Ingrate Alan Grayson, soon-to-be-retired Florida congressman
If (a) life were fair and (b) if Congressman Alan Grayson was rational, he’d issue an immediate apology to Blackwater. But we’d bet on (c) Don’t hold your breath.
Wired.com reveals the hypocritical details:
During yesterday’s Senate hearing on government oversight of security contractors, an interesting tidbit emerged. In his prepared testimony, Fred Roitz, executive vice president of contracts and chief sales officer for Xe (a.k.a. Blackwater), disclosed that his company, through its subsidiary Presidential Airways, evacuated a congressman from Niger during a recent military coup.
That caught the eye of Mother Jones reporter Daniel Schulman, who decided to figure out who, exactly, the congressman in distress was.
Turns out it was none other than Rep. Alan Grayson, the Florida Democrat who has made his reputation by going after military contractors. Irony alert! Grayson spokesman Todd Jurkowski confirmed that Grayson was spirited out of the country on a Xe helicopter, and offered this statement to Schulman: “The flight was arranged through the State Department … The congressman did not know, and frankly did not care, who owned the plane.”
If anything, this little episode further underscores some wisdom from our pal Peter Singer. Contractors: Can’t win with ‘em, can’t go to war without ‘em. Or more precisely, can’t have diplomatic security without ‘em.
As I’ve noted here before, the State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security — which would have the lead in protecting members of Congress traveling outside the country — has relied heavily on outsourcing. Blackwater/Xe has (rightfully, in many cases) come in for a lot of criticism, but very few questions seem to be raised about the “customer,” i.e., the federal government.
We can’t even find it in our hearts to trash a guy who looks like Luca Brazzi and makes as much sense as Lucy Ricardo.
We honestly pity Grayson and wish him well in his new career beginning in November, 2012. And we pray that his new employer has an insurance policy with good mental health coverage.
Source: Wired.com
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
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said one mercenary:
“it smelled like he sh*t himself, but i cant be sure”
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He did not know, and frankly did not care.
How FREAKING TYPICAL of a jackass liberal.
Save me! Save me! To heck with all the other little people!
This should be all over the airways…
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dude, you totally killed that comments joke potential:
“save me! save me! to hell with all the little brown people!”
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Grayson will not learn anything from this & will continue to try being the biggest A-hole in Congress.
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danybhoy is right on target. Unfortunately Grayson has his work cut out for him.
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Alan Grayson, looks like the son of wolfman. Will soon be running for dog-catcher.
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The problem with Grayson is that he really does’nt have much in the way of a GOP challenge at this time. If he does’nt have any real compitition, he will retain his seat.
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Can’t those contractors do anything right? Why didn’t they just leave him?
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I didn’t want to get banned or censured……
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Of all the pudknockers in Congress, this guy deserves the biggest Chairman Mao ornament. Why don’t we see this story in the mass media? This guy couldn’t figure out how an outhouse works, not to mention diplomatic security. When they evacuated this clown from the area, guessing his IQ, I am sure he was talked into going there by the people throwing the coup and Alan thought a coup was like a party at Hugh Hefner’s in the grotto. I know Florida is having economic problems but this is the best they can do?