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I'm going to miss our old friend Alan Grayson who apparently isn't going to leave the House quietly. Grayson took to the House floor to point out just how much some of the talking heads over at Fox are going to benefit from an extension of the Bush tax cuts.

You could say the same thing about the lot of the cable "news" hosts and I'm sure it's not just going to be some of the ones at Fox that are happy to see their tax rates stay low if those extensions get passed, but I don't think it ever hurts to have a reminder just how much these bloviators are over-paid to come on the air and pretend that they've actually got anything in common with the working people they claim to be in touch with.

There are plenty of rich people who care about the working class and our interests, but this group is definitely not among them. The prime time serial liars on Fox and the hate talkers like Limbaugh are definitely in a class of their own with the damage they've inflicted on America.

Colby Hall at Mediaite took the time to transcribe Grayson's statements which I'll share here. Stay away from that site's comments section unless you want to take a trip into Freeperville.

Madam Speaker, we’ve heard endless braying from the Republicans, time after time, demanding an extension of tax cuts for the rich in this country. They tell us that somehow extending tax cuts for the rich will somehow create jobs. When we’ve had tax cuts for the rich for nine years and I haven’t noticed a lot of jobs being created in nine years.

They tell us it will boost the economy well I haven’t noticed that happening for nine years either. So you have to wonder why they persist in this mania, this obsession of theirs that we need to have tax cuts for the rich when the economy is flat on its back and unemployment is almost 10%. I think I have the answer. The answer turns out to be very simple.

They want tax cuts for the rich because they want a tax cut for themselves. What do I mean by that? Let’s take a look at the people who are really in charge, the ones who actually run the Republican party.

Let’s start with this gentleman here, the man with the cigar, Rush Limbaugh. Doesn’t he look happy? According according to Newsweek, he makes $58.7 million a year, and extending the tax cuts means he’ll have another $2.7 million. Mega dittos, Rush, and mega money. Let’s look at the next one.

Here’s Glenn Beck, according to Newsweek Glenn Beck makes $33 million a year as a pundit and extending the Bush Tax Cuts means a cool $1.5 million for Glenn bBeck’s ongoing imitation of Howard Beale from Network. Now let’s look at the next one.

Sean Hannity. Newsweek says that Sean Hannity, this man of the people makes $22 million a year from his act on Fox. And that means the Bush Tax cuts mean an extra $1 million. $1 million for Sean Hannity. Maybe he can afford some anger management classes. Let’s take a look at the next one.

Bill O’Reilly. He makes a modest $20 million a year from his gig on Fox. That means that the Bush tax cuts give him not quite seven figures, nearly $914,000 of extra cash. It’s easy to see why Bill O’Reilly wants to see the Bush tax cuts extended. And I have to say, he’s no pinhead when it comes to that.

And Now, Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin has made $14 million this year from cashing in on her fame. In fact, she’s done a better job of turning fame into cash than anyone in American history. $14 million. So she wants the Bush tax cuts extended so she can make an extra cool $638,000. As she was — as she would gesture (shoulder shrug.)

And now on to Newt Gingrich, the man who did such a great job of running America in the 1990’s, he wants a second chance in this decade. Newt if you do to us now what you did to us then, we’ll be in trouble. But Newt Gingrich makes $5 million a year from his punditry, he’ll get an extra quarter million dollars a year. An extra quarter million dollars a year from the Bush tax cuts being extended.

Now let’s go on to the big cheese. George W. Bush himself. The man who got us into two endless war. The man who brought us to the brink of national bankruptcy. The man who gave us $4 a gallon gasoline. George W. Bush makes a cull $4.2 million a year, according to Newsweek. That means that extending the bush tax cuts for George Bush means an extra $187,000 in his pockets every single year.

I have a better idea. Instead of placating these people and letting them spew out onto the airwaves their lies about the Bush tax cut ever revealing the fact that they stand to gain millions, millions of dollars each year from their selfish desire to take advantage of the rest of America, let’s do this. Let’s take that money and create jobs.

All that money that the Bush tax cuts are charging us that can create jobs for three million Americans a year. $30,000 job a fair wage for fair work, a dignified wage for dignified work and a way to — a dignified wage for dignified work and a way to help our economy, a better idea than putting money in the pocks of the rich. The problem is not that the poor have too much money, that’s not the problem at all, it’s that they need jobs. Thank you.

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34 Comments
appnzllr's picture

The people of his district in Florida made a big mistake. We need this kind of person in Congress.

Kreskin's picture

America the Beautiful with it's population of absolute dumb fucks , Florida voters ousting Grayson being a prime example , is doomed , combine this electorate with a President and his party who are absolutely spineless , total wimps who will not ever draw a line and make a stand on anything , who absolutely will not fight for anything , who act as if it would be a sin to expose the opposition for who and what they are , we are just plain screwed .


"The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all."

mr.ed's picture

He's been one of damn few of my political heroes. If he'd stayed up north he'd have a seat for life.

1967sox's picture

Ya it's a shame he fell victim to the all too typical dirt bag politics by sponsering an ad quoting his opponent so out of character that he even offended his liberal supporters. If he was doing such a bang up job, why didn't he just run on his record?

Joel's picture

How do we know he's a true American hero.. he lost his election. Well sometimes teabags just get in the way of clear sight. We hope to see more of this patriot.

... and I would not define her as a "patriot."


CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"

albabe's picture

Joel said:

"How do we know he's a true American hero.. he lost his election."

Are you trying to conflate some sort of relationship between those two variables? Because if you are... ah, never mind.


~albabe (The Writer/Artist Formally Known As Al Gordon)

http://www.comicon.com/gordon/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Gordon

ysbaddaden's picture
)O(

Diabolus est Deus Inversus

Patriot Actor's picture

Joel was exercising some sarcasm....
America is really the only country that is obsessive about patriotism....
a word that really doesn't mean shit....

It used to be 'what's the matter with Kansas'....but now....

ysbaddaden's picture
)O(

Morning traffic reports about snarled up traffic from mid-air collisions between farm girls, witches and Superboy...


Diabolus est Deus Inversus

thepoetryman's picture

...they know we are nearing the point of no return. There's too much noise in the world now, not enough peace, has been for some time. The wealthy know only too well that we, as a world, are destined for failure, and soon. They stockpile money in order to save themselves, unfortunately they'll be wrong and realize that, despite their riches, they'll be in the same boat with the rest of us.


Make no motto of love that worships war

ysbaddaden's picture
)O(

Tea is often thought to be stimulative, but coffee's better.


Diabolus est Deus Inversus

angryspittle's picture

His constituents are either zillionaires or fucking morons.

Geronimo.'s picture

We need Alan Grayson, Howard Dean, and Cynthia McKinney, and Russ Feingold to start some kind of a counter to the corporate Democratic Party. These people are valuable representatives of the American people. Hopefully they all run for president and bring it to the debates.


"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

... it may be quite the spectacle to witness the usual Dem party reps spend more time and effort trashing these Dem alternatives than the opposing GOP candidates.


CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"

emj's picture

...you are so right! These fighters for our rights are getting lost because of corporate money and the republican spin machine. It seems unstoppable. I wish I could do more. I work all the time just trying to keep up with my job and not get laid off. The middle class is being squeezed out and none of us can keep up with this insanity. Obama is being drowned out too. Help!!!!!!!!!!

1967sox's picture

I can't defend the Republicans and their hypocrisies, but a cold eyed look at the facts shows the Democrats do their fair share of staying in the pockets of big corporations as well. Face it, both parties have succumbed to big money and sold their souls to the devil.

Bayman1215's picture

How much does Murdoch and the Koch Brothers make and how much do they scam from the Bush Tax cuts for the corrupt? I really would like to know! I think we would all fall down when we see the figures!

kingdom2000's picture

I am going to miss Alan Grayson. Sadly he is about the only Democrat that has shown any fire and williness to stand by his beliefs. All the others happily bend over and take it rather than fight back. If only the party as a whole had his spine.

Also brilliant to show that the Fox News and GOP pundits have an ulterior motive for wanting to that $700 billion tax cut for the top 2%. It has nothing to do with fairness and mythical belief in job creation (what jobs are those pundits creating with their cuts?) nevermind that the last 9 years prove that idea to be moronic, but simply they want more. Anyone that thinks the GOP is doing the right thing with their stance (especially if claim to be a Tea Partier) just proves their ignorance and high level of hypocrisy.

emj's picture

We need more representatives like him!

pinkobait's picture

Fox News bristles with patriotic fervency,endless empty headed soul-less blathering about love of country and liberty and flags and apple pie etc while at the end of the day they are a gang of blood sucking vampires who contribute nothing.


"To me, truth is not some vague, foggy notion. Truth is real. And,
at the same time, unreal. Fiction and fact and everything in between,
plus some things I can't remember, all rolled into one big "thing."
This is truth, to me. "

-Jack Handy

ysbaddaden's picture
)O(

Malaria?


Diabolus est Deus Inversus

1967sox's picture

The fox newsers are most definitley pro keep their own money, but I believe a careful check of the facts would separate O'Reilly from that crowd. He has argued many times that people in his income bracket could and should pay more.

Sleestak's picture

In a couple days he will be a labeled a pinhead, Soros's half brother and unamerican

pinkobait's picture

It is truly infuriating to me that people like Beck and Limbaugh, who are so grossly overpaid -as evidenced by their daily actions- are essentially utterly worthless human beings.
They contribute nothing and take everything.


"To me, truth is not some vague, foggy notion. Truth is real. And,
at the same time, unreal. Fiction and fact and everything in between,
plus some things I can't remember, all rolled into one big "thing."
This is truth, to me. "

-Jack Handy

1967sox's picture
wow

Wow pinkobait, character assasination based on incomes you deem excessive. That's the kind of rhetoric that hurts people like myself who try and argue rationally and factually about issues. All any of us know of these entertainers is what they do on their shows. Thier bosses decide their monetary worth, like it or not. I am still glad I live in a country where they can have a job like theirs, no matter how detestible I find their on air rantings. Remember, they are entertainers.

Phylter's picture

There's a name for them.

Social Parasites

"They contribute nothing and take everything."

Chatsworth's picture

Imagine what kind of Democratic party it would be if we had more Alan Graysons in both the House and Senate,and not the weak,milquetoast Democrats that spend their time on national political shows turning the other cheek or laughing off their critics from the other side? Yeah,taking the high road has really worked out well there,huh? When are the moronic Democrats going to stop bringing knifes to a gun fight and pull a Grayson by hitting back and taking control of the narrative and soundbites?

1967sox's picture

Imagine what kind of government we would have if members of both parties actually tried to represent the people of this nation and not merely whomever writes the biggest check.

angryspittle's picture

In times of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.

bdtrppr6's picture

shame this guy is gone. the fact that he was ousted makes me very angry about america. we deserve all the bad we get, when we can no longer discern the true from the false. he may be no different than other politicians in their "false face" presentations(i'm looking at you obama), but i had hoped he would have a chance. i really wonder what is in store for our country. keep up the good fight however you can, mr. grayson.


Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn.
In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.

blackjack's picture

Alan Grayson was not outed by any thing local but the BIG MONEY of the CHAMBER of COMMERCE, which receives money from Foreign Governments and Foreign Companies, with the Backing of the UN-Holey Five(5) on the SUPREME COURT. THIS just the begging of the VERY,VERY ITCH CONTROLLING OUR GOVERNMENT. The REPUBLICAN PARTY is just an Extension of these Rich COMPANY.

EP3's picture

what a great man.

uboat's picture

Well if he can't get back into politics, you'd think there'd be a job for him in the media. He has a knack for saying things that get attention, and eyeballs on screens is what the media is all about.

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