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Dem Rep's Take On GOP Health Plan: Die Quickly If You Get Sick

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Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) delivered his interpretation of the Republican health care reform plan on the House floor yesterday. It boils down to this: Don't get sick, and if you do, die quickly.

Grayson set this up by explaining that during President Obama's health care reform speech to a joint session of Congress earlier this month, he noticed many of his Republican colleagues waving pieces of paper.

"It almost seemed like they wanted President Obama's autograph," Grayson said.

But when Grayson was told that the papers actually contained the Republican health care plan, he investigated, finding only "a blank piece of paper."

"It's my duty and pride tonight to be able to announce exactly what the Republicans plan to do for health care in America," Grayson said.

It's a very simple plan. Here it is. The Republican health care plan for America: Don't get sick. That's right, 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.

Of course, Grayson continued, that's not "a foolproof plan."

"So Republicans have a backup plan in case you do get sick."

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.

Here's the video:

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33 comments

Recommend Recommend (4)

September 30, 2009 10:00 AM   

Excellent interpretation of the Repubs plan! Too bad some weren't listening BEFORE they voted on the PUBLIC OPTION!

Let's make sure those who voted against the P.O. yesterday are shown the door when they are up for re-election. They DO NOT have this country's best interests at heart; only their own power, privilege, and bank accounts!

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September 30, 2009 1:03 PM    in reply to nobillary

**Me likey!

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September 30, 2009 5:24 PM    in reply to greylox

Good for him. Let's go make 'em own this cock sucker.

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Tim

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September 30, 2009 9:45 PM    in reply to nobillary

He was really just being polite.

Here's what he could have said.

The GOP and the Blue Dogs health care plan is this: "Fwck the people, then let them die."

"The quicker the cheaper, er, better."

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September 30, 2009 10:15 AM   

Agreed! The GOP will cry "dirty pool" but they richly deserve this after all the crap they've subjected us to this last summer.

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Tim

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September 30, 2009 10:44 AM    in reply to CityGuy

I don't know why the Republican's would complain. I mean, Grayson should get points for accuracy, even if they don't like it stylistically.

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September 30, 2009 10:17 AM   

It's about time a Democratic politician went right at Republican obstructionists and called them out for being the do nothing enabling rat ba**ards they really are. I pray Rep. Grayson doesn't back off or apologize. I pray at least ONE Democrat has the character and chutzpah to continue to say out loud what so many Americans are thinking.

Today's Republicans are America's enemy within, and I pray that there are more Democrats willing to speak plainly about the evils of corporate Republicanism without worrying about being attacked by Republican Stormtroopers or the Republican media machines at faux-news.

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September 30, 2009 10:20 AM   

And Republicans are already demanding an apology - I wonder if they'll compare this to the Joe Wilson "You Lie" outburst and want Rep. Grayson officially reprimanded.

Of course it's not comparable, at most this is the same thing as GOP reps spouting off about death panels on the house floor.

Hell I hope the GOP makes a bigger issue, because then more folks will see this.

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September 30, 2009 10:22 AM   

Finally! A Democrat calling out the GOP.

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September 30, 2009 10:22 AM   

Good for Grayson, he's taking a page out of the Repug's PlayBook, make an outlandish charge and put them on defense.

Memo to Dems; Stay on offense.

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September 30, 2009 5:53 PM    in reply to JohnW1141

Nothing outlandish about it. Keeping the current for-profit system is exactly what he described.

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September 30, 2009 10:26 AM   

Seems some of the knuckle dragging DEMS want the same thing..Call them..1800.828.0498 or 1.866.311.3405! Baucus, Conrad, Lincoln...et al!

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September 30, 2009 10:39 AM   

Ah, haven't heard from him in a while. This is the guy Matt Stoller's working with, so if you want to know where the ferocious claims are coming from this is where.

Let's see what happens.

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September 30, 2009 10:48 AM   

I'm looking up this guy's contact info after work and sending him a thank you note for having the balls to stand up and tell the truth...I suggest everyone else do the same.

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September 30, 2009 11:20 AM    in reply to Kuyleh

alangrayson@graysonforcongress.com

Dropped him $8 bucks via the link on his page, too.

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LBS

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September 30, 2009 12:02 PM    in reply to Kuyleh

I just called his office. I should call Pelosi and let her know that we want more people like Grayson. If Democrats had been speaking so clearly from the beginning, we'd be in a better position.

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September 30, 2009 10:50 AM   

Keep it up Grayson! One point of suggestion though, you need to change your posters to pictures. The GOP doesn't read anything. How about a picture of an insurance executive chomping down on the neck and sucking the blood of an "all-American" [read: white, 2.5 kids, picket fence] family. That might jar them a bit more.

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September 30, 2009 11:14 AM   

Wow, a Dem with some balls. Good for him.

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September 30, 2009 11:29 AM   

Tell the five "Dems" who voted against helping citizens get affordable health care to watch this video! It might enlighten them as to who they are actually trying to work out a "Compromise" with!

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September 30, 2009 11:45 AM   

Just tried to call Blechhh Lincoln and her mail box is full! What surprise! Doesn't have the courage to vote to do the right thing and doesn't have the courage to take the heat from the real citizens she is supposed to represent. I bet if I was an Insurance exec I would have her private number..

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September 30, 2009 5:55 PM    in reply to IMNOTBITTER

If you were an insurance exec you'd have the key to her private bedroom.

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September 30, 2009 12:09 PM   

Wow, nobody knows who Matt Stoller is eh? Well okay then.

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September 30, 2009 2:33 PM    in reply to MNPundit

Had to google the name to remember. I stopped checking OpenLeft when it went off the deep end of irrationality last year, so I'd forgotten where I'd heard about him.

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September 30, 2009 12:22 PM   

Funny. I wonder if anyone besides the chair and the congressman was in the chamber.

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September 30, 2009 12:50 PM   

It would be better if he did this during debate but it is time at least one Democratic Rep. got pissed off enough to shove it back at the Republicans. The bullshit collegiallity has been working in one direction. It's about time some slime starts back the other way!

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September 30, 2009 1:00 PM   

Perhaps it's because I agree with him, but I don't think this is "slime." The leadership seems too afraid of losing campaign donations to do what needed to be done: vilify the insurance companies.

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September 30, 2009 1:54 PM   

I don't think you're supposed to talk to white people that way.

Matt Taibbi's blog has a link to Grayson helping someone from the Fed defecate twice as fast.

http://tiny.cc/Kw7Fh

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September 30, 2009 2:29 PM   

How very one-sided of the Republicans. It's astonishing how they show their infantile side so regularly.

Hopefully, people have noticed or will notice that these are people of the poorest character I've ever seen in our public life...We all thought Nixon and Agnew were awful, but these people are taking the cake.

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September 30, 2009 3:59 PM   

You all need lots more Congresscritters like Rep. Grayson. Good, succinct and funny. Hope this goes viral (tho' I'm not sure how this happens).

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September 30, 2009 5:51 PM   

Well, Josh seems to have had a Lieberman moment on the front page: "some really over the top comments -- namely that the Republican plan for health care is a) don't get sick and b) if you do get sick, die quickly. I'm not going to defend that." And goes on to tweak the Goppers for complaining despite their over the top attacks on Obama and the Dems.

An unfortunate comparison, I'd say. The GOP "plan" is to keep the current for-profit health insurance system. The insurancecos' whole business model is built on betting that you'll not get sick, and that if you do, you'll die fast. The Republicans make no real secret about working for them. So Grayson's comparison is literally, absolutely true. Did Josh get bit by David Broder or something?

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October 1, 2009 9:26 AM   

A hard-nosed, principled and righteously fearless Democrat has just stepped up to the plate and hit one out of the park.

Perhaps the fact he's been in Washington long enough to know how Republicans operate, but not long enough to become an acquiescent accomplice in the dishonesty is why he could do it.

Perhaps he just felt he had to do something because no one else was willing to do anything.

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October 1, 2009 9:31 AM   

This man is going to be the most popular Democrat in America. I hope the Democratic leadership, especially president Obama, is watching and "learning" what kind of leadership it takes to defeat Republican obstructionists, corporatists and mercenary political career whores.

I hope his fellow Democrats are ashamed that they have thus far lacked the courage to fight to win. In this case, the best defense is a good offense. Give Rep. Grayson the ball!!!

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October 2, 2009 3:11 AM   

Just figured it out, folks. IT WAS A TRAP!

It was a huge joke on Republicans intended to make them laughingstocks. Damn near worked, too. Unfortunately, it was triggered prematurely by leftie bloggers innocently intending to defend Grayson by pointing out that Republican officeholders have hurled virtually identical inflammatory accusations at Democrats in recent months!

He is a Harvard Phi Beta Kappa who has hired Matt Stoller - a really net-savvy blogger. They cooked up a beautiful plan.

"die quickly" = (from a Republican) Dems telling old people to "drop dead"

"holocaust?" favorite meme of the anti-abortion crowd. Grayson even remarked regarding Rs indifference to "living, breathing, people."

What finally nailed it down for me was the CNN clip where he called Republicans "nattering nabobs of negativism." That was Spiro Agnew's most famous line ever!

Folks, he was praying that the Rs would try to censure him! He was prepared to show that he has been quoting Republicans throughout.

Unfortunately, well-meaning lefties like us triggered the alarm over at fascist central, the Rs withdrew their resolution, and they are going to try to let it quietly go away. Had that resolution been debated, it would have been a national joke.

I am going to repost this now at the bottom of every Grayson thread I can find. Don't feel obliged to rec every one, lol.

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