One fry short of a Happy Meal?
That's what the usually very erudite Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) said when he heard that Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) had called female lobbyist Linda Robinson (an advisor to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke) "a K Street whore."
Some people cheered, others thought Grayson should issue an apology...which he did.
Republicans were rubbing their hands with glee, adding this little disrespectful-of-women tidbit to the opposition-research material they're collecting to use against him in 2010.
But the harshest rebukes came from Grayson’s own party...like when his fellow Democrat Weiner said: "Is this news to you that this guy’s one fry short of a Happy Meal?"
Then Weiner must've felt bad that he called a fellow Dem nuts, because he later apologized.
"Alan Grayson is a friend and an extraordinary member of Congress. No obviously playful comment from me should distract from the important role Rep. Grayson has played in focusing on the true and tragic costs of our broken health care system...He is a leader and a patriot."
A lot of people think Grayson's remark wasn't reckless at all, that it was the truth...that he should've added 'thief' and 'dirtbag' as well...that all of K Street should be declared a red light district.
But, then other people think Grayson's remark was over the top. Maybe because it's a gender thing. Maybe we can't call female political whores, "whores." Maybe nobody would've said anything if she'd been a man.
Maybe Grayson should've just asked what the hell a former ENRON lobbyist is doing giving complex financial advice to the Fed Chairman? But then, that wouldn't have drawn all this attention to the fact.
Some politicians probably think Grayson’s been having way too much fun anyway. A while back he suddenly became a media darling and hero of liberal Democrats when he gave a speech on the House floor suggesting that the Republican approach to health care is: "Don't get sick...but if you do get sick, die quickly."
That one quote focused a lot of attention on the fact the GOP has no plan, other than saying "NO" to anything and everything Obama and the rest of America wants.
All of a sudden this unknown, first term Congressman from Florida was all over TV...talking policy with Keith Olbermann, being interviewed by Wolf Blitzer, yakking it up with James Carville.
He was even quipping jokes on Bill Maher's ‘Real Time’: "The GOP’s idea of healthcare reform is letting you take a gun to the doctor’s office."
I couldn't help but like this guy. I mean anyone who calls Dick Cheney a vampire, or Rush Limbaugh a "has-been hypocrite loser" is alright with me.
Yet, Grayson’s 15 minutes of fame may be running out. On the one hand, it's good to have Democrats who are not afraid to stand up and speak their mind...but then it's risky if they start to get a little too much pleasure out of being a media star. We don't want him more interested in making himself famous than he is in doing good works.
And we want a little more - what's the word? - finesse in those we set up as the next big political star.
Anyway, Grayson is wrong...the lobbyist in question is not a whore, she's a john. The congresscritters who take her money and do her bidding are the whores.
