Martin Luther and Alan Grayson

Martin Luther in 1533 by Lucas Cranach ( and current political example)

I cannot believe  I just wrote that title. It is in fact one of the more unlikely pairings that I could imagine. And until just recently, totally unimaginable. For the comparison, i must thank MSNBC’S Chris Matthews. So, how are these two individuals to be compared. Rep. Grayson, D, Fl has just recently made a speech in which he said the Republican health care plan was for people to die or else get sick and die quickly. Predictably, Republicans complained, Speaker Pelosi said it was no worse than Republicans had said, etc.

 

There have been calls for Mr Grayson to apologize or disavow , which he has steadfastly refused to do. Heady stuff for a first termer who barely squeaked into office. He has the limelight so why not run with it. Understandable since among other things it sure improves one’s name recognition. Shucks it may even help his fundraising. This aside that is really not connected to my title, but was so interesting I couldn’t resist a mention. Commenting on the media furor about Grayson’s  comments, New York Times  writer David Brooks said it was all a “media circus”. What he said next was just  was so funny to me, although he surely did not mean it to be. Remember the circus phrase. He said that the Republicans have guys that ” I consider loons and harmful for America-Glenn Beck,Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin-all those guys…” He should know there are no loons in a circus. I  would mention that his degree is from the university of Chicago but that would be a total diversion.

Ok, on to our comparison. Matthew had Grayson on his show on Friday and started off by mentioning his being in Berlin in 1989 when the wall fell and asking his colleague, John McLaughlin how Martin Luther was able to stand against  the church, presumably referring to his nailing of the 95 theses to the church door at Wittenberg on Halloween, 1517. Matthews asked how Grayson, like Luther against the church, knew he could stand against”clowns” like Limbaugh and the Republicans. Strange on multiple levels. How Limbaugh fit  into Grayson’s  health care comments and please tell me  how did Luther make the conversation?

And Matthews  (aka Mr Tingles) calls others clowns. By the way, Rep. Grayson professes not to care if his comments cost him re-election. He jus wants to save lives. Yet another example of a sacrificing Democrat.