo in for 2012. Oh yeah, he will probably win, but not in numbers as big as 2010. There are lots of seniors in the unrich part of his district, and they are mad as hell and not going to take it....you know the rest!

We can hope.

Karen Garcia said...

I used to send small amounts to the Democrats in the Senate, but now I just donate to my congressman, who is a progressive. I just don't think Senators really represent the people. But you are right about Al Franken and Bernie Sanders being exceptions to that rule.

Jay–Ottawa said...

Would that we had more sharp tongues like Grayson in Democratic ranks. If he ever does return to New York, I would beg him to dig in in Syracuse, where in 2010 a Tea Bagger beat out another first-term Democrat in a close race.

Too many Democrats run for office as if they were on an escalator, or in some cases a lilly pad. I picture the impatient Grayson running up escalators all the time. A former member of the Progressive Caucus, he's no bipartisan-smitten wimp. Among the legislation he lead-sponsored while in office: the "War is Making You Poor Act" and the "Public Option Act." It wasn't all futility, either; Wikileaks lists some of his successes. His energetic first term, scary to Republicans and Tired Democrats alike, may also be why Sarah Palin fingered him as the most important Democratic congressman in her sights to be ousted in 2012. And so it was.

Good to hear, Karen, that he's still in there pounding away at the likes of Paul Ryan. Would that more Democrats in office got the same idea.

Jay - Ottawa

Valerie Long Tweedie said...

"Paul Ryan is an immature babyhead" - Kate, I don't know why that struck me as so funny but I can't stop laughing! Seriously! I read it an hour ago and I am still laughing under my breath!