You’ve got to love Joe Biden. On the day that President Obama signs health care legislation, Joe Biden steals the headlines by proclaiming to the president, just barely off-mic, that “it’s a big fucking deal.” Talk about an understatement!

It’s far from perfect, but it’s the first step in what will be an ongoing fight for the rest of our lives to make sure that affordable, quality health care is a basic human right in the USA. And those first baby steps are supposed to be celebrated!

I was honored to start tonight’s show with Congressman Alan Grayson, who injected some much-needed testosterone into the Democratic Party many months ago, when he displayed the courage to take to the floor of the House to expose the Republican’s Health Care Plan: “Don’t Get Sick… and if you do get sick, Die Quickly!”  Then, when the GOP shouted their demands for an apology, he apologized…to all the people who’ve died because they couldn’t get health insurance!

Congressman Grayson has worked tirelessly on behalf of the American people on the issue of health care reform, and continues the effort to make it better. He’s introduced the Medicare You Can Buy Into Act, which you can (and should) sign on to at WeWantMedicare.com.

You can further support Congressman Grayson by going to CongressmanWithGuts.com and contributing to the Money Bomb! Grayson is focusing on small donations from people, instead of sucking up to lobbyists and special interests. Let’s keep this great Congressman working hard for all of us!

The show continued with a visit from Ryan Grim of Huffington Post, who brought us up to date on the behind the scenes stuff from today’s historic signing by President Obama of health care legislation, and info on what happens next as the Senate takes up the Reconciliation bill.

Geoff Holtzman checked in with a news update from the Talk Radio News Service.

My final guest of the evening was Brad Friedman of BradBlog, who’s done amazing work uncovering the truth behind the offensive and despicable targeting and final demise of a truly fine organization — ACORN.   ACORN has spent the better part of the past 40 years helping low-income communities and was vilified by the right for their efforts. The final nail in their coffin came by way of a Breitbart flunky named James O’Keefe who videotaped his visits to ACORN offices, and edited them to make it appear as if he was dressed as a 70’s era pimp with a hooker at his side asking for “business advice.”

The doctored videos were shown, seemingly non stop, on TV and online. Eventually, thanks to the work of Brad Friedman, the truth was exposed… that O’Keefe was dressed as a preppy college student, and was asking the ACORN workers how to help his hooker-girlfriend escape her evil pimp!  The correction was, somehow, NOT broadcast far and wide.

The result? Just what the right wing smear machine wanted. ACORN was smeared beyond the point of redemption. Yesterday, they released this statement:

The ACORN Association Board met on Sunday March 21 and approved a set of steps to responsibly manage the process of bringing its operations to a close over the coming months. These include:

  • Closing ACORN’s remaining state affiliates and field offices by April 1st; and
  • Developing a plan to resolve all outstanding debts, obligations and other issues.

    • ACORN’s members have a great deal to be proud of–from promoting home ownership to helping rebuild New Orleans, from raising wages to winning safer streets, from training community leaders to promoting voter participation—ACORN members have worked hard to create stronger communities, a more inclusive democracy, and a more just nation.


    Brad Friedman has done tireless work on the story, especially the fact that the “paper of record,” The New York Times, has refused to print a correction on the story… until this Sunday, when it was too late for ACORN.

    I hope you’ll visit BradBlog.com and read the entire sordid story, and then reach out!  Write to the executive editor (executive-editor@nytimes.com) and the managing editor  (managing-editor@nytimes.com) of the New York Times, and let them know how egregious their coverage (or lack thereof) was. We must speak out.