Associated Press
Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.) was delighted this week to announce more taxpayer spending in his district: the Richmond University Medical Center would receive a $3 million annual increase, thanks to aid from Washington.
"I have worked tirelessly, from day one, to address the issue of a looming physician shortage," Mr. Grimm said a statement touting the new funding. "[T]his announcement to reward RUMC with additional residency slots is welcomed news."
The Staten Island Advance echoed this sentiment, reporting Mr. Grimm "helped the hospital obtain the cash."
The Graduated Medical Education funding in question, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services website, actually appears to have come from the Affordable Care Act.
Yes, Grimm, a House Republican freshman, ran for Congress on a platform of eliminating the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. One of his first big votes as a federal lawmaker was to scrap every word of the law from the books.
But a year later, the congressman seems awfully glad the ACA exists and is helping make a positive difference in his district.
If this seems at all familiar, Grimm is the same House member who rejected calls a year ago that he turn down government-funded health care, because of his ideological opposition to government-funded health care.
In one of my all-time favorite quotes, Grimm said at the time, "What am I, not supposed to have health care? It's practicality. I'm not going to become a burden for the state because I don't have health care, and God forbid I get into an accident and I can't afford the operation. That can happen to anyone."
Two weeks later, he voted to take away health care coverage from millions of Americans. A year later, he celebrated hospital funding included in the law he's eager to kill.
Maybe Grimm should steer clear of health care policy for a while.
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Sorry to say, but this is not too different from President Obama being against PACS, but then accepting PAC efforts on his behalf.
@DAY, if what you wrote isn't satire, here's the difference I see -- Obama has to look at the new landscape created by the Citizens United ruling and deal with it. It's called acknowledging reality.
Grimm ran on a platform against the ACA, then scrambles for ACA cash to make himself look good to his constituents, even as he also votes to repeal the ACA to make himself look good to his constituents. Obama is acknowledging the changes in the landscape over which he had no control, while Grimm is willfully taking advantage of a law he purports to despise.
and Grimm is also acknowledging reality. As long as the money is availabe, he would be derilict not to go for it
@Tom - indeed, even as he ostensibly fights to snatch the money away, he makes sure he fills his own pockets first -- and gets applauded for it.
to quote the immortal Brian Fantana: "Take it easy, Champ. Why don't you sit this next one out, stop talking for a while?"
I don't know who really said this, it's attributed to a lot of people, but the line "Don't just do something, stand there!" works as well.
On the other hand, maybe it's enough for Republicans that they're able to open their mouths and have words tumble out. What more could we want? Rational thought?
I think that was a line on a Three Stooges episode. Fitting.
Representative Grimm is a disgrace, pure and simple, just like so many of his tea party freshman cohorts. These people are the most blatant hypocrites I have ever seen. I will be happy to see them all start packing after the November elections, never to darken the national scene again!
Wow, that dude is profoundly ignorant. How do these people get elected?
They run as Republicans
Bingo -- Thumbs up!
Michael Grimm's rank hypocrisy is just one example in an entire Congress full of mindless Republicans gleefully bashing the president and his policies as "socialist" one minute, then rushing off to cut a few ribbons on stimulus or "Obamacare" projects the next. It is wholly irrational, and the voters in these districts and states are finally getting it. It's about personal enrichment and personal political opportunism for these fools. The "Tea Party" is a fraud! http://www.sunstateactivist.org
How a middle or lower income person could vote for someone like Mr. Grimm is totally beyond me. Grim would wreck your life by taking away your health care or any social program and feel good about it.
Hmm... selective memory does pose a problem in media-covered politics.
I'm sorry, who's paying for your health care? Now?
You can't make this stuff up.
Once again a Republican that doesn't understand the act! A Canadian study shows that right wing people have lower intelligence. This is proof again of the validiity of that study
Sorry Rachel, bash Grimm all you like, no one watches your show on Staten Island so no one cares about your potshots. Sorry to be the one to tell you, his Democratic opponent is a California carpetbagger, a failed actor and the son of Black Jack Murphy, one of the Congressman indicted and convicted during the Abscam sting. He is also laughably goofy.
http://www.youtube.com/MarkMurphyfromCA
Staten Island? I seem to remember something about that place. New York calling someone a carpetbagger is just too odd for words.
I say we rename him the Grimm Reaper.