Anti-Alan Grayson smears in context

Digby does a great job of rounding up the criticisms of outspoken Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson, who is being pilloried for such rhetorical crimes a calling Enron lobbyists "whores" (yes, it's an insult to whores, but that's not what's got some people upset):

You see, it's one thing for Republicans to give speeches on the floor of the House saying that Democrats want to murder the elderly or that they plan to create sex clinics and force teenage girls to have abortions. That is simply folksy language these people use to communicate with their people. When Newt Gingrich blamed Susan Smith's murdering of her own children on liberalism, Lady Frothenberg understood that it was harmless hyperbole. When Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and the rest of the conservative movement leadership say daily that Barack Obama is a black racist who hates America, it's simply their way, and we all understand that it is just entertainment for the masses who require this type of crude stimulation.

But when one calls a former Enron lobbyist a K-Street whore on an obscure radio show, one has simply gone too far, sirrah, and it will not be tolerated.

There will be a town hall meeting this evening led by Pastor Dick Cheney to discuss the possibility of witches in the village and what types of enhanced interrogation might be used to determine the breadth of the infiltration. Our deep sense of decency, morality and civility demand it. And thank you once again, Lady Frothenberg, for bringing this egregious breach of proper behavior to our attention.

Whatever the rest of you do, don't encourage this miscreant Alan Grayson to do more of this boorish behavior by donating money at his crude web site: Congressmanwithguts.com. If you do, I certainly hope you don't plan on being invited into the any of the finer homes and establishments in the Village because you just aren't welcome there!

Lady Frothenberg Laces Up Her Corset (via Making Light)

• [hanoverfiste]

  I would say whore is a very good term for a lobbyist man or women. I would think in private they might joke about being whores to their colleagues.

  Take a look at Alan Grayson in action in this c-span clip on you tube, where he grills Bernake on $500,000,000,000 going to foreign banks:
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0NYBTkE1yQ

  I’d say Grayson is a true American hero.

• [Anonymous]

  I didn’t vote for him last time, but I will the next.

• [PaulR]

  Alan Grayson is the only bright spot in American politics right now, as far as I can tell. His “around here, we call a spade a bloody shovel” attitude is very refreshing.

  Go get ‘em, Alan!

• [Anonymous]

  Can we clone Grayson and Kucinich about 200 times?

• [Extrema]

  Seems a more accurate metaphor would be the lobbyists are Johns, our Congresspeople are whores, trading legislative favors for money, …and the parties are their pimps. Without meaning any insult to whores.

• [Baldhead]

  #4… which woman was called a whore? Enron execs, as a group, were given this name. we’ll point out later how few of these execs were in fact women.

• [Anonymous]

  Digby does a great job of rounding up the criticisms of outspoken Democratic Congressman Alan Grayson, who is being pilloried for such rhetorical crimes a calling Enron lobbyists “whores”…

  Meanwhile, I assume that all that “Please don’t make racist, sexist or homophobic remarks or use associated offensive terms” stuff actually means something in these parts? I’d also respectfully suggest that saying “Glen Beck and the tea-baggers are worse,” might be true but it’s also setting the bar at the bottom of Marianas Trench.

• [2k]

  When your quiet, reserved and cool friend suddenly ‘snaps’ and shouts some idiot down, the fold usually react like an nuclear weapon just went off up their koosies.
  But when your inveterate, loud, obnoxious and angry friend does it nobody bats an eyelid because, well… (s)he’s like that all the time.

  The clique will often side with the Loud One over the Quiet One in these exchanges. I mean, Gosh! You didn’t need to freak out like that.
  Methinks we need to check the temperature of the water we’re in.
  And it’s deep too.

• [minTphresh]

  as a whore, i take deep offense at this unkind analogy.

• [Anonymous]

  Hmm, calling a woman a whore – I wonder why that might be perceived as uncool …

• [valdis]

  Right up there with Barney “On what planet do you spend most of your time?” Frank. We need more people like him and Grayson.

• [Boba Fett Diop]

  Unpleasant rhetoric on talk radio? I may clutch my pearls!

• [Brainspore]

  Talk radio is the broadcast equivalent of YouTube comments minus the thoughtful discourse.

• [benher]

  mod Brainspore +5 Insightful and grant him ogre-slaying privileges! If only there were such a thumbs-up icon in the boingboing comments…