Did Alan Grayson go too far this time?

There he was on C-SPAN again, a big poster board at his side. Was U.S. Alan Grayson giving an encore presentation of his "die quickly" health care speech? Alas, no.

But the poster did point to a new Web site, namesofthedead.com, and the Orlando Democrat urged people who have lost loved one due to inadequate health care to visit and leave their names as a remembrance and call for Congressional action.

Republicans cried foul Wednesday because the site has a link to Grayson's campaign Web site, suggesting he broke House ethics rules barring the mix of official business with campaigning.

UPDATE 1: Patricia Sullivan, a resident of the 8th Congressional District of Florida and a candidate for Alan Grayson's seat, will be filing a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics against Grayson. "It is time for Representative Grayson to be held accountable for his wreckless behavior," she said.

UPDATE 2: Grayson has removed the link to his campaign web site.

UPDATE 3: Grayson speaks: "There are no violations. Once again, the Republicans are trying to change the subject from what matters to what doesn't matter."

Comments

[John Russell, MS/ARNP, MBA Health Systems Mgt.]

Alan Grayson could not be more correct in his assertions! The INSURANCE INDUSTRY operates profitably despite GROSS STRUCTURAL INEFFICIENCIES by displacing RISK=COST on to the backs of BOTH patients and providers of health care services.

Let's review HOW the INSURANCE Industry accomplishes this task and makes $money$...

FIRST: They DENY insurance COVERAGE to people who might present a risk of a claim even in the most remote sense.

I was denied coverage by Humana for absolutely NO good reason other than the fact that I am a Male who is FIFTY years of age. This Gender/Age cohort is more likely to generate claims which of course would represent a COST to the INSURER.

SECOND: The INSURERS DENY COVERAGE for medically necessary services tha should be covered... E.G., the old physician arguing with the claims clerk at the insurance company over a CT Scan for a head injury as a fellow advocate for Single Payer Health Care Reform Dr. Greg Silver pointed out in THIS Video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2INV-rf_bEk

THREE: The INSURANCE Industry generates profit for themselves by displacing RISK=COST on to Physicians/Providers by BOTH DENYING and DELAYING payment for medically necessary services that are covered by a given policy/contract.

Make NO mistake, people die quietly every day across this nation because of the industry policies that in a much more convoluted and complicated fashion accomplish what I have quite simply explained here.

The actions as well as in-actions taken by Congress, the Senate and President Obama on health care legislation are likely to strengthen rather than weaken the grip of Corporate America on the way we distribute and pay for health care or not in this country.

Representative Grayson is 100% correct in his heroic statements that really tell little more than the unvarnished TRUTH about what goes on EVERY day in this country.

My question is WHY has no one compared the irrefutable benefit of merely "amending" Medicare to allow us the CHOICE/OPTION of OPEN ENROLLMENT in the program for Americans of ALL ages? BEcause such a simple solution IS the BEST solution for our nation's citizens as well as the American Economy!

Medicare for All: The details are not so scary...

Americans who opted to enroll in Medicare for ALL would then pay a premium to Medicare according to their ability to pay with a maximum cap so that e.g., Warren Buffett would not pay a higher premium than Donald Trump were they to choose hypothetically to enroll in the program.

The inherent and well documented efficiencies of Medicare supported by a dramatic influx of new younger enrollees who in general would use much less health care services than the current cohort of Medicare beneficiaries, would BOTH eliminate the fiscal inadequacies of Medicare predicted in the relative near term, while also allowing reimbursement levels to rise for providers... so that nearly ALL physicians would choose to participate in the Medicare program. Example here for review...

http://www.johnrussellforcongress.com/page.asp?PageId=37

FINALLY... to the baseless point of this smear campaign against Rep. Grayson...

Alan is about the ONLY person in the public eye that is actually standing in front of the "Tanks of Tiannemen" arrayed against the American public in this matter so vital to our national well-being.

The Health Care Divide truly is The battle of "The Haves vs The Have NOTS!"

As a citizen as well as a provider of Health Services I feel that is is my duty to support those with the courage to speak THE TRUTH!

THANK YOU ALAN FOR YOUR COURAGE IN PUTTING TO BEST USE THE ESTEEMED POSITION THAT YOU HOLD! Your Friend, John Russell, Dade City, Fl

[Tom in Tampa Bay]

The smear campaign against Grayson is only going to intensify after his recent joint effort with Ron Paul to delay the reappointment of Helicopter Ben Bernanke as Fed Head.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/10/08/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5371465.shtml

We poor tax paying schmoes certainly cannot have either transparancy or accountability from that massive unconstitutional institution that does nothing but protect the interests of the financial oligarchs who really run this country.

The Federal Reserve is as federal as Federal Express and it needs to be subjected to a real audit in order to find out just how much of tha bailout money went to Goldman Sachs and the rest of the banksters who immediatly went back into the gambling business and are in the process of inflating an even bigger bubble than ever with the phony stock market rally that is a miracle of modern propaganda that would make Joseph Goebbels proud.

TT

[It's only a matter of time until he hurts someone]

Grayson is crazier than a run over dog.

[tc]

The republicans seem to have their collective panties in a knot over Grayson. Perhaps if they were intellectually honest Grayson's comments wouldn't be so toxic to those protecting insurance companies profits.

Then, too, having Palin claiming 'death panels' is just as crazy as other far right fringe assertions that have no basis in reality.

[bigearl]

Daniel Webster where are you? Please help save our country.

[whasup]

The first poster here is exactly the problem with special interests who support so called "health care reform".

Members of the health care-industrial complex simply want to cut the insurers and lawyers out of the huge and growing health care money pie, so they can divvy up more among themselves as health care providers.

These are the same special interest folks who currently defraud and game Medicare and Medicaid resulting in 30-40% waste in those out-of-control government programs.

As for Grayson, he proves he can't think straight by pointing out many die from lack of health insurance. The fact is that many more people die every year who DO have health insurance. So what's his point--other than that he is stupid?

The only other point is that the health care-industrial complex can't make money off of those without health insurance, so they want a direct pipeline into the taxpayers' pocket via huge federal government spending programs to feather their own nests.

The complex reminds me of the Pentagon, using the genuine needs of our troops, to extort money out of the rest of us on behalf of the military-industrial complex.

[Gator(R)]

Maybe he could also post notes from those who are alive because of the health care we received. 4 in my family alone would post.

People die all over the world because of inadequate health care, even in countries that have 'free' health care for all.

One of main issues is that costs are rising faster than income, its becoming unaffordable for most working people. If you don't work you qualify for Medicaid. Insurance profits aren't the primary driver, a public option won't fix that without potentially jeapordizing the level of health care most of us currently receive.

For those of you critical of the right for fanning the flames on this issue, I hope you aren't defending this nut job.

[dumb question]

Too far? What are you 85 years old?

No, this should have been done by the Obama admin 2 years ago while they were campaigning.

[A Nurse]

We should all stop yelling about who should or should not have health care. Everyone should! The problem is not who has it but how it is used, wasted and how much it costs. I work in an ER and see waste and abuse day after day. Illegals with no insurance, medicaid and medicare patients coming in via ambulance for non emergency problems, under insured and uninsured patient flood the ER with minor complaints. We have patients calling the ambulance for an upset stomach, tooth aches or just not feeling, or they say they are there because they ran out of meds and a whole list of non emergency problems that could and should be handled at a clinic or Doctors office. They along with the Doctors who have to cover their back side by doing complete work ups on these patients are running up the costs of health care. Add to this the drug companies, lawyers, insurance companies and the for profit hospitals and that becomes the real problem. It is not who is insured that is the problem it the WASTE that needs to be eliminated.

[Randall Stevens]

Is there any truth to the report released by one of Obama's departments that say health care costs will increase under one of the plans under consideration?

[Grayson=not smart]

how about we make a website with the names of all the dead unborn children your party has so fearlessly handled Alan...where's that site? How about all the victims of violent crime that can be attributed to your party's soft on crime kum-baya penal system? How about the children receiving sub standard education because all the money goes to your entitlement programs? Lets see all of those sites...then we can talk. Now SIT DOWN.

[glenn beck! tell us!]

I want to know why Glenn Beck isn't denying that he raped and murdered a girl in 1990. Seriously, we need to know.

[Grayson is nuts]

Alan Grayson is an inspiring figure who is an uplifting presence in our national debate and discourse over this important issue. He truly is someone that parents can point to as a leader and a statesman.

Nah, he's just a self agrandizing couche.

[Lying hypocrites]

7:42 Are you pretending you care when people get hurt? You don't seem to mind when the health insurance scammers do it. But that is the famous Republican double standard. Like murdering doctors is okay. Teen girls dying of back alley abortions is okay. But the Sanctity of Life, lordy lordy, is SACRED. Except when it's not. Like in Iraq. or Afganistan. Or where there is oil. or brown people. or New Orleans. Admit it, you idiots, the only reason there IS a republican party is because you pander to rich people. You have no principles, no ideas, just a me me me philosophy that is completely unshakable. Amen, Hallelujah Holy crap.

[Douglas J. De Clue]

First of all www.namesofthedead.com does NOT link to Alan's campaign site.

Patty Sullivan has filed bogus ethics charges against Alan Grayson apparently because she doesn’t know the difference between Alan and Tom Feeney:

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2009/10/tea-party-cand-to-file-ethics-complaint-vs-grayson.html#comments

You can actually download and read the House Ethics guide on line. I just did.

http://ethics.house.gov/Media/PDF/2008_House_Ethics_Manual.pdf

Based on the pages she lists: 38, 123, 127, 131, and 176 clearly she must have confused Alan with Tom Feeney. All those pages talk about is accepting travel gifts from lobbyists. That's Tom Feeney (R-Jack Abramoff) folks, not Alan.

Doug De Clue
Orlando, FL

[Gator(R)]

10:50

I understand Roman Polanski was his alibi.

[get-smart]

I will not be ignored -

It sounds like we came full circle, 'due to inadequate health care.' Insurance is not health care. Health care comes from the doctors, nurses and hospitals.

Have the doctors, nurses and hospitals work for free. That would solve the problem.

'06 deaths in the US were 2,425,900. Assuming the 44,000 that die from 'inadequate health care,' the calculation would be 2,381,900 that die with adequate health care.

It seems to me if 98% die due to 'adequate health care' and 2% die due to 'inadequate health care,' you are far better served with 'inadequate health care.'

As Mao said, 'the doctors bury their mistakes.'
---------
Life expectancy at birth hit a record high in 2006 of 78.1 years, a 0.3 increase from 2005. Record high life expectancy was recorded for both white males and black males (76 years and 70 years respectively) as well as for white females and black females (81 years and 76.9 years).

The preliminary number of deaths in the United States in 2006 was 2,425,900, a 22,117 decrease from 2005.

http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2008/r080611.htm
----------
If Lord Grayson, the Hebrew messiah with a conscience, cares so much about the afflicted, he should become a nurse.

This whole deal is nothing more than a transfer of wealth from the producers to the non-taxpaying third world underclass.

Health care is a black hole that will suck every dollar you have.
*******
So how much do you owe?
http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Cheers -

[MenckenJr]

This is a big yawn. Republicans are intellectually bankrupt so this is the best they can do. Crist and Pepe LeMieux are only surviving by pretending to not be what passes for a Republican these days. If they actually came out of the closet (so to speak) on energy and environmental issues they'd both be gainfully employed as Wal-Mart greeters before they ever held elective office again.

[Grayson=not smart]

intellectually bankrupt? Oh that's right - Al Gore invented the internet, good thing you guys had him. And two Nobel Peace prize winners that have achieved a collective zero in the peace front. I'm so tired of the elitist Democrat academic attitude already, and you've only been back in power for 2 years. Maybe Perot or Ron Paul were the better picks.

[george]

"ethics"...."repooplikans"?

yeah, right!

the selfserving skum cant take the light of truth and facts!!

gator(r)...maybe you fail to understand that people DIE not because of inadequate care but the failure to deliver by conglomerates far too interested in $$$$ than lives....freakingjackass!!

$50,000+ PER HOUR pay for top insurance company executives is more indefensible than i can imagine.............and you?!!

[did glenn beck rape and murder a girl in 1990?]

why does everything get-smart write always sound so-dumb?

[menckenjr]

Yes, not-smart, intellectually bankrupt. They keep going back to their glory days and repackaging stuff that didn't work the first time, hoping we won't notice and will let them try it a second time.

[Gator(R)]

2:34

Interesting that you criticize 'get-smart' as sounding dumb, yet your 'name' makes you sound like some sort of nut-job conspiracy theorist.

I imagine you weren't so upset by Kennedy essentially murdering a young lady, or at least was negligent in her death - we were blessed with that prize in the Senate for over 30 years.

Basically, anyone who posts something that contradicts meckenjr.'s deep thoughts must be 'intellectually bankrupt.' One of the all time great terms that sounds impressive, but is basically meaningless.

You are writing off everything that get-smart posts because you disagree with it. That is intellectually lazy. My own personal contribution to stupid blanket condemnations.

Simply because Republicans oppose many of Obama's initiatives, doesn't mean they want the status quo. Who do you think lost most of the money in the crash - probably Republicans. Granted, more Republicans probably have health insurance they are happy with.

And what about welfare - Dems don't want to touch that and it has worked so well.

[did glenn beck rape and murder a girl in 1990?]

i think it's funny you write this "Who do you think lost most of the money in the crash - probably Republicans"

look at registration statistics. there are WAY more democrats than there are republicans. look at where those numbers pan out -- you think there is great wealth in the midwest or in rural areas?? that's where the republicans dominate....yet the number is still significantly smaller.
also, to simplify greatly, there are two groups of republicans - wealthy individuals and those that vote based on faith-oriented beliefs. which group do you think constitutes the largest portion of the registered republicans?

""Who do you think lost most of the money in the crash - probably Republicans" probably not at all.

[ronnie]

at nearly 65, i know i shouldnt be surprised or astonished BUT.....

i am none the less appalled every time one scratches just a little deeper on a "conservative" one discovers there simply is NO SOUL inside, where real, normal people have souls -- only greed and selfishness!

i wonder how that is a way to live....SOULLESS?

[Tom in Tampa Bay]

Republicans: No bigger bullies when they are in power, no bigger whiners when they are out.

They need to just shut the hell up and go away until they are able to find some sort of adult leadership that can purge the party of the Palin pinhead populists and the Jesus freaks once and for all.

TT

[9corona, Orland FL]

LMAO - there are a lot of Democrat's, like myself, who firmly believe - our last vote for Grayson was just that, our last.

I don't care what party you belong to or whether your red/blue, con/lib, right/left... These elected officials are just getting up on soap boxes to milk more money for their future elections.

I look forward to grayson's next primary....

[Deb]

Grayson is great. He isnt a typical politician and he hasnt learned the boring doublespeak. I would be proud to have him as a representative. He fights for people like me.

[get-smart]

(Back door opens)

Son: Mom! I'm home!

Mother: How was the movie Dear .. was it scary?

Son: It sucked! I knew it would suck when all the old people came in. I was wondering, where was Mikey. He said he was going to meet me and Bobbie there inside... I think he was goofing on us.

Mother: Did you go in the right theater .. they have 6 theaters, you know?

Son: Yeah. It said 'Black Hole!' right out front .. the picture on the sign showed a black hole with some old people in wheelchairs being sucked in.

Mother: Well, let me look in the St. Pete Times to see what is showing .. ok there are two theaters playing the 'Black Hole.' Oh! wait I see the problem .. There are two different 'Black Hole' movies. Theater-3 is showing 'Black Hole - It Came From Beyond' and you went to Theater-6, which was playing 'Black Hole - More Diseases, More Machines, More Money.'

Son: Oh! Cripes Mom! .. can I have an advance on my allowance so I can see the right 'Black Hole' movie .. not some stupid old people movie ... everyone in school has seen it except me.

Mother: I'm sorry son, I can't do that now since the gov't raised taxes on health care insurance. Your father and I are running a little short too.

Son: Ooooh! This Sucks!

Cheers -

[menckenjr]

I like Grayson. He's straightforward and isn't afraid to call them like he sees them, and the insurance companies and their Republican rent-boys really hate having the truth told about them.

[help]

how do i disable comments from get-smart?
they sound like a conversation with a retarded homeless person begging for change.