Alan Grayson Calls a Whore a Whore

Beltway Insiders are beginning to realize that attacking Alan Grayson comes with a price: you get crushed... like a bug. Before Grayson went off to law school and began a career holding war profiteers and corporate Bush cronies accountable, he studied economics... at Harvard. And then, unlike any other members of Congress, worked for several years as an economist. So last month when Enron's head lobbyist, Linda Robertson, reborn as the Fed's head lobbyist, attacked congressmen pushing for an audit of the Fed-- primarily Grayson and Ron Paul-- as ignorant of the difference between monetary policy and fiscal policy, Grayson reacted by pointing out that Robertson has a long and well-known career as a "K Street whore." She shills for whoever pays her. When it was Enron, she helped them steal billions of dollars from taxpayers and rate-payers and now that it's the Fed, she is crawling around DC starting whispering campaigns about members of Congress who are demanding the audit that the Fed dreads more than anything. Her problem, of course, is that more than half the members of Congress have signed on to the bill calling for the audit. So she's going after Ron Paul and Alan Grayson, the two who are pushing this the hardest.

Suddenly, the month old exchange showed up-- courtesy of Robertson an undisclosed p.r. operative-- on Red State and Politico last night. The right, punked as usual, is aflame with indignation about Grayson calling this wonderful civil servant a whore. But some things transcend partisan ID, political party, ideology and the rest, not the least of which is the class solidarity of the Inside the Beltway elite. Alan Grayson didn't say they should all be lined up against a wall and shot; he probably wouldn't even agree with that as an excellent way to help get the country back on a good footing-- especially because there actually are some good one in the lot. But those good ones do not reside on K Street and no one not of that K Street Culture of Corruption world would count Linda Robertson as one of the good guys. She was, after all, the head of Enron's lobbying office-- a position that defines the word "whore." The outraged and offended congressmembers-- who realize a charge like this is an affront to all of their self-proclaimed senses of dignity-- would probably rather not discuss the substance of the claim.

The characterization is a little too close for comfort for almost any member of Congress, since so many of them are whores as well, taking immense sums of money from the very corporations on whose interests they are legislating. Hence the outrage over Grayson's plainspoken declaration. Robertson's current job is to paint a rosy picture of an institution, the Fed, at the heart of the near collapse of the American financial structure. A former close associate of Wall Street shill Lawrence Summers and of bankster Robert Rubin, Robertson was already blackballed for a job at Treasury because the Obama Administration was still trying to persuade people (and itself) that they didn't hire lobbyists.

Now, you might ask, are all lobbyists whores? Well, maybe not a lobbyist for the Society for the Ethical Treatment of Animals or a lobbyist for a firm urging the beating of swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks-- but that's not the kind of lobbyist Robertson has ever been. Pure and simple, Grayson hit that nail on the head: she's long been a K Street whore. Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) took Grayson's remark quite personally-- and for good reason. Shrieking that Grayson "is out of control"-- one of the reasons why so many Americans love him-- she didn't mention that she sits on the Committee on Natural Resources (and it's subcommittee on water and power) and has solicited immense sums of money (thinly veiled bribes) from forest products companies, oil and gas companies, and electric utilities and, coincidentally, I'm sure, always votes in their interests and against the public interest. And if people start calling lobbyists like Linda Robertson whores, how long before they start realizing that the Honorable Congresswoman from Spokane is also a whore-- as are almost all of her colleagues.

Of course it isn't only corrupt Republicans who found Grayson's candid assessment a little too close for comfort. The king of Democratic Party congressional whores, the Honorable Steny Hoyer, called the remark "inappropriate and unfair." Steny's office once asked me to interview him-- it was when he was running for Majority Leader and noticed I was far from a fan of his rival, Jack Murtha (another corrupt disgrace)-- and only asked I observe one ground rule. "Please don't call him a shill or a whore." Ron Paul's legions, on the other hand, knew exactly what Grayson was talking about. If you don't know about K Street whores, may I suggest you read a fantastic book by Ken Silverstein, Turkmeniscam, the exposé on the relationship between lobbyists and members of Congress and those looking to buy congressional support.

I might add that the Blue America ActBlue page, Getting Grayson's Back is still open.

 

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Comments

[Mikyung Lim]

Whawoooo, it feels like taking a shower of gut-gripping, electricfying truth of politics.
Rep. Grayson's choice of word """""Whore ! """"""" surely targeted to provoke this effect on people's mind. And definitely, he got it !
It's great to hear "Gut-gripping" roar of political truth in his "RAW" voice. I prefer this straightforwardness of a person who is actually working hard on right politics, rather than hearing the gossip news of certain politicians who have used their "Public Servants' Positions" as launch pad for womanizing "LADIES."
In this case, the word, "Whore", is not a sexist remark. It's a strategic remark with symbolic meaning, gender-neutral, applicable to both men & women.

[Coyote Country]

If the Dems loose cannon Grayson worked for a corporation and said this about a female employee, a nice settlement would be in the making for the woman, the man would surely get fired, and the US legal system to protect people from work place harassement would have worked. Why then can this clown be exempt from the laws. The whole state of Florida should be working to send this Neanderthal man back to his cave.

[Szin]

Huh? If Grayson worked for a corporation and said it about an employee in ANOTHER corporation I don't see how he would be held to any kind of account. THAT is a more apt comparison that what you typed.

I'd love to see this woman he spoke of defend herself from this charge in a court of law... It would be hilarious I'm sure given that the dictionary definition of the word isn't gender biased at all.

[graycjennifer]

The history of the word whore, however, is very gender specific. That it has come to mean "compromising one's principals for person gain" doesn't erase it's origins or the over-riding meaning most glean from it's use. Great that politicians are stooping so low as to use a misogynist term to define something "gender neutral" - no matter how progressive and intelligent they may be. It makes him look sexist. Perhaps if he had chosen a different word, his point wouldn't be lost in the uproar of the term.

[Szin]

OH and just to assuage your fears, I and many of my friends are working hard to make sure he stays where he is.

Hope that helps you sleep at night :)

[ladybug7]

I would like to see him go after the senate seat up for grabs so I could vote for him too.

[David Soll]

CoyoteCountry,

You seem to not realize the context of Mr. Grayson's use of the word 'whore'... he did not call her an atypical street 'whore' (who seduces your boyfriend or husband into bed, sometimes for money, sometimes just because she can)... but he called her a corporate 'whore' (Who takes money from corporations and then proceeds to spew the talking-points and created lies from said corporatio­ns)... which is exactly what that particular woman is!

So why on Earth should he apologize? For what exactly? Speaking the truth? Even my wife agrees with this take and she is one of those strong willed feminist types! Perhaps you are not seeing the context and that is why you are so blind to the obvious...­?

[ladybug7]

it was an unfortunate choice of words, but anyone with an IQ higher than broccoli knows it was not intended as a sexist remark. No one on the right seemed to have a problem last week when Glenn Beck called Mary Landrieu a prostitute for bargaining for $100M in medicaid relief in exchange for her vote on the healthcare bill. At least she was bargaining for something to help her citizens and state, not the corporate elite.

[Prudens]

To the blogger: Ron Paul is a Republican. She attacked both parties. Also, whether we agree or disagree, his behavior is kind of low for a person elected to on of the highest offices in the land. I do agree he should go after FED appointed criminals though.

[stevelaudig]

If she [Enron's head lobbyist, Linda Robertson], is not one, then she’s the only lobbyist who isn’t.

[PJM1760]

Query how Alan Grayson would feel if someone who didn't agree with one of his daughters simply called them a whore. The fact is that he used a sexualized gender based term to insult a woman who had the nerve to try to tell him something regarding a topic on which he considers himself an expert. I don't care if he used it for a lobbyist, the fact is that he used it. It was completely inappropriate and uncalled for. The only decent thing for Alan Grayson to do is retract the statement and apologize to Ms. Robertson and his daughters.

[3015551212]

Agreed.

[Szin]

I see... so all attention whores are women then?

Fact is he already did appologize though he shouldn't have.

I'm also quite sure his daughters are being raised to understand what a K-street whore is and how they will never be called one.

[brdatwork2]

Doesn't his definition of "whore" describe us all then?? Aren't we all whores for whatever company we work for??

[hattrick752]

Go Grayson. We will watch your back from here in California!

[blaharumph]

thank you. great article!

[audadvnc]

Rep. Grayson is on a roll! In the past month he has rocketed to the top of the charts in the progressive blogosphere - what a star he is becoming.

Bush & Cheney had Sen Paul Wellstone "accidented" because they were afraid he was going to be like this. But those damned resonsible adults just keep popping outta the woodwork!

[WellTickleMeWillie]

Rep Alan Grayson - a breath of fresh air for once coming out of the stench that is Washington DC.