The far left has a new hero and the Democrats have a new headache and both are named Alan Grayson. Representative Grayson (D-Florida) took to the House floor Tuesday night and criticized Republican health care proposals as a "blank piece of paper". That's nothing out of the ordinary in the heated debate over health care reform but then he added, "If you get sick, America, the Republican health care plan is this: die quickly. That's right. The Republicans want you to die quickly if you get sick." (source)

Continued...

Many Republicans are jumping to compare Representative Grayson's comments to Representative Joe Wilson's "You lie" outburst during President Obama's address to Congress. But Representative Wilson did not provide printed signs reinforcing his comment as Representative Grayson did. Far from a spontaneous, emotional outburst in the heat of debate, this was the kind of provocative, baseless, attention-seeking nonsense for which Representative Grayson has become known. Politico recently named Grayson Press Secretary Todd Jurkowski as one of ten facing serious messaging challenges in the upcoming election cycle, "His boss, Rep. Alan Grayson, is a freshman with a reputation for saying exactly what he thinks. Grayson infamously called Rush Limbaugh a 'has-been hypocrite loser' and skewered bank CEOs during congressional hearings. While Grayson may be hailed as a hero in some districts, his Florida base may not be laughing. Obama took the district in 2008; George W. Bush won easily in 2000 and 2004." (source)

Republicans are demanding an apology from Representative Grayson and Ken Spain, spokesman for the House Republican campaign arm, said Democrats should be "lining up to call on him to apologize." Referring to Democratic concerns that the bitter tone of the health care debate could lead to attacks, Mr. Spain went on to say that "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi now has an opportunity to condemn the very behavior and tone of this health care debate that she claims will 'incite violence,'" As of this writing, no apology from Mr. Grayson nor call for an apology from any Democrat has come.

So now that he's made these false and egregious statements about Republican ideas, one might think this first-term Democrat who represents a Republican-leaning district might shout out "I'm going to Disney World!" But no, Representative Grayson will be attending tonight's DC premiere of the new anti-capitalism film by Michael Moore. (source) I'm sure his recent rhetoric will make him very popular at that event.

UPDATE: Late Wednesday afternoon on the floor of the House, Representative Grayson responded to Republican calls to apologize for his "die quickly" comment as follows:

"I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven't voted sooner to end this holocaust in America."

Yes, he actually compared the American health care system to the Holocaust. I think there will be calls for more than an apology now. Mr. Grayson should be, at the very least, sanctioned for his outageous comments.