Admirers of Rep Alan Grayson have a post to read at The Nation, where John Nichols reports on the congressman's new project:

The Florida Democrat who drew national attention last month when he declared on the House floor that the Republican plan for uninsured Americans was "don't get sick, and if you do get sick, die quickly," was back on the House floor this week to announce the creation of a website to honor the victims of the current system.

Grayson, who has taken the lead in highlighting a Harvard study that shows 44,000 Americans die annually because they have no health insurance, told the House and the nation: "I think it dishonors all those Americans who have lost their lives because they had no health coverage, by ignoring them, by not paying attention to them, and by doing nothing to change the situation that led them to lose their live."

With that in mind, he announced the launch of a Names of the Dead website.

Nichols quotes from Rep. Grayson's welcoming message at his website:

Every year, more than 44,000 Americans die simply because have no health insurance...I have created this project in their memory. I hope that honoring them will help us end this senseless loss of American lives. If you have lost a loved one, please share the story of that loved one with us. Help us ensure that their legacy is a more just America, where every life that can be saved will be saved.

Naturally, the Republicans are going ballistic about Grayson's latest project. But it's a wonderful idea and a highly creative use of the internet to promote awareness of the brutality of the current 'system' and the urgent need for comprehensive, affordable health care reform. Rep. Grayson is providing either a courageous template for Democrats running in moderate to conservative districts or a cautionary example of political harakiri. Either way, in my book, he merits consideration for the JFK Library's Profile in Courage Award (make your nomination here).