Grayson caught in Niger coup
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/02/19/art.grayson.file.gi.jpg caption="Rep. Alan Grayson will return to the United States Friday."]Washington (CNN) – Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Florida, narrowly escaped harm earlier this week after being caught up in a military coup in the African country of Niger.
Grayson's press secretary, Todd Jurkowski, confirmed to CNN that Grayson was close to the action. "He heard the gunshots. They were literally in the building next door."
The outspoken congressman was in Niger as part of a congressional delegation focused on science, technology and humanitarian relief, according to Jurkowski. When the situation began to unravel, Grayson was taken to the residence of the United States Ambassador to Niger, where he was placed under armed protection.
On Thursday, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State P.J. Crowley told reporters the U.S. Embassy was monitoring the situation and confirmed Grayson was safe at the embassy. Later that night, a Niger military official announced the country's constitution has been suspended.
Grayson has since traveled to the neighboring country of Burkina Faso, and is scheduled to return to the United States Friday evening.
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@ this black liberal hates Obama
This is how I know you're fake and that you're a conservative. Black people don't have to post that they're liberal, we automatically know RETARD. I know you're just itching and dying to say the "N" word, aren't ya?
Conservatives just hate this guy because he has no problem playing their game (negative pr of opponent) way better than they do, as he actually makes correlations between them and their actions, rather than the conservative/republican tactic of just insinuation and name-calling and hoping that one of their ridiculous assertations "Nazi/Socialist" is remembered in the mind of the voter.
My hero!
Glad he's ok- He is my favorite even if he isn't from my home State- I'd love to trade ours for him!
Niger is known for it's natural resource of uranium
@Stop taking my taxes
A racist comment from a conservative? How surprising.
I would like for Mr. Grayson to read this. A bill From Barry Jackson, AARP ((aarpwebact@action.aarp.org) which, Alan is too smart to
know that this bill is real and scary to all Americans. The bill is
sitting on CONRAD-GREGGS desk. but they do not want the
American People to know about it until AFTER the November
elections and the Repubs. have their majority to pass it. Trickery!!!
Seems to me that Floridians that may be ready to vote for Senators
would want to be aware of this bill because it would certainly change
their lives for the worse. and is/will be close to a reality.
The bill states simply that senators WILL decide whether to give a "special commission" the POWER to propose "drastic" cuts to the programs that millions of seniors depend on. Medicare, Medicaid,
and Social Security. If they get away with this, they can also reduce
the amount of money they can spend on our Soldiers Health Care,
V.A. benefits like the G.I. Bill. I could be wrong but didn't Bush Cheney
try to change/lower the benefits of our soldiers G.I. Bill!!! I think
I am right on that one!!!!
Tea Partiers holding their nasty signs against our President, are
dispicable and totally fighting against the entitlements that would
benefit their own children and grandchildren. What is sad, is that
they believe by standing up for "fiscal responsiblity" is going to
"cut spending". But the first "skim: off the top will be to the very
taxpayers that are some Upper Middle Class and Lower Middle
Class and the less fortunate. Do ya think that the "cut" will begin
with Corporations paying more Taxes and Their own salaries, or
their private jets. Don't tell me that they can't cut their own interests
first!!! Not "the people's!
They say it "everyday" NO BIG GOVERNMENT" That means you
the people are on YOUR OWN. And if you have worked hard all
of your life to obtain a good decent retirement, YOU may end
up with nothing because you MIGHT be able to live without your
SOCIAL SECURITY checks, but you will NEVER be able to live
without MEDICARE. Never, Never, you can lose YOUR MILLIONS
with one illness. And don't tell me that you would'nt help one of
your own with your millions should one become seriously ill
and not have health care. When it becomes a matter of life or
death for a child or a grandchild, you will mortgage your assets.
YOU BETCHA!
All you right wing nazi idiots just love to rant your hate huh? Too bad that's all you got! No wonder you lsot the election by such a wide margin-Take the brown shirts and white hoods off- It's 2010!!
Hey Conservapubs! While you may hate his partisanship as it is a taste of conservapubs own medicine, you really should love him as he is one of the hawks against misuse of government funds.
/Realizes that the pork jokes about Democrats are coming.
//Laughs knowing that Republican pork or misuse of war funding isn't really pork to Conservapubs, or at least the politicians that represent them.
Speaking as one American citizen to another, I am glad you came through this safely Rep. Grayson.
I can not say that I wish well in the next election though.
I'm glad Grayson's ok, but you people saying how great he is are utterly clueless. This is the moron who called an advisor to fed chief Bernanke a "k-street wh0re" and tried to get a woman put in prison for 5 years for making a website criticizing him called mycongressmanisnuts.com. This is one of the most anti-freedom big government extremists we have in congress.
Another Democrat with a "We were dodging sniper fire" story. Couldn't this guy at least come up with something more original? 🙂
they may have thought he was the missing link or big foot... i hope he is one and done,,, what a idiot....
He doesn't think before he speaks? You just can't bear to hear the truth. Grayson is great. He's one the most honest pols is DC.
If the Republican party were dog food you would go out of business because you have been poisonous for so many decades now, starting with that rotten lying stinking corrupt war criminal, The Gipper.
Republicans are perpetually-outraged, self-pissing, nose-picking, Funyun-munching, mouth-breathing, middle-school dropout bloggers. Vapid, group-think, script-repeating, mindless wind-up dolls. May you all burn in hell for the damage you have done to our nation.
Michael from Ventura February 19th, 2010 4:26 pm ET
All you right wing nazi idiots just love to rant your hate huh?
--------------
Your right there is a lot of hate on BOTH SIDES. Do you rant and rave when the hatred flows on ANY story about Palin or Bush? You plan to address the hate coming from the dem/liberal side? Didn't think so!
I love this man. I really do. Not like women love Scott Brown (cosmotolitan) or like men love Sarah Palin bull___ Like crazed!
I would volunteer for Alan anytime.
And I wish the best for Alan and I hope the hell for America's
sake, he continue's to speak out.
Watch the attack ads from the Big Corporations. They will pick
on all the Demos just like they did Kerry, who would have won
the Pres. except for those nasty Republican advantage ads.
Don't believe the nasty ads against the Demos. what could
they have done to turn you to vote for the religious right wingnuts!
Please vote in your area MID TERMS! PLEASE!
Burkina Faso? Isn't that a kind of little dog women occasionally carry in their purses?
This is how I know you're fake and that you're a conservative. Black people don't have to post that they're liberal, we automatically know
------------
First of all who is this 'WE"? I'm black (whether you believe it or not), I AM NOT A LIBERAL NOR A DEMOCRAT. Looks like "WE" don't know!
This is one great American! And I just LOVE that all of you tea-bagging bigots hate him soooooooo much!!!! JUST PROVES HE'S DOING EVERYTHING RIGHT!
I thought Sarah Palin was being too sensitive, too. Family Guy is known for it's take no prisoners humor. I'm Catholic, and sometimes they offend me. But I brush it off and laugh at the rest of it. I'm a conservative, but Sarah Palin is getting on my nerves!
I swear, you tea-baggers would eat crap off a spoon if a TEA-publican fed it to you!
congressman grayson is a breath of fresh air.straight forward truthful.WOW A TRUTHFUL POLITICAN.all kidding aside he is grea for our country.as a hoosier we are loosing our senator bayh.good riddence.we need people like grayson.
I also love Alan Grayson. This guy speaks the truth and isn't afraid to let the Republicans have it. They don't like him because he tells it like it is and doesn't cower from them. He's got guts, too many other Democratic Congressman do not. I don't even live in his State and I donate to his campaign! Keep up the good work, Mr. Grayson. We need more Dems like you. Wish they would get a clue.
And people, please vote in the mid-terms. We need to keep a majority of Dems i Congress in 2010. Don't get complacent, don't be lazy. Don't take anything for granted. That's what Martha Coakley did in Massachusetts and now we have the Scott Brown teabagger in the Senate. Nice going there, Martha!
Anyhow, love Alan Grayson and wish him all the best.
Thank goodness he's ok. I admire this man for being what he is supposed to be, a representative of the people. May the DC lobbyists and all their money never get to him.
@this black liberal hates Obama February 19th, 2010 3:54 pm ET
Love You Back!!!