Sunday, September 27, 2009

Backbencher of the Week

For the first time in Backbencher history we have a repeat winner of Backbencher of the Week. A conservative group used a hidden video camera to conduct a sting on ACORN. The resulting firestorm attracted Congressional attention. Since Congress is comprised of many bigoted Republicans and even more spineless Democrats, they voted to strip ACORN of all federal funding.

However, Congress wrote the legislative language in a very broad manner, and one enterprising Congressman saw an opportunity. Rep Alan Grayson(D-FL-8) intially made a name for himself by going after fraud in Iraq War contracts. Rep Grayson realized that the legislative language could apply to the military-industrial complex. The Congressman then allied himself with the Project on Government Oversight(POGO) and together they went through government files. They quickly discovered that large military contractors like Lockheed and Northrop Grumman qualify for defunding . Not only do military contractors qualify to be stripped of federal funding but many financial institutions and even Catholic Charities also fall under this legislation.

Glenn Greenwald interviews Alan Grayson here.

For exposing Congressional hypocrisy, and hoisting Congress and the military industrial complex on their pitard, we are glad to award Rep, Alan Grayson this week's Backbencher of the Week.

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