Today, Alan Grayson launched a website that wasn't entirely well thought out. The concept was great: let's put some names to the tens of thousands who die from lack of health insurance every year, so it's more than just an incomprehensible number.
Sadly, the initial iteration put up allowed users to list names on the front page with no moderation. Oops - if you allow punking on the internet, punking on the internet will happen.
He reacted well, though. For now, the site's just taking names, not showing them, while it's decided how to deal with fakers. But I'd like to share his reactions to TPM over the fold, because they're priceless.
He highlighted the lack of respect exhibited by those punking the site:
Well, this is typical of the Republicans. They show no respect, even for the dead.
He defended the site, eloquently:
I can't really tell you how I first got the idea for it. But I can tell you there are many memorials that are very moving. They're all around D.C., and everyone who visits D.C. gives some thought to the people we lost, and I think this is a very fitting way to show these people that we respect them and we miss them. We miss them, and we love them. The people who are gone because they didn't get the health care they needed are just as important as everyone else. And the fact that certain elements of the political spectrum deny their existence only makes it that much more important that we remember them by naming them and honoring them.
But my absolute favorite part, and this is a line every Democrat should have on hand for responding to nontroversies:
What I've done here is to set up a memorial to honor the people we've lost. Isn't that more important than xeroxing the latest NRCC rant?
Bravo! Robert Gibbs - next time they ask you why you think Fox is biased - it's because their news anchors, every day, xerox the latest NRCC rant. That's your answer, not because of the commentary shows like Hannity and Beck, horrible as they are, but because the supposedly straight news programs function to propagate GOP talking points, and they've set an example that the entire rest of news media has followed.