November 6th, 2009:

via Rep. Alan Grayson: How the Republicans Failed to Cut Off My Health Care Speech

Last night, the House Republicans tried, and failed, to squelch a speech that I gave on health care last night…

…Here’s what happened.

I had reserved an hour on the Floor of the House for a “special order.” When the hour began, I noted that a Harvard study had concluded that 44,789 Americans die each year because they have no health insurance. I also noted that the Urban Institute had released figures on the number of uninsured in each Congressional district. Observing that every single House Republican had pledged to block health coverage for the insured, I then did the math:

“Alabama District 1, Congressman Jo Bonner, 114 dead.”
“Alabama District 3, Congressman Mike Rogers, 88 dead.”

I continued for 23 minutes, from Alabama to Ohio.

Have you heard of this on the news? I mean, have you heard one word of this on any main stream media outlet besides MSNBC? I haven’t and I’m a news hound.

It reminds me of the over 50 protests and marches on Washington and all over the world to stop/end the illegal Iraq invasion and subsequent illegal occupation. The main stream media didn’t cover those either. But let the Republicans have a small (attendance estimates range from 3000 to 8000 and let’s not forget the free bus rides to the event) angry protest on the steps of the Capital on Nov. 5th and every news outlet that exists is there. When something real and true happens, like Rep. Grayson’s “special order” on the House floor, then it’s too liberal for the public to see.

This special order displays the hard hitting style of Grayson. He puts the ugly truth in their faces. He makes the Republicans squirm like they are in an exorcism.

Fiction: A priest stands over the thrashing body of Mitch McConnell slinging holy water on him and singing his flesh. Vomit spews from McConnell. From his head lurches the Republican Demon and it is finall vanquished. The priest leans over McConnell to hear what he is weakly speaking and McConnell asks in a whisper, “Damn, what was I thinking when I blocked the health care bill?”

They went on to try every tactic in the book to shut him up because they could not stand the pain. They squealed like pigs.

Then the Republicans demanded that I “yield”, so they could object and interrupt me. I said no: “My time is limited, and I intend to use it.” Flustered, the Republicans then asked my words “words be taken down,” and threatened to call a roll-call vote, at 8 p.m., on whether I should be sanctioned. This halted the proceedings, as you can see here.

The House staff informed the Republicans that I had violated no rule of the House. The Republicans then insisted on reviewing a recording of my speech, going through it with a fine-tooth comb to see if there was anything objectionable. They found nothing. Then they asked to “ring the bells” before the proceedings resumed, wasting another 15 minutes. Finally, after an hour of Republican stalling, I finished the list:

“Wyoming, Congressman Cynthia Lummis, 73 dead.”

 And so on.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-alan-grayson/how-the-republicans-faile_b_347177.html&cp