A Cynical Campaigner's Comeuppance

Even in this season of dirty tricks, I was stunned at the despicable level of distortion that Freshman Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL 8th) heaped into his ad hominem attack against his opponent Republican Dan Webster.

The attack ad was over the top with smashmouth campaign stingers against “Taliban Dan”. But the video which Grayson’s campaign used was exactly the opposite of what Dan Webster said.

Webster was speaking before the Institute in Basic Life Principles–a biblically based, not-for-profit, nonsectarian training and service organization. During this talk, Webster suggested that men should pray a scriptural verse for his wife. While Webster acknowledged that the Book of Ephesians contained the verses “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands”, Webster specifically told husbands that they should not focus on that verse and find another once.

Of course, neither context nor class should be expected from the Alan Grayson, who greeted his general election opposition with a campaign missive which wondered: "Didn't he die, like, 150 years ago? ...Can't the Republicans find anyone to run against me who's alive?".

But remarkably there is justice today in the world of politics. Townhall.com’s viral parody of Grayson’s campaign philippic brings to mind Rule 5 of Saul Alinsky’s tactical Rules for Radicals: Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.

This Congressional Clown has been hoisted by his own petard. It could not happen to a better guy than Grayson.