Mike Payne

September 30, 2009

By now you have no doubt heard that Florida Congressman Alan Grayson—who looks disturbingly like a hybrid of Peter Griffin and the Bob?s Big Boy mascot—ruffled some feathers Tuesday night by saying the Republican healthcare plan could be summarized as ?die quickly.?

Facing demands for an apology and the threat of formal rebuke from Georgia Representative Tom Price, Mr. Grayson ruffled still more feathers with his Wednesday ?apology😕 “I apologize to the dead and their families that we haven’t voted sooner to end this holocaust in America.”

You may recall that Grayson made a name for himself some months back when he gallantly caught Ben Bernanke flat-footed while quizzing him about some mysterious swaps with foreign central banks. Showing he?s no one-hit wonder, Grayson has once again seized the topic of the moment and propelled himself onto the viral video charts.

If Grayson wants to stay there, the best thing he can do is keep refusing to apologize. After all, contrition won?t win him any Republicans, and by remaining defiant, he becomes a hero to the Democrats who think Obama sold out on healthcare. If the Republicans do bother tagging him with a demerit badge, the smart play would be to wear it proudly. Why not? Grayson has already shown his knack for prop comedy.

Regardless of how this plays out, it will no doubt lead to further cries about the ?decline of public discourse? and the ugliness of a ?partisan? and ?polarized? nation. And look for at least one hack to claim Grayson?s ?apology? insults Hitler?s victims, to be followed by retorts that that accusation insults Grayson?s own ethnic background.

More on this non-story as it develops.