QuoteAlan Grayson: I would like to know whether it is within the Federal Reserve's legal authority to try to manipulate the stock market or the futures market.
Federal Reserve GC Scott Alvarez: I don't believe the Federal Reserve tries to manipulate the stock market...(Yoda: Do or do not, there is no try.)
Alan Grayson: Does the Federal Reserve actually possess all the gold that's listed on their balance sheet.
Scott Alvarez, doing a classic poker body language tell, and taking his time: Yes...
Alan Grayson: Who actually executes the trades for the Federal Reserve in the markets?
Scott Alvarez: The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which executes trades through Primary Dealers.
Alan Grayson: Can you name one Primary Dealer?
Scott Alvarez: JP Morgan Chase
Alan Grayson: Do you mind if we have a GAO audit to see if there has been front-running or insider trading by them? Do you mind? Is that ok with you?
Scott Alvarez: I am not sure if I have that authority...
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/has-federal-reserve-ever-tried-manipulate-stock-market-how-about-prime-brokers
Alan Grayson is THE MAN. Matt Taibbi has a great article on him, with a video of this exchange at http://trueslant.com/matttaibbi/2009/09/25/have-the-federal-reserve-or-prime-brokers-ever-tried-to-manipulate-the-stock-market/ He also relays this personal anecdote, which makes me think Grayson is pretty much the perfect guy to bust the Fed's balls.
QuoteI have personal experience with... well, let's call it the unique personality of Alan Grayson. In his capacity as an attorney he once basically threatened to have me dismembered and have my body parts dumped in a tin canister and fired into the center of a burning supernova. And that's actually underselling the real language he used. We were having a disagreement about the use of information given to me by a certain source in a story about military contracting, and in the middle of what had been a normal contentious argument between two sane adults, dude suddenly assumed this crazy monster-voice and just went medieval on me. He was roaring into the telephone about how he was going to crush me, how I was going to wish I had never messed with him, how I didn't know who the hell I was dealing with, and so on. One phrase I remember in particular was, "I am going to strip the bark off of you!" It came totally out of the blue and it was like being on the telephone with a metamorphosing werewolf — the whole performance genuinely freaked me out. I may even have peed a little, I can't remember.
When I heard Alan Grayson was running for Congress, I remember thinking to myself, That Alan Grayson? The lunatic? It can't be, I thought. I kept imagining trails of half-eaten sheep leading to his campaign appearances. But it turned out to be true. And when I checked, his platform turned out to be quite sane and even kind of interesting. Then he got elected and I suddenly started seeing his name attached to all of these calls for transparency, various crusades for FinReg reforms, etc.
And now every time I see Alan Grayson, he's tearing some freaked-out bureaucrat a new asshole in the middle of some empty conference room in the Capitol somewhere. I see the looks on the faces of these poor souls and I know exactly what they're going through. Which is just hilarious, frankly. Especially since these people all tend to deserve it, like this nebbishy little creep Alvarez quite obviously does.
Now for most of last year Grayson's public appearances didn't rate any higher than a five or maybe a six on the craziness scale, but he's a definite seven in this clip, trending toward eight. Watch Alvarez look around nervously, like he's not sure whether to say something about how out of control Grayson is. He's looking around like he expects someone to come out with a butterfly net and capture Grayson, so he can get back to lunch. But no help comes. Very entertaining stuff.
P.S. I should point out — I've gotten a couple of letters on this already — that by crazy, I definitely mean Grayson sounds off his rocker when questioning Alvarez. Although the Fed is certainly guilty of almost everything Grayson accuses them of, the line of questioning is just bizarre. What Grayson does here is sort of like asking someone to just admit to being an axe murderer. Just admit it! Admit you murder people with axes. We all know what your denials mean! That said, this doesn't mean we can't enjoy the suffering of Alvarez in this exchange.
I had never heard of him before, but I like him. I didn't know that there were any Democrats in the House who actually had some balls.
All Americans need to see this.
That was Hilarious.
Here's another Alan Grayson story. I never heard of him before today, but now I'm a fan too.
QuoteWhoops: Anti-ACORN Bill Ropes In Defense Contractors, Others Charged With Fraud
Going after ACORN may be like shooting fish in a barrel lately -- but jumpy lawmakers used a bazooka to do it last week and may have blown up some of their longtime allies in the process.
The congressional legislation intended to defund ACORN, passed with broad bipartisan support, is written so broadly that it applies to "any organization" that has been charged with breaking federal or state election laws, lobbying disclosure laws, campaign finance laws or filing fraudulent paperwork with any federal or state agency. It also applies to any of the employees, contractors or other folks affiliated with a group charged with any of those things.
In other words, the bill could plausibly defund the entire military-industrial complex. Whoops.
Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) picked up on the legislative overreach and asked the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) to sift through its database to find which contractors might be caught in the ACORN net.
Lockheed Martin and Northrop Gumman both popped up quickly, with 20 fraud cases between them, and the longer list is a Who's Who of weapons manufacturers and defense contractors.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/22/whoops-anti-acorn-bill-ro_n_294949.html
:lulz:
Quote from: Pastor-Mullah Zappathruster on September 29, 2009, 05:58:06 AM
Here's another Alan Grayson story. I never heard of him before today, but now I'm a fan too.
QuoteWhoops: Anti-ACORN Bill Ropes In Defense Contractors, Others Charged With Fraud
Going after ACORN may be like shooting fish in a barrel lately -- but jumpy lawmakers used a bazooka to do it last week and may have blown up some of their longtime allies in the process.
The congressional legislation intended to defund ACORN, passed with broad bipartisan support, is written so broadly that it applies to "any organization" that has been charged with breaking federal or state election laws, lobbying disclosure laws, campaign finance laws or filing fraudulent paperwork with any federal or state agency. It also applies to any of the employees, contractors or other folks affiliated with a group charged with any of those things.
In other words, the bill could plausibly defund the entire military-industrial complex. Whoops.
Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) picked up on the legislative overreach and asked the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) to sift through its database to find which contractors might be caught in the ACORN net.
Lockheed Martin and Northrop Gumman both popped up quickly, with 20 fraud cases between them, and the longer list is a Who's Who of weapons manufacturers and defense contractors.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/22/whoops-anti-acorn-bill-ro_n_294949.html
:lulz:
So I can get hired by a company, commit fraud, get caught, and then prevent them from getting gov't funds?
:lulz: :lulz: :lulz: :lulz: :lulz: :lulz:
The only way that could be more hilarious is if it were actually enforced.
This is why I voted for this guy.
I have to share that video w/ my friends on teh facebork
Quote from: Pastor-Mullah Zappathruster on September 29, 2009, 05:58:06 AM
Here's another Alan Grayson story. I never heard of him before today, but now I'm a fan too.
QuoteWhoops: Anti-ACORN Bill Ropes In Defense Contractors, Others Charged With Fraud
Going after ACORN may be like shooting fish in a barrel lately -- but jumpy lawmakers used a bazooka to do it last week and may have blown up some of their longtime allies in the process.
The congressional legislation intended to defund ACORN, passed with broad bipartisan support, is written so broadly that it applies to "any organization" that has been charged with breaking federal or state election laws, lobbying disclosure laws, campaign finance laws or filing fraudulent paperwork with any federal or state agency. It also applies to any of the employees, contractors or other folks affiliated with a group charged with any of those things.
In other words, the bill could plausibly defund the entire military-industrial complex. Whoops.
Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) picked up on the legislative overreach and asked the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) to sift through its database to find which contractors might be caught in the ACORN net.
Lockheed Martin and Northrop Gumman both popped up quickly, with 20 fraud cases between them, and the longer list is a Who's Who of weapons manufacturers and defense contractors.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/22/whoops-anti-acorn-bill-ro_n_294949.html
:lulz:
I didn't know that was him. I knew it had been mentioned by some people, but I didn't know he got the ball rolling. Fucking awesome!
Good god. That video is fucking awesome. WE NEED MOAR LIKE GRAYSON.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/30/grayson-not-backing-down_n_305196.html
QuoteAlan Grayson refused to apologize Wednesday for saying on the House floor Tuesday night that the GOP health care plan amounts to "don't get sick" - and if you do, "die quickly."
"I'm not taking any of it back. I stand by what I said," Grayson, a freshman Democrat who represents Orlando, Florida, told reporters.
GOP Rep. Tom Price of Georgia filed a resolution Wednesday censuring Grayson for the comments. But Grayson said he planned to stay on offense.
"The point is that if you do get sick, you're going to have huge medical bills. Your insurance company's not going to help you and as a result of that you're going to end up having the plug pulled on you," he said. "I don't think that the Democrats have to be on the defensive for a bill that reduces health care costs, makes health care premiums affordable, makes people's health care coverage comprehensive in the sense that they can't be excluded for breaching lifetime caps or by preexisting conditions and helps all of the Americans who cannot afford health insurance today. I think we should be on the offense not the defense and that's where I plan to stay."
Grayson said he arrived at his conclusion after listening to Republicans talk on the House floor for months.
"One of the responsibilities we have when we're in the majority is from time to time to be the Speaker pro tem[pore]. And it's been my misfortune to have to listen to them attack our bill now for months and drag out our work on this bill endlessly, while according to Harvard scientists, 47,000 Americans die every year for lack of health insurance. And by the way, that's 20 or so since we started talking about it. That's over a hundred a day," Grayson said.
Grayson's floor speech was intended to be satirical, he said. Now that he's under fire, however, he's standing by it.
"Yes, it was tongue-in-cheek. I'm surprised I have to explain that, but that's the way it goes these days," he said.
Ok, now I love this guy. :lulz: He's on Rachel Maddow now. I'll try to find a link later.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoITVLWpKB8
BOOOSH!
:lulz:
HA!
I think I'll call his office tomorrow and tell them I think he's doing an excellent job. And to keep up the good work.
Quote from: Squid on October 01, 2009, 05:04:25 AM
:lulz:
HA!
I think I'll call his office tomorrow and tell them I think he's doing an excellent job. And to keep up the good work.
Bake them some cookies! No, actually they would probably frown on food gifts because of poison risk. Oh, I know! Give them a kittie!!!
Hell, I'M going to phone this guy to congratulate him. And I live in Canada.
Oh SNAP!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H3gND4M9HA
I like this guy a little more every day.
See? If you fuckers vote more and you encourage your friends to vote more, America could be fucking awesome. <- This is why America is great.
...and if these guys start acting like shitheads we can boot them. A huge chunk of Americans don't seem to get this. <- This is why America can suck.
Grayson is continuing to be awesome.
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/grayson-republicans-are-foot-dragging-knuckle-dragging-neanderthals.php
QuoteRep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) -- who's making quite a name for himself by accusing the GOP of having a health care plan premised on the idea that sick Americans should "die quickly" -- just made a pretty fiery appearance on CNN.
He called Republicans "foot-dragging, knuckle-dragging Neanderthals who think they can dictate policy to America by being stubborn." He said that he's "saying what everyone else has been thinking but no one else has been saying." And he once again refused to apologize, saying it's Republicans who should say sorry.
Quote from: Iason Ouabache on October 01, 2009, 04:10:59 AM
Ok, now I love this guy. :lulz: He's on Rachel Maddow now. I'll try to find a link later.\
As promised: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfwza0jo1yw
Phone the guy and tell him just how awesome he is:
http://grayson.house.gov/contact/index.shtml (http://grayson.house.gov/contact/index.shtml)
QuoteYou can contact my Orange County office for help with a number of issues including Social Security, Immigration, Housing, and Veterans Affairs:
Office of Congressman Alan Grayson
455 N. Garland Ave., Ste. 402
Orlando, FL 32801
Phone: (407) 841-1757
Fax: (407) 841-1754
Due to delays created by security measures at the Capitol, it may take up to three weeks for your letter to arrive. Therefore, I recommend that you use the Orlando office as your primary point of contact. However, if you wish, you can also contact my Washington office. Please also let us know your opinion about legislation:
Office of Congressman Alan Grayson
1605 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2176
Fax: (202) 225-0999
Please also see below for many resources available online:
Comments or Requests About Legislation
If you'd like to contact me about a legislative issue, please e-mail me; or phone me at (202) 225-2176; or mail me a note.
Quote from: Cain on October 01, 2009, 10:26:59 AM
Grayson is continuing to be awesome.
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/grayson-republicans-are-foot-dragging-knuckle-dragging-neanderthals.php
QuoteRep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) -- who's making quite a name for himself by accusing the GOP of having a health care plan premised on the idea that sick Americans should "die quickly" -- just made a pretty fiery appearance on CNN.
He called Republicans "foot-dragging, knuckle-dragging Neanderthals who think they can dictate policy to America by being stubborn." He said that he's "saying what everyone else has been thinking but no one else has been saying." And he once again refused to apologize, saying it's Republicans who should say sorry.
Ehem..
Quote from: Squid on October 01, 2009, 05:46:04 AM
Oh SNAP!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H3gND4M9HA
I like this guy a little more every day.
Also- his phone line is busy :lulz:
:lulz: Awesome.
When Feingold became a pussy, I decided that the whole of congress was full of assholes. Now I am happy to admit one of those assholes is actually funny! :lulz:
Also, I just watched the video. :lulz: Grayson looks genuinely excited. I love his voice. FFS!
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/01/28/grayson-limbaugh/
Quote"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."
"Don't get sick, and if you do, die quickly."
All I can say is that the republicans made a big mistake asking him to apologize for that - it clued him in that maybe, just maybe, if accusing the other party of wanting to murder you worked for republicans, it could work for democrats too!
All hyperbole and rhetoric, but still nice to see actual rhetoric rather than reacting to uninformed protesters.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00ECLxK2YTs&NR=1
Quote from: Squid on October 12, 2009, 05:17:19 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00ECLxK2YTs&NR=1
oh yeah :)
Quote from: Squid on October 01, 2009, 07:22:11 PM
Quote from: Cain on October 01, 2009, 10:26:59 AM
Grayson is continuing to be awesome.
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/grayson-republicans-are-foot-dragging-knuckle-dragging-neanderthals.php
QuoteRep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) -- who's making quite a name for himself by accusing the GOP of having a health care plan premised on the idea that sick Americans should "die quickly" -- just made a pretty fiery appearance on CNN.
He called Republicans "foot-dragging, knuckle-dragging Neanderthals who think they can dictate policy to America by being stubborn." He said that he's "saying what everyone else has been thinking but no one else has been saying." And he once again refused to apologize, saying it's Republicans who should say sorry.
Ehem..
Quote from: Squid on October 01, 2009, 05:46:04 AM
Oh SNAP!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H3gND4M9HA
I like this guy a little more every day.
Also- his phone line is busy :lulz:
:oops: In my defence, I can't listen to Youtube vids first thing in the morning, since other people are asleep in the house.
ah.
yeah, that makes sense
:)
Quote from: Squid on October 12, 2009, 05:17:19 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00ECLxK2YTs&NR=1
Wooowwwww I think I love him!
He also called out the toll authority for misusing the money they get for the toll roads that are already paid for and demanded that they lower the tolls.
If Obama Eats a BLT, GOP 'Would Try to Ban Bacon'
http://chattahbox.com/entertainment/2009/10/08/rep-grayson-if-obama-eats-a-blt-gop-would-try-to-ban-bacon/
QuoteGrayson then artfully described the Republicans' wish for President Obama to fail and the American people be damned:
"They understand that if Barack Obama was somehow able to cure hunger in the world, the Republicans would blame him for overpopulation. They understand that if somehow Barack Obama could somehow bring about world peace, they would blame him for destroying the defense industry. In fact, they understand that if Barack Obama has a BLT sandwich tomorrow for lunch they would try and ban bacon. But that's not what America wants."
And video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ery7RZ4tZ2Y
Quote from: Iason Ouabache on October 12, 2009, 07:11:50 PM
If Obama Eats a BLT, GOP 'Would Try to Ban Bacon'
http://chattahbox.com/entertainment/2009/10/08/rep-grayson-if-obama-eats-a-blt-gop-would-try-to-ban-bacon/
QuoteGrayson then artfully described the Republicans' wish for President Obama to fail and the American people be damned:
"They understand that if Barack Obama was somehow able to cure hunger in the world, the Republicans would blame him for overpopulation. They understand that if somehow Barack Obama could somehow bring about world peace, they would blame him for destroying the defense industry. In fact, they understand that if Barack Obama has a BLT sandwich tomorrow for lunch they would try and ban bacon. But that's not what America wants."
And video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ery7RZ4tZ2Y
(http://diwaneayyari.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/3-hearts.png)
:lulz: This guy is hilarious.
"Fox News and National Enquirer are basically interchangeable" :lulz:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akgoOTwgUGs
Quote from: Iason Ouabache on October 22, 2009, 07:29:32 PM
"Fox News and National Enquirer are basically interchangeable" :lulz:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akgoOTwgUGs
Dude is pretty awesome--his spot on Bill Maher went so well. Maher razzed him for his American Flag tie, and the joke bombed out. Grayson's implacably cool, no matter the pressure. Maher had his nose out of joint as it was, and Grayson wouldn't dance.
oh god...... wait for it at the end
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0sgwv0rNUA&feature=channel
:lulz: He told Dick Cheney to STFU on national television!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QovIkXdv_s
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/12/16/the_year_of_the_political_jackass.html
QuoteGrayson has said he has "trouble listening to what [Vice President Dick Cheney] says sometimes because of the blood that drips from his teeth while he's talking."
A politician that I can admire? What is the world coming to?
EDIT: Seriously though, this guy's a fucking superhero. Why can't Canada have awesome politicians?
I can ruin him for you. He's in deep with AIPAC, so his stance towards Israel and the Middle East kinda sucks. Badly.
Still, he's about 100% right on his stance towards the finance industry and the GOP currently, which is a higher batting than I give to most other politicians.
Quote from: Cain on December 22, 2009, 09:58:22 PM
I can ruin him for you. He's in deep with AIPAC, so his stance towards Israel and the Middle East kinda sucks. Badly.
Still, he's about 100% right on his stance towards the finance industry and the GOP currently, which is a higher batting than I give to most other politicians.
The AIPAC bit is rather shitty. Still, he looks like a democrat who can get things done, which is a nice change.
Holy shit. This guy's awesome. :lulz: I'll have to look up AIPAC and see what that's all about, not familiar with that one.
I think he may be overreaching, and overreacting, a little bit with this:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/22/grayson-wants-critic-jailed-claiming-constituent/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+foxnews%252Fpolitics+%2528FOXNews.com+-+Politics%2529&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/12/22/grayson-wants-critic-jailed-claiming-constituent/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%253A+foxnews%252Fpolitics+%2528FOXNews.com+-+Politics%2529&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher)
Quote
My, my, my. Florida Rep. Alan Grayson wants to see one of his critics go directly to jail -- all over her use of the word "my."
In an effort to raise money against the outspoken freshman Democrat, a Republican activist named Angie Langley has launched "mycongressmanisnuts.com" -- a Web site that parodies Grayson's re-election site, "congressmanwithguts.com."
Langley criticizes Grayson on her Web site for his "inappropriate behavior" and "childish approach" toward governing, and claims he "does not represent the values of central Florida." She said in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday that she launched the site in an effort "to expose him (Grayson) for what he is."
But Grayson is not amused, and he is asking U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to conduct an investigation into the Web site and Langley, according to a report in the Orlando Sentinel.
In a four-page letter sent to Holder, Grayson accuses Langley of lying to federal elections and requests that she be fined and imprisoned for five years.
Her lie, according to Grayson, is that she claims to be one of his constituents. Langley, Grayson says, is misrepresenting herself by using the term "my" in the Web site's name.
Langley is a resident of Clermont, Fla., which is outside Grayson's 8th District. Oh, my.
"Ms. Langley has deliberately masqueraded as a constituent of mine, in order to try to create the false appearance that she speaks for constituents who don't support me," Grayson writes in his complaint. "[She] has chosen a name for her committee that is utterly tasteless and juvenile."
Langley defended herself Tuesday, saying that she was "born and raised" in Grayson's district and is "embarrassed to be represented" by him in Washington.
"This is the United States of America. A member of Congress represents all of us -- no matter where we live," she said.
Grayson has been high on the headline list for the last few months. He received national attention in September for saying on the House floor during the debate over health care reform that Republicans want sick people to "die quickly." He apologized in October for calling a female adviser to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke a "whore."
The congressman, who is Jewish, was also reprimanded by the Anti-Defamation League for calling the current health care system a "holocaust in America."
I'm sure it pissed him off but I think he may be overreacting just a tad. Nevermind that he's giving this website more attention, which means it will get more traffic, and likely more donations.
I also like how "fair and balanced" this article was. Fox doesn't even try to hide it anymore.
Quote from: Chief Uwachiquen on December 23, 2009, 07:58:42 AM
Holy shit. This guy's awesome. :lulz: I'll have to look up AIPAC and see what that's all about, not familiar with that one.
From what I can gather, it's a group that promotes the interests of Israel in America.
...but he's got to have a flair for the dramatic to have performed as he has the last year or so, nay?
Quote from: Shrunkenheadspace on December 23, 2009, 02:44:59 PM
Quote from: Chief Uwachiquen on December 23, 2009, 07:58:42 AM
Holy shit. This guy's awesome. :lulz: I'll have to look up AIPAC and see what that's all about, not familiar with that one.
From what I can gather, it's a group that promotes the interests of Israel in America.
So they claim.
They promote batshit insanity and endless war in the Middle East, which will almost certainly end up destroying Israel.
...which is why the fundamentalist christians love them.
And the arms industry.
It's usually amusing to listen to them when they go on NPR.
Inevitably, some caller will mention how badly Israel treats the Palastinians, and the AIPAC guys will go fucking ballistic, accusing everyone of being Nazi sympathizers and holocaust deniers.
Quote from: LMNO on December 23, 2009, 03:09:27 PM
It's usually amusing to listen to them when they go on NPR.
Inevitably, some caller will mention how badly Israel treats the Palastinians, and the AIPAC guys will go fucking ballistic, accusing everyone of being Nazi sympathizers and holocaust deniers.
THIS. Love that.
Grayson calls out Pat Robertson (and the rest of the Religious Right) on the floor of Congress:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MT9U7SL-Sk
Quote from: Shrunkenheadspace on December 23, 2009, 02:44:59 PM
Quote from: Chief Uwachiquen on December 23, 2009, 07:58:42 AM
Holy shit. This guy's awesome. :lulz: I'll have to look up AIPAC and see what that's all about, not familiar with that one.
From what I can gather, it's a group that promotes the interests of Israel in America.
Yeah, the Israeli lobby is pretty dirty. They're not "the good guys", by any stretch of fair and balanced.
Quote from: Iason Ouabache on January 27, 2010, 03:59:34 AM
Grayson calls out Pat Robertson (and the rest of the Religious Right) on the floor of Congress:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MT9U7SL-Sk
It's about fucking time SOMEONE did.
FACT: It is well known that anyone in Congress going counter to AIPAC eats it bigtime.
Pretty much, AFAIK Jenne. It's disgusting how much power Israeli interests have over us.
They still have one of the most powerful lobbies in Wash, DC.
Quote from: Iason Ouabache on December 11, 2009, 09:07:36 AM
:lulz: He told Dick Cheney to STFU on national television!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QovIkXdv_s
What was hilarious was how Matthews said "Oh, it means stop talking, in crude language."
How precious.
Quote from: Jenne on January 27, 2010, 05:10:29 AM
They still have one of the most powerful lobbies in Wash, DC.
:argh!: Bastiges!
It's great when they get time on NPR, though.
"So, we have video of Israeli soldiers setting a Palistinian woman on fire--"
"HOLOCAUST! NAZIS! HOLOCAUST! WHY DO YOU HATE THE JOOOOS!?"
http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2010/03/ever-outlandish-alan-grayson-tops-himself-with-palin-rant.html
QuoteIn response to Palin's attack on Rep Grayson, Grayson actually complimented Palin. Grayson praised Palin for having a hand large enough to fit Grayson's entire name on it. He thanked Palin for alleviating the growing shortage of platitudes in Central Florida.
Grayson added that Palin deserved credit for getting through the entire hour-long program without quitting. Grayson also said that Palin really had mastered Palin's imitation of Tina Fey imitating Palin. Grayson observed that Palin is the most-intelligent leader that the Republican Party has produced since George W. Bush.
When asked to comment about what effect Palin's criticism might have, Grayson pointed out, "As the Knave's horse says in Alice in Wonderland, 'dogs will believe anything.'" Earlier, as the Orlando Sentinel reported, Grayson said, "I'm sure Palin knows all about politics in Central Florida, since from her porch she can see Winter Park," which is part of Grayson's district.
Grayson said that the Alaskan chillbilly was welcome to return to Central Florida anytime, as long as she brings lots of money with her, and spends it. "I look forward to an honest debate with Governor Palin on the issues, in the unlikely event that she ever learns anything about them," Grayson added, alluding to Politifact's "liar, liar, pants on fire" evaluation of much of what Palin has said.
(http://www.ohsnap.ca/img/thumbnails/oh-snap.jpg)
Oh nice! I just wish she'd pay attention to shit like this. I mean, McCain's camp, who vetted her and put her in place, called her a bunch of names and caller her down on her ignorance (though really, that shit's their fault that it came out as quickly as it did just how shitty she was for the choice on his ticket), and she pooh-poohed them. I'm pretty sure anything out of Grayson's mouth's just gonna slide right off of that bitch's hide.
Quote from: Jenne on March 15, 2010, 07:19:24 PM
Oh nice! I just wish she'd pay attention to shit like this. I mean, McCain's camp, who vetted her and put her in place, called her a bunch of names and caller her down on her ignorance (though really, that shit's their fault that it came out as quickly as it did just how shitty she was for the choice on his ticket), and she pooh-poohed them. I'm pretty sure anything out of Grayson's mouth's just gonna slide right off of that bitch's hide.
Maybe. She knows how to deal with McCain's hate, but she's never been equipped to handle mockery.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 15, 2010, 07:22:13 PM
Quote from: Jenne on March 15, 2010, 07:19:24 PM
Oh nice! I just wish she'd pay attention to shit like this. I mean, McCain's camp, who vetted her and put her in place, called her a bunch of names and caller her down on her ignorance (though really, that shit's their fault that it came out as quickly as it did just how shitty she was for the choice on his ticket), and she pooh-poohed them. I'm pretty sure anything out of Grayson's mouth's just gonna slide right off of that bitch's hide.
Maybe. She knows how to deal with McCain's hate, but she's never been equipped to handle mockery.
I think she just disregards whatever she doesn't understand. And then is applauded for looking like she's returning the mockery with "down-home-isms" and winking.
Quote from: Jenne on March 15, 2010, 07:26:13 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 15, 2010, 07:22:13 PM
Quote from: Jenne on March 15, 2010, 07:19:24 PM
Oh nice! I just wish she'd pay attention to shit like this. I mean, McCain's camp, who vetted her and put her in place, called her a bunch of names and caller her down on her ignorance (though really, that shit's their fault that it came out as quickly as it did just how shitty she was for the choice on his ticket), and she pooh-poohed them. I'm pretty sure anything out of Grayson's mouth's just gonna slide right off of that bitch's hide.
Maybe. She knows how to deal with McCain's hate, but she's never been equipped to handle mockery.
I think she just disregards whatever she doesn't understand. And then is applauded for looking like she's returning the mockery with "down-home-isms" and winking.
By her "base", which is about 30%. That's enough to fuck up an election for the right, but not enough to win.
On the other hand, the so-called left is fucking up even faster, so be ready for more TERRARISTS & JEBUS, starting in 2010.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 15, 2010, 07:28:13 PM
Quote from: Jenne on March 15, 2010, 07:26:13 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 15, 2010, 07:22:13 PM
Quote from: Jenne on March 15, 2010, 07:19:24 PM
Oh nice! I just wish she'd pay attention to shit like this. I mean, McCain's camp, who vetted her and put her in place, called her a bunch of names and caller her down on her ignorance (though really, that shit's their fault that it came out as quickly as it did just how shitty she was for the choice on his ticket), and she pooh-poohed them. I'm pretty sure anything out of Grayson's mouth's just gonna slide right off of that bitch's hide.
Maybe. She knows how to deal with McCain's hate, but she's never been equipped to handle mockery.
I think she just disregards whatever she doesn't understand. And then is applauded for looking like she's returning the mockery with "down-home-isms" and winking.
By her "base", which is about 30%. That's enough to fuck up an election for the right, but not enough to win.
On the other hand, the so-called left is fucking up even faster, so be ready for more TERRARISTS & JEBUS, starting in 2010.
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Oh, I'm ready. Pendulum HAD to swing HARD back the other way, dinnit?
Quote from: Jenne on March 15, 2010, 07:38:52 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 15, 2010, 07:28:13 PM
Quote from: Jenne on March 15, 2010, 07:26:13 PM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 15, 2010, 07:22:13 PM
Quote from: Jenne on March 15, 2010, 07:19:24 PM
Oh nice! I just wish she'd pay attention to shit like this. I mean, McCain's camp, who vetted her and put her in place, called her a bunch of names and caller her down on her ignorance (though really, that shit's their fault that it came out as quickly as it did just how shitty she was for the choice on his ticket), and she pooh-poohed them. I'm pretty sure anything out of Grayson's mouth's just gonna slide right off of that bitch's hide.
Maybe. She knows how to deal with McCain's hate, but she's never been equipped to handle mockery.
I think she just disregards whatever she doesn't understand. And then is applauded for looking like she's returning the mockery with "down-home-isms" and winking.
By her "base", which is about 30%. That's enough to fuck up an election for the right, but not enough to win.
On the other hand, the so-called left is fucking up even faster, so be ready for more TERRARISTS & JEBUS, starting in 2010.
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Oh, I'm ready. Pendulum HAD to swing HARD back the other way, dinnit?
What do you mean "back"? The center of the swing is what was EXTREME hard right, 30 years ago.
Quote from: Doktor Howl on March 15, 2010, 07:52:56 PM
What do you mean "back"? The center of the swing is what was EXTREME hard right, 30 years ago.
Well, the center's actually the only thing that ever REALLY changes. But to the Religious Reich, Palinites and Dittoheads, the pendulum was pandering to the Left while Obama was elected...and now it's ahem "Righting" back itself into the proper place Bush and his daddy and ol' Pappy Reagan placed it those self-same 30 years ago.
The guy One of the guys running against Grayson is a racist douchebag.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/plum-line/2010/05/gop_house_candidate_runs_tv_ad.html?wprss=plum-line
QuoteIn a spot, which ran over the weekend on a Fox affiliate in central Florida, Dan Fanelli stands between a middle-aged white man and a younger, swarthy fellow. "Does this look like a terrorist?" he asks, gesturing towards the white man. Then, pointing to the darker dude, he adds: "Or this?"
"It's time to stop this political correctness in the invasion of our privacy," Fanelli says, an apparent call for racial profiling in the searching of those deemed to be potential terrorists.
In an interview, I asked Fanelli if the message of the spot was that darker people are more likely to be terrorists.
He said it wasn't, claiming that the ad's point was that people from countries like Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Syria "require a higher level of security."
"You can be light and from those countries," he said, adding that the actor who played the terrorist in the commercial agreed with him.
Here's some of his ads since the originals were pulled from Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umTITWQuXwY
Yeah, McVeigh, Rudolph, Nichols, Kacynski, those were all some really dark, foreign looking dudes.
Stupid piece of crap. If he wins, just pull the fucking plug. Really.
That was utterly sickening.
If that ad gets him elected, I will drop democracy as a viable means of government.
If that guy wins...
(http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f45/Squidoid667/emotes/bugsSawFL.gif)
The War Is Making You Poor Act
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0_TtYQEDTo
:mittens:
Quote from: Iason Ouabache on May 22, 2010, 08:03:42 PM
The War Is Making You Poor Act
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0_TtYQEDTo
:mittens:
The name itself made me go "Hey, what?" And then I couldn't understand much, other than he was like "NO YOU CANT HAVE MOAR MONEYS KTHXBAI"
I think.
He's saying stop going over budget on war spending ,and with the money we save we can give every tax payer who makes under 35K a break AND we don't have the money to keep pouring into this war anyway, so the answer to asking for a bigger budget for it should be no.
And it can reduce the deficit by 16bil
"Chinese credit card"... oooooooooooooooooh, good one sir.
http://www.slate.com/id/2264763/
politics
Mutual Irritation Society
Alan Grayson tries to show Democrats how to take on the Tea Party.
By David Weigel
Posted Monday, Aug. 23, 2010, at 12:59 PM ET
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ORLANDO, Fla.—The people manning the phones at the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades union hall in Orlando keep their heads down, stenciling slogans on poster board and making calls to Democratic primary voters. It takes a minute for them to realize that Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., has just walked in to thank them for their work, un-missable in a black denim blazer, cowboy boots, and an American flag tie. As he walks from desk to desk, he is followed by a two-man documentary crew that has been with him since July 4. One volunteer puts down his phone, picks up a copy of Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States, and flips open to the title page. He wants Grayson to sign it.
"Oh, of course!" says Grayson, scribbling his name on one of the central texts of progressive politics. "It's one of my favorite books. I've got a copy that has all of my favorite parts highlighted."
He actually does. Grayson was a lawyer and telecommunications executive before he got into politics. (Consequently, he's worth more than $30 million.) He studied politicians like Huey Long and historians like Zinn, and decided he could win by being blunt, liberal, and profligate. In 2010, he's one of the few Democrats nationwide trying to outmatch the passion and organization of the Tea Party movement.
Outmaneuvering the Tea Party takes a multipronged strategy. Grayson has tried to work on the problems that inspire the movement while dismissing the movement itself as racist, stupid, and crazy. For example, he says, he has found common ground with Rep. Ron Paul of Texas. "I agree with him on the wars," says Grayson. "I agree with him on civil liberties. We've worked together very effectively regarding the Fed."
And now here comes the dig. "Many people, improperly, lump together libertarians and the Tea Parties. That's really wrong. Many of the libertarians are physicists, and many of the Tea Party people don't bathe. There's really not much in common there!"
Local Republicans are, understandably, not amused. Seven of them are competing for the chance to challenge Grayson, and some have even made him the focus of their primary campaigns. State Rep. Kurt Kelly calls himself "the conservative who can beat Alan Grayson" and encourages contributors to "donate today to beat Alan Grayson." Grayson is also a one-man full employment program for conservative talk radio in the district. On the day that he visited the union hall, Republican contender Todd Long and his campaign manager Phil Russo took over a local AM station for an hour, tearing Grayson apart.
"It would just be a disgrace if Grayson wins," says Russo. "The only people worse than Alan Grayson are Alan Grayson supporters."
This is just what Grayson wants. His re-election strategy: Register more Democrats, knock on their doors, and fire them up by pouring ridicule on the GOP and the Tea Party movement. He appears on CNN and MSNBC regularly, most recently to demand that White House spokesman Robert Gibbs be fired for sneering at the "professional left." In a conversation inside one of the union's small offices, he quotes some of his better one-liners about Republicans as "wingnuts" who want patients to "die quickly." They're offended? He couldn't care less.
"I feel bad sometimes," says Grayson, talking to a small group of supporters, "because I feel like Democrats should have delivered more for the people who supported us. In 2008, 75 percent of the people who voted for me were Democrats. Only 23 percent of Republicans voted for me. What does that tell me? I should be doing the most for the people who voted for me, not the people who voted the other way."
Many Republican candidates respond to Grayson's provocations by trying to ignore them. Long, who has mailed 30,000 voters copies of his book about conservative values, sticks to talking about the congressman's voting record and a poll that suggests Grayson is losing. (Grayson says he's 15 points ahead of the GOP's challengers.) Bruce O'Donoghue, a businessman and first-time candidate, calls Grayson an "entertainer" but refuses to respond to Grayson's attacks on Republicans.
No one exemplifies this mellow approach to Grayson like the man most people here consider the Republican front-runner, Daniel Webster. He represented most of this district in the state Senate for a generation, then retired, then rode back into the fray when the party begged him to take on Grayson. He'll take him on, but he won't respond to his taunts. Instead, he refers to his experience in the state legislature in a series of koans as he waits for his latest high-profile endorser, Mike Huckabee, to arrive for a rally.
"When you win, regardless about how you feel about who got you there, you're serving them," says Webster. "Don't burn any bridges. Don't make it personal."
Huckabee arrives and tries to make the same point, calling Webster a "chef in the kitchen" instead of "a person who is just serving someone else's food." His audience seems to understand the metaphor and applauds. Buttoned-down Webster, argues Huckabee, is the obvious antidote to Grayson. "You don't just have an opportunity here," says Huckabee. "I would say you have an obligation to replace the person you have."
That's how Webster's rivals feel, too. Not even O'Donoghue, who was the front-runner in the GOP primary until Webster jumped in belatedly, wants to say anything bad about him. "Dan and I are friends," he says. "At least, I thought we were friends!" He stops himself short. "I'm just kidding. We're friends. I don't see the fight in Dan, but I love and respect him."
Grayson minimizes the threat he might face from Webster. Liberal donors, he points out, have responded to him by helping him build the biggest war chest of any freshman Democrat. He has $1.3 million stowed away; Webster has about $100,000. Let Webster play moderate, because Grayson has mapped out a way to portray him as an out-of-touch cipher.
"Whoever wins is going to be an extreme right-winger," says Grayson. "Because they're all extreme right-wingers. They couldn't find a normal person to run against me. Every one of these candidates is so far to the right it's as if they're going to fall off the face of the earth."
Few other Democrats in Grayson's position talk like this. Some conversations with voters in the district demonstrate why. In 2008, they voted for Grayson and the Obama-Biden ticket, narrowly, because of disgust with the Bush administration's failures. It was tough to find a job then. It's tougher now. That lends more credibility to the critiques of Republicans like Webster, who promise to kick-start the economy by cutting taxes on businesses and slashing entitlement spending.
It's a critique that appeals even to voters like Jeff Evans, 49, who was laid off from his trucking job in December 2009. He was receiving unemployment benefits until a Republican filibuster stopped them this summer, leaving him without a revenue stream for weeks. But even though Grayson and his fellow Democrats eventually restored his benefits, Evans isn't sure he will support Grayson. It would do him more good, he said, and allow him to keep his dignity, if they "let the small businesses create more jobs."
Grayson knows how popular that argument is. The solution: Argue that Republicans have no credibility to make it. He pivots off of one of Webster's ideas, a proposal to cut the budget to what it was in 2007. Webster suggests that Floridians were perfectly well off when the government spent at that lower level. Grayson prefers to ask whether voters realize that a cut like that would mean lower Social Security payments.
"It's a stupid idea," says Grayson. "Nobody has a time machine, OK? The world has changed a little bit since 2007. For one thing, there're a lot of more people out of work." Soon he's on a roll, explaining how $12 trillion of capital disappeared in the "Bush implosion" of 2008. That's who voters need to blame, he says. Why aren't they as angry as he is?
"In 18 months, two centuries of work, the collective effort of millions of people, all gone," says Grayson of the financial crisis. "So now the Republicans want to go back to 2007? It's a little bit late for that."
When he's done talking to me, Grayson talks with more volunteers. He poses for more photos with them. About a dozen wear T-shirts that say "Grayson. Truth." Everywhere they go, they're presented with evidence that voters blame their party for the economic mess, and here he is, the Democrat who's defending what his party's trying to do.
"He irritates the Republicans," says one volunteer, special education teacher Audrey Ais. "They need to be irritated! They spend plenty of time irritating us."
Also, Weigel is a great writer on the Tea Party and associated issues. The WaPo were massive idiots to fire him.
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Wow. I'd be happy to have more Graysons in Congress.