I was delighted yesterday when Rep.  Alan Grayson (D) – FL decided to give the Republicans a taste of their own medicine on the House floor.  His tongue-in-cheek speech that the GOP’s health care plan consists of “don’t get sick” and if you do to “die quickly” was intended to drive home the point that the Republicans’ politically motivated opposition to reform will simply perpetuate the problem.

Predictably, the irony-challenged and apparently amnesiac House Republicans seized on Grayson’s remarks (which don’t differ substantively from the pronouncements of Grayson’s Republican colleagues), sanctimoniously demanding an apology and comparing him to Rep. Joe Wilson (R) – SC. I don’t really want to go down that road as it’s already being explored except to ask how many of those Republicans voted against the measure to censure Wilson?

I’m more interested in the liberal reaction to Grayson.

Last night on MSNBC I watched as Keith Olbermann and Ariana Huffington lauded Grayson while tut-tutting Grayson’s use of the word ‘holocaust’. Later Rachel Maddow did the same thing and during her interview with Grayson, she asked him at least three times whether he regretted his use of the word. Not only did this make me angry, it got me thinking.

I don’t contend that Olbermann, Huffington and Maddow are wrong to take exception with Grayson’s use of the word ‘holocaust’. I agree with them that it’s both a distraction and an inaccurate comparison.  But I think that the real distraction is that they feel the need to chide him for it.

Imagine if a Republican had made an identical speech. Would Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh criticize their fellow traveler for an unfortunate choice of words? No. They would circle the wagons and press their point.

Conservatives are better at gut-level communications. They aren’t afraid of their own shadows. Wrong as they are, you have to give them credit for sticking to their guns. They ruthlessly deliver their message to its intended recipients.

Opponents of reform would much rather argue about decorum and the proper usage of ‘holocaust’ than fix the existing system. Olbermann, Huffington and Maddow are simply playing into their hands. In this regard they remind of the so-called Blue dog Democrats. If health reform is defeated or watered down so as to be meaningless it will be the Blue dogs’ fault, not the Republicans.  If Democrats like Grayson who want to take a stand fail to deliver their message, part of the responsibility for that failure will rest with PC-obsessed media liberals who dilute that message with silly nattering over his choice of words.

The Democrats need more Graysons. People who aren’t afraid to call the hypocrites out. Instead of eating their own, the three aforementioned liberals (all of whom I like and respect) need to be driving home Grayson’s point. Health reform is too important to bother with self-defeating arguments over semantics.

The news that al-Qaeda is not enthused about Obama’s victory must have conservatives scratching their knuckle-heads. Obama, you will remember was the candidate whose dangerous naivete would make us more vulnerable to attack. His habit of “palling around with terrorists” was practically an invitation to commit another 9/11.

I think that al-Qaeda is concerned about the incoming Obama administration. Worried that the U.S. will finally have a president who takes terrorism seriously, they have already begun to lash out.

I wonder what that crazy lady, the one who told McCain that she couldn’t trust Obama because “he’s an Arab” thinks about all this. Actually, I bet she doesn’t think anything about it because a) she doesn’t seem to be much of a thinker and b) chances are she doesn’t read the New York Times.

If al-Qaeda’s endorsement of John McCain wasn’t enough to do it, their racists insults against our President-elect should erase these harebrained notions from the public consciousness once and for all.

Yay! The withered, corrupt old felon from Alaska has been defeated. The AP has just called the Alaska Senate race for Mark Begich. Too bad Sarah Palin isn’t going to get the chance to appoint herself.

http://www.dailyadvance.com/news/nation/stevens-loses-alaska-senate-race-248678.html

John McCain and Sarah Palin are telling so many lies about her record that it’s becoming hard to keep up with them. Palin’s compulsive lying about her past as even more pathological than W’s. Here is a handy list.

1. Palin stopped the “bridge to nowhere.”
   No, she didn’t pull the plug until Congress had already cut the funding.
   http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080908/ap_on_el_pr/bridge_to_nowhere_fact_check
   http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/701/
2. Palin was always against the “bridge to nowhere.”
   Not exactly. She was for it before she was against it.
   http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-08-31-palin-bridge_N.htm
3. Sarah Palin is a fiscal conservative.
   A fiscal conservative does not rack up $20,000,000 in debt for a small town. Nor does she bill the state of Alaska for staying at her own house, eating her own food or for trips to her husband’s snowmobile races
4. Sarah Palin opposed earmarks.
   A mayor who opposes earmarks does not hire a lobbyist to obtain earmarks unless that mayor is a lying hypocrite.
   http://www.usnews.com/articles/opinion/2008/09/04/data-points-sarah-palins-lobbyist.html
5. Palin sold the Governor’s jet on eBay and made a profit.
   No, she listed it on eBay three times but ended up selling it through an aviation broker at a loss.
   http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/06/politics/animal/main4422397.shtml
6. Palin fired Governor’s mansion chef.
   No. The chef, Stefani Marnon was reassigned to the Republican state legislature to cook for Palin’s cronies since as Governor, Palin prefers to work in Anchorage or Wasilla instead of travelling to Juneau.
   http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/story/9090479p-9006523c.html
   http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/288561.html
7. Sarah Palin won Miss Congeniality in the 1984 Miss Wasilla pageant.
   Really??? Come on….
   http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/columnists.nsf/debpeterson/story/23D7A0CF8A2E3A61862574B50011DB30?OpenDocument

Update: 9/16/2008

8. Sarah Palin’s teleprompter failed at the RNC and she had to “wing it” during her acceptance speech.
   “The teleprompter got messed up, I couldn’t follow it, and I just decided I’d just talk to the people in front of me, it was Ohio.” http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/09/palin-and-the-t.html OK, she gave an effective speech, but why do they have to lie about the teleprompter?
   Is it because GOP voters just enjoy being lied to?

Tonight I forced myself to endure GeeDubya’s prime time RNC address. I have been a bad boy and this is my punishment. I was hoping McCain would get away with his scheme to scuttle the current occupant’s speech; old blood ‘n guts must have been so disappointed that Gustav only limped ashore with a whimper.

For now, I rest comfortably on my sofa, merrily hammering away at my laptop. I wonder if I’ll need some sort of Clockwork Orange device to keep me staring at the screen.

8:40 -  There’s an old guy named Swindle on my TV who was a POW with McCain. They had to eat rats while living in their hole in the Hanoi Hilton. Americans will have to eat rats too if McCain wins.

The repthugs are honoring veterans. Veterans are cool. The GOP should stop using them as props unless they’re going to give them proper benefits. Do they have any respect at all for GeeDumbya’s military service? How many veterans are going to have to stand up before Swindle goes away? Standing veterans are even cooler. This guy Swindle knows how to whip a hall half full of conservatives into a frenzy.

Laura Bush. Shiny red dress. This the woman who spreads her legs for the prez. Laura and I have something in common since Bush has fucked both of us. What does she see in that nimrod? The crowd goes wild – not. The lady gives a better speech than her toungue-tied hubby. “My God” she’s thinking, “George will be out of work soon!” She’s proud that the first female VP will be a Republican woman. It would be weird if it was a Republican man. Where is Larry Craig tonight? Apparently the GOP is the party of women, so long as they don’t want to choose or earn equal pay. Republican women must like being second class.

8:50 – Laura promises facts and “straight talk” about W. If only I could slip her some truth serum. W is the edumacation presidunce. Bush’s Judges, like the ones who appointed Bush in the first place, respect the constitution. 4th amendment schmorth amendment. I can barely take my eyes off of Mrs. Bush long enough to type. W has increased the number of Africans with AIDS medications from 50,000 to 2,000,000. Thank gawd; they’ll need it since he won’t help them prevent infection in the first place by giving them condoms. Iraqis live in freedom because of Bush. Freedom from clean drinking water, electricity…… My head may explode like an IED. No, Bush has kept me safe she says, smiling. Safe from having to worry about whether my email and bank records are private, safe from hurricanes and habeas corpus, safe from having to be taxed to pay for a war. So much easier to borrow the money from China. I feel safe again.

8:55 – Bill Clinton got a five minute standing ovation at his speech, but the GOP means bidness. Shrub stands at his podium, lookin real prezidentshul and just dives right in. He can’t be in St. Paul in person because he’s bizzy overseein’ the relief efferts. The reepublican guvners are  coordinatin’ and everythin’ is peachy. See how much better natural disasters are when the govner of Looziana isn’t a defeatocrat? Bush’s beady little eyes dart around. McCain is a great Amerrkin. Bush loves his mama and daddy.

The decider knows what it takes to be prezdint, see? He reads the presidential daily briefs (pdb) – like the one on 8/6/01 entitled “Bin Laden determined to strike in U.S.” That’s the one Condi couldn’t remember the name of. After being briefed on that pdb the decider decided a decision which was to decide to continue his vacation rather than taking action.

Presidents have to make tough calls. McCain’s refusal to leave the pow camp was undeniably a tough call so there can be no doubt McCain is qualified. Human life must be defended, as long as it’s in the womb. Fetuses rule. Unless you’re an Iraqi fetus. Mac wants to make Georgie’s tax cuts permanent even if he must flip flop to do so. Hooray for offshore drilling! McSame is an independent thinker who disagrees Bush (10% of the time) except when he saved the troops from calls of retreat with the courage and vision to escalate the war. The crowd seems underwhelmed. I think they’re wishing W. would just go away.

9:00 – It’s only been five minutes? Jesus W. Superpatriot is still a-talkin’. Only McCain can stop attacks afore they commence to happenin’. Sarah Palin is strong and principled. McCain found out all about that when she was vetted the day before he asked her to join him. I’m glad he took his eyes off her ass long enough to learn about her principles. Oops, I spilled my drink.

9:01 – W. is optimistic about achieving peace through war. Is this a political convention or an AARP meeting? The crowd applauds approvingly, the camera pans across their white faces, glowing with conservative pride. Hey, what’s that brown face doing in there? Security!! Oh, it’s just McLame’s adopted daughter, the one Karl Rove said was McCheater’s illegitimate black love child back in 2000 when the repugnicans didn’t think McLoser measured up to their standards and needed a good smearing.

9:02 – W. is finished. Thank god it’s over, man it was short. That’s what Laura said. Speaking of which, here she is again to pick up the crap Dumbya left behind. Gathering shit could be a new career for her when they retire to the ranch.

9:05 – Tribute to Dutch Reagan, B movie star turned President. Wait, you mean the Gay Old People nominated a CELEBRITY?!? My head hurts. Picture of Ronnie Raygun in football uniform, picture of same in an army officer’s cap. All he did during the war was make movies but he sure looks heroic. Raygun was a maverick too. Must keep watching. Don’t stop now. Raygun got government off my back. What a charming old codger, he was so adorable when he drooled all over his jelly beans, fell asleep in cabinet meetings and couldn’t recognize his own HUD secretary.

9:09  – OMG its Fred W. Thompson, who electrified the nation with his losing bid for the GOP nomination. He sure does look like a president, unlike the pasty old McCain. Yay, the economy isn’t really down! America is a great country goddamit! Look at him shake that fist! Palin has small town values. I agree that “small” is about the right adjective here. All Biden does is go on talking head shows and drink cocktails. Old Fred is fired up for Sarah Palin. Viva Viagra!

9:12 – I can’t peel my eyeballs away from the TV. Palin is a courageous reformer. If only I had known before I said all those mean things about her! And she can dress a moose! I’m starting see why the cons like her so much. Fred says that McPain has been tested like no other presidential candidate. Washington and Lincoln must be rolling over in their graves.

Cut to one of McCain’s kids. I think I saw a smirk. Don’t rewind, it only prolongs the agony! Fred’s jokes are getting cornier. Where’s my remote? What’s on the history channel? Oh wait, McCain was the leader of the trouble makers at Annapolis. I’m riveted again. Republicans like trouble makers, especially the kind who make trouble in the middle east. McCain had a corvette and dated a titty dancer. I’m thinking about switching my vote. Memo to Diebold: would somebody please make this man President?

9:23 – Uncle Fred sounds like he’s giving a school report on McCain. The long list of injuries sounds like something from a Mel Gibson flick. (Is Fred back in show biz?) My dog just farted. When McLiar was told by the gooks to give up his fellow pilots’ names or else McPrevaricator gave them the Packers’ starting lineup. [laughter] Or was it the Steelers? It’s so hard to remember who you’re pandering to when something so dramatic is seared into your memory.

9:25 – USA! USA! USA! USA!

9:30 – Fred said that Obama wants the largest tax increase in history. I think the Republicans live in an alternate universe. Or maybe there’s still some cryptosporidum in St. Paul’s drinking water. Did a bridge collapse on his head?

9:40 – Joe LIEberman. Every rapeublican’s favorite pro-abortion liberal Democrat. Joe is deranged, I can’t take it any more! Wait, Joe-mentun just said that “country matters more than party.” Then what the hell was McPoorjudgement thinking when he picked Palin?!? Blood pressure rising. Rage building. McCrazyoldgeezer supported the surge. The surge was wonderful. I’m feeling a surge right now, the kind I feel after too many burritos and cheap tequila. Must turn off TV. My kids need to go to bed so they can rest up before McCain reinstates the draft.