News Roundup for 9/30/09

Republican healthcare plan

-Headline of the day-
"Rep. Grayson on GOP plan: If you get sick, 'die quickly.'"

Democratic Representative Alan Grayson of Florida has the Republican plan for healthcare reform all figured out -- not that you have to be a political genius to do that. In a floor speech to the House of Representatives, Grayson told that august body, "It's my duty and pride tonight to be able to announce exactly what the Republicans plan to do for health care in America. It's a very simple plan."

In fact, it's a three point plan, as he demonstrated with big foamcore flashcards. Step 1: "Don't get sick." Step 2: "And if you do get sick..." Step 3: "DIE QUICKLY." Ok, so that's really a two point plan, but you've got to allow for a little drama.

Republicans didn't take that very well and are all up and arms and demanding an apology. I doubt they're going to get one, since Grayson has, in the past, "apologized" to Rush Limbaugh by saying, "I'm sorry that Limbaugh is one sorry excuse for a human being."

"It's fully appropriate that the gentleman return to the floor and apologize," said GOP Rep. Marsha Blackburn,

Still, it doesn't matter much whether or not Grayson's take is true (it is), since Republican's "death panel" talk from this summer renders all complaints hypocritical. If they get to say that Obama wants to kill your grandma, dems get to say that Republicans want to kill you.

If you don't like it, my GOP friends, then don't make up horseshit the next time around -- that way, you'll have some moral high ground from which to express your outrage. But this time around, you get to sit down and shut the fuck up.

I'm talking to you, Marsha Blackburn. (Raw Story, with video)


-It's censorship!-
What's this country coming to when you can't even advocate for a violent military coup to rid the country of the commie menace that invaded the White House through a technicality called "an election?"

Ask NewsMax's John L. Perry, he knows. He wrote a column for the right wing news site where he argued that there "There is a remote, although gaining, possibility America's military will intervene as a last resort to resolve the 'Obama problem.'" Don't worry though, this won't be some sort of banana republic sort of thing, since this is America and we do things right. "If a military coup does occur here," wrote Perry, "it will be civilized."

Whew! Well that's good... I was worried they'd start using the wrong fork for the salads and stuff. Or worse, put their elbows on the dinner table.

"Imagine a bloodless coup to restore and defend the Constitution through an interim administration that would do the serious business of governing and defending the nation," he swoons. "Skilled, military-trained, nation-builders would replace accountability-challenged, radical-left commissars. Having bonded with his twin teleprompters, the president would be detailed for ceremonial speech-making."

So we have to dump the Constitution (newsflash: there's no "legal military coup" clause, bloodless or not) in order to save the Constitution from radical commies like Obama and his czars. Then we can get back to wiretapping citizzens without warrants and torturing people -- like the founders intended. It is necessary.

"Military intervention is what Obama's exponentially accelerating agenda for 'fundamental change' toward a Marxist state is inviting upon America," he wrote. "A coup is not an ideal option, but Obama's radical ideal is not acceptable or reversible."

Turns out that a lot of people found Perry's column just a tiny bit... Oh, what's the word?... Insane. As a result, Newsmax pulled it. But these are the interwebs, so you can set your webputer's browser here for a PDF version of all the lunatic fun.

Teabags forever! w00t! (Media Matters)


-Bonus HotD-
"VIDEO FLASHBACK: GOP Lawmakers Repeatedly Said Americans Would 'Die' Under Democratic Health Plans."

In response to Republican's hypocritical complaints about Rep. Grayson's assessment of their healthcare plan, Think Progress has put together a few quotes from GOPers accusing dems of serial murder:


– "Last week Democrats released a health care bill which essentially said to America's seniors: Drop dead." [Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL), 7/21/09]

– “They're going to save money by rationing care, getting you in a long line. Places like Canada, United Kingdom, and Europe. People die when they're in line." [Rep. Steve King (R-IA), 7/15/09]

– "[The Republican plan will] make sure we bring down the cost of health care for all Americans and that ensures affordable access for all Americans and is pro-life because it will not put seniors in a position of being put to death by their government." [Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), 7/28/09]

– "That’s exactly what's going on in Canada and Great Britain today... and a lot of people are going to die." [Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA), 7/10/09]

– "One in five people have to die because they went to socialized medicine!... I would hate to think that among five women, one of 'em is gonna die because we go to socialized care." [Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), 7/15/09]


You know, another way you Republicans could avoid this sort of criticism would be to come up with something like a plan. As I said, you get to sit down and shut the fuck up now, guys. (Think Progress, with -- not surprisingly -- video)