NEW YORK (CNN)– Controversial freshman Rep. Alan Grayson, who has become famous for attacking the Republicans' health care plan, went on the attack again Friday night, calling former Vice President Dick Cheney a vampire for his recent criticism of the Obama administration's handling of the war in Afghanistan.
"I have trouble listening to what [Cheney] says sometimes because of the blood that drips from his teeth while he's talking," the Florida Democrat said on MSNBC's Hardball Friday night. "But my response is this: he's just angry because the president doesn't shoot old men in the face. But by the way, when he was done speaking, did he just then turn into a bat and fly away?"
In a hard-hitting, wide-ranging speech last Wednesday, Cheney targeted the administration's decision-making process on how to proceed in Afghanistan, saying Obama has failed to give troops on the ground a clear mission or defined goals and appeared "afraid to make a decision."
"The White House must stop dithering while America's armed forces are in danger," Cheney said at the Center for Security Policy. "Make no mistake, signals of indecision out of Washington hurt our allies and embolden our adversaries."
In responding to Cheney's attack, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on Thursday got in a jab of his own.
"What Vice President Cheney calls 'dithering,' President Obama calls his solemn responsibility to the men and women in uniform and to the American public," Gibbs said. "I think we've all seen what happens when someone doesn't take that responsibility seriously."
Grayson, a successful trial lawyer turned Congressman, shot to national fame - and notoriety - last month, when he took to the floor of the House of Representatives and dramatically described the GOP health care plan as: "Don't get sick, and if you do get sick, die quickly." He refused to apologize; Republicans say they'll mount a stiff challenge against him in his conservative-leaning district in 2010, but so far no one has come forward.
– CNN's Alexander Mooney contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
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Ugh. As a Democrat, I'll be the first to say that Alan Grayson is rapidly becoming the most juvenile member of Congress.
There's nothing as awful as a smug buffoon. Grayson's smart, but his recent comments aren't.
Ok, wait a minute here! While no "fan" of Cheney, this "Limbaugh like" behavior has got to stop. Wonder why the public rates BOTH parties in the Congress so low? Here's another reason why.
What Republicans call 'dithering', Democrats call 'Thinking before acting'. When will Cheney learn?
Rep. Grayson has mastered all the elegant understatement one expects of Miami Beach.
This guy Grayson is a riot! And I will just add, pre-emptively (because I'm sure all the birthers and other well-mannered righties are going to come out of the woodwork over Grayson's comments) that he is giving Cheney exactly as much respect as he deserves.
Cheney is evil, but there are more intelligent ways of voicing disagreement. Don't give them stones to throw back at us.
We totally support Mr. Grayson.
Dick Cheney is the closet thing to the devil today.
His twisted perspective of the world the rest of us live in is so evident that it's absolutely comical to listen to his nonsense.
If Dick really believes the crap and hatred he spews, then it may be time to fit him for a custom made straight jacket.
What is Dick trying to cover up? We all know the answer. 8. Years
Don't insult vampires!
Gotta love that Democrats are replying to criticism of their inactions and policies with name-calling. How about an Afghanistan policy, folks?
If given the chance, Cheney would suck the blood right out of our military
Low blow Mr. Grayson but seriously you're right. Cheney is a senile old fool that needs to shut the hell up. President Obama is trying to do what's right. And to you Christian war mongers. "War shoud never be entered into unless every agency of peace has failed." President William Mckinney 1897. A pity the Bush administration didn't abide by this.
Unlike Cheney and Bush, President Obama and Vice-President Biden are using sound judgment by waiting to see/hear the facts, not rush military personnel into danger just to seem powerfully in control.
The day President Obama sends more troops in to Afghanistan is the day Cheney and Republicans will contradict themselves and say how President Obama rushed into sending more troops without a plan of action- why didn't Cheney say that to Bush- out of office now Cheney wants to chatter away like a tweetie bird.
President Obama is doing his job nobly, he has to clean up the eight year mess Cheney and Bush left behind.
Where were all these unfavourable words while Bush/Cheney were in office for two terms hmm- O sudden amnesia, cat got your tongue!
Claiming that DICK Cheney is a bloodsucking vampire is actually letting that scum off lightly.
The only thing that would become that slithering snake is to arrest him and try him for treason and gross malfeasance in office.
That's cute. Doesn't the neaderthol man know vampires are in right now?
I like this guy. Stand up to these soulless fraud Repugnant-can'ts and call them exactly what they are. They wish to offer him a stiff challenge in 2010? Why not start by having a party capable of coherent thoughts and thoughtful actions?
Alan Grayson is a breath of fresh air, at a time when the Democrats should be aggressive and proactive. Grayson seems to be the only representative with the courage and conviction to call a spade a spade. You go, Alan. I voted for you once, I will do it again.
I like Grayson, but he should stick to the facts when criticizing people. Just mentioning their abysmal record in Afghanistan would suffice.
Cheney may not be a literal vampire, but he did try to bleed this country dry financially and morally.
If the Democrats believe Grayson is doing them any good at all, are they in for a huge disappointment in the mid term elections. This guy, in addition to having no manners; no protocol; no brains; no sense of decorum whatsoever, is also clueless and imcompetent to do the job he was sent to COngress to do.
As far as health care reform goes, while the Democrats call the GOP names and blame them and George Bush for everything, they are, in fact, dithering away the chance to get things done. Obama controls all three branches of government with filibuster proof majorities in the House and Senate, and still they cannot get anything done. Obama promised transparency, and right now in the deep recesses of the Capitol Building, in a dark room totally hidden from public view, Democratic leaders huddle in small groups with lobbyists like Tom (Tax Cheat) Daschel and corporate leaders making back room deals about the future health system of our country. No CSPAN coverage as Obama promised on the campaign rhetoric show - no transparency whatsoever – and no bi partisan approach.
And in terms of the "die" comments uttered by Grayson, it was Clinton's Secretary of Labor, Reisch, who went on camera and said that the Democratic plan would withhold certain health care from seniors and let them die faster .....and it was Resish who charged that Dems were lying to America. Grayson needs to look in the mirror .... and he might get scared when he sees the blood of Americans dripping from his own mouth – as Afghan troops are dying while Obama goes on fund raising trips, and uninsured Americans die while Democrats fail to pass any reform, and while Americans go broke as unemployment benefits run out and Obama does nothing but dither away his presidency.
I wish Rep. Alan Grayson were the party leader in the US Senat. He is what the Democratic Party had been missing for decades.
This guy is a loose cannon. We expect our elected officials to act in a professional manner. Where is the outrage from the Democrats over this guy? Oh yeah, he's a Democrat, let the hypocrisy show.
I love this guy. If you take the ferocity of the entire GOP, strip it of the paranoia and hate, and replace it with wit, you get Alan Grayson.
Cheney needs to butt out. He and Bush had a failing strategy. Let Obama work through a diplomatic strategy.
Ha ha ha. Rep Grayson sure knows how to express his opinion. I think it's hilarious that Cheney has the nerve to complain about President Obama's handling of Afghanistan considering who helped get us in this mess in the first place. It's a lot easier to mess up than to clean up after the person who made the mess.
Is this guy an idiot or what? He wants to impress the Democrats so much he will do anything achieve this goal. He wants to be in bed with President NObama so bad that he will kiss kneel and kiss his ring on instinct. This moron is an embarrassment to the state of Florida, and by the way, so is Catty Castor.
Mr. Grayson, you really need to pay more attention to the issues affecting your constituents and stop willingly being President NObama's attack dog.
Mr. Grayson, in case you were wondering, I am a life-long Democrat.