Florida's Rep. Alan Grayson: 'I apologize to the dead' not the GOP

[flpoljunkie]

Grayson: 'I apologize to the dead' not the GOP

U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, under fire for his heated speech last night, took the House floor a while ago and offered an apology, but not the one Republicans wants to hear.

"Last night, I gave a speech and I'm not going to recount everything I said but after that speech, several republicans asked me to apologize. I would like to apologize.

I would like to apologize and here's why. According to this study, health insurance and mortality in adults which was published two weeks, 44,000 Americans die every year because they have no health insurance. 44,789 Americans die every year according to the Harvard study. And you can see it by going to our website at grayson.house.gov. That is 10 times more than the number of Americans who have died in Iraq and who died in 9/11. But that was just once. This is every single year. That's right. Every single year.

Take a look at this. Read it and weep. And I mean that, read it and weep, because of all these Americans who are dying because they don't have health insurance. Now, I think we should do something about that and the Democratic health care plan does do something about that. It makes health care affordable for those who can't afford insurance and it safes these peoples' lives.

Let's remember we should care about people even after they're born. I call upon the Democratic members of the House, I call upon the republican members of the house, I call upon all of us to do our jobs for the sake of America, for the sake of those dying people and their families. I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven't voted sooner to end this holocaust in America. I yield the rest of my time."

Posted by Alex Leary at 04:21:27 PM on September 30, 2009

http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2009/09/grayson-apologize-hell-no.html#more

[Richardo]

1. This guy is kicking ASS

I can't applaud enough :patriot: :applause:

[CakeGrrl]

2. Beautiful. THAT is how to respond to the GOP asshats. n/t

[leftynyc]

3. I think I'm in love

So is this guy married or what?

[ddeclue]

5. Married with 5 kids. (Not kidding.)

:D

[flamingdem]

21. he's mine! afterall he just might save my life, literally nt

[Cha]

4. Good! We so need real Dems in Congress to

tell it like it is!

[blueworld]

6. OMG a Dem with spine & guts & a great vocabulary! Kudos! n/t

[SIMPLYB1980]

7. Good for him. nt

[Gidney N Cloyd]

8. And that, all ye of weakened knees, is how it's done.

Way to go, Rep. Grayson!

[Richardo]

10. I'm sending the link to the House AND Senate leadership...

Watch and learn, milksops!

[BlooInBloo]

9. Hey Senate cowards - ARE YOU WATCHING?

[Orsino]

11. Let's start questioning his birth certificate now...

...so he can become a good president someday.

[ddeclue]

22. Born in the Bronx!

[rebel with a cause]

43. Then what is he doing in Florida?

He probably did not live in Florida long enough before he ran for office. Something don't seem right to me about him. :sarcasm:

[harun]

12. Wha, what ???? Is that a Dem with a spine I see? Bravo!

[Proud Liberal Dem]

35. A rare find indeed

We must add him to our collection. ;-)

[RepublicanElephant]

13. oooh, a man's man!

:loveya:

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

14. Move over Pelosi for the next Speaker.

[SpookyCat]

44. Ah! Yes!

And from there let's get him to the Senate, and buh buy Majority "Leader" Harry Reid! (stares off wistfully...)

[polichick]

15. Now that's a beautiful apology. nt

[liskddksil]

16. Now this is how a Democrat should talk and act

do you hear that Baucus, Conrad and Lincoln.

[flpoljunkie]

23. Wasserman Schultz said it was 'inartful' but he was trying to make a larger point.

The larger point was that people are dying in the tens of thousands every year because they lack health insurance.

[Dr Fate]

40. The "artful" Democrats are perhaps a little too "artful."

Voters dont need "art"- they need plain english.
Grayson is just talking like a regular, normal person. Just like someone you would hear at the water cooler or at the bus stop.

He "gets it."

[bigwillq]

17. K and R!

:bounce:

[Phx_Dem]

18. Give that man a raise!!

:applause: :applause:

[ddeclue]

20. He's like the 10th richest man in Congress - worth like 30-40 million dollars.

he spent about 2.5 million of his own money to take the seat from Ric Keller in 2008. He ain't doing this for the money.

:D

[Phx_Dem]

24. Good, he can give me a raise!

:P

[Cha]

47. Really! Where did he make

his money?

[flamingdem]

19. I AM IN LOVE nt

[tekisui]

25. Hell yeah!

[Vinca]

26. At long last the Democratic spine has been located.

[Happyhippychick]

27. I've got a big ass crush on this guy. K&R

[PopSixSquish]

28. Well Damn!

Give 'em hell Mr. Grayson.

This line right here says it all "Let's remember we should care about people even after they're born."

[jefferson_dem]

29. He is on CNN right now and smacking back hard. Wolf, Alex, Gloria, Joe Johns are all acting toolish.

Typically.

[BootinUp]

30. watching now.

when I changed he was accusing a republican there of stealing a Democratic idea or something.

[jefferson_dem]

32. That was awesome.

Wolfie and company can't believe Grayson is actually standing strong, staring them down. How many times can they ask "did you really mean...?"

Well done, Congressman. :applause:

[mscuedawg]

34. Loved it!

Loved what he said about K.O. calling him and saying "God Bless You"! Cant wait for Countdown and Rachel tonight!!!! :woohoo:

[mascarax]

36. KO called? That's great! What else did Grayson say (please)...

I came in at the end, just before they went to Carville.
I really didn't know the "panel" w/Blitzer, but they mostly looked open-mouthed and shell shocked, trying to sputter questions that Blitzer cut off.

Thanks for any recap.

[mscuedawg]

37. Yup!

Check back for the transcript once CNN has it up...but the Cliff notes version would be that they were trying to get him to equate his comments to Wilson's...to which he refused to do...saying that he was not disrespectful to the President (then he was accused of being disrespectful to the GOP)...

He also commented that none of the Dem's had called him and "suggested" he apologize...as in Wilson's story...and his reason was that everyone knows what he was saying is the truth!

There was more...quite a bit of talking over each other...but the man did NOT back down...LOVED IT

[mascarax]

38. Thanks - I see the video's up & will watch

It was *nothing* like Wilson. Sheesh.

I knew he wouldn't apologize! (Except to the Dead, I mean...)

[mscuedawg]

39. I agree...nothing like Wilson...

...enjoy the vid! Grayson's apology was spot on! :yourock:

[JamesA1102]

31. The MJ crew were on his case too.

All except Mike Barincle that is. Mika the miserable was comparing him to Joe Wilson and then lying that Wilson apologized. And all this time I thought Joey Scar was the master of the false equivilency.

[mscuedawg]

33. He stood his ground...GOOD FOR HIM!!!

Finally...A VOICE!!! :woohoo:

[Dr Fate]

41. They just cant BELIEVE that he said something mean about those Republicans!

"But, but, but- isnt it true that Democrats are supposed to act all wimpy and stuff? What are you trying to do here?"

That is basically their response, and he handled them like a champ.

[Avalux]

42. One more K&R for Rep Grayson!

Sure he was a little over the top, but it's exactly what Dems need right now. He was a fantastic interview on Rachel Maddow today too. :D

[Obamacare]

48. The lone wolf

Hopefully, him putting the rethugs in their place and not backing down, will set the wheels in motion for more dems to follow. We are the ones in power and our voices should be the loudest and strongest, enough with the bipartisan BS, its time to use the bully pulpit!! THANK YOU REP GRAYSON!!!

[Bluenorthwest]

45. This is great politcal speech

And all of DC should be taking a lesson. This is not mediocrity patched together by committee and read by reflex. This is great oratory. Not an ummmm nor uhhhhh nor sports analogy in sight.
This is what the President should sound like, like he gives a flying fuck.

[Colobo]

46. This guy is wonderful. A rising star.

[boppers]

49. Whoa. Reading up on the guy, I like him more and more.

"Rush Limbaugh is a has-been hypocrite loser, who craves attention. His right-wing lunacy sounds like Mikhail Gorbachev, extolling the virtues of communism. Limbaugh actually was more lucid when he was a drug addict. If America ever did 1% of what he wanted us to do, then we'd all need pain killers."

and another:

"I’m sorry Limbaugh called for harsh sentences for drug addicts while he was a drug addict. I'm also sorry that he’s bent on seeing America fail. And I’m sorry that Limbaugh is one sorry excuse for a human being."

[Flabbergasted]

50. Finally!!!! nt