How’s this for a man-bites-dog story: a town-hall meeting about health care that was rational, reasonable and … productive.

[IMGCAP(1)]In a sign of just how much we’ve come to expect venom-spewing, gun-toting and YouTube-worthy shoutfests, freshman Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) put out a press release Wednesday morning touting a Monday evening meeting as a respectful exchange of ideas, something we thought was so pre-recess.

“What happened Monday night was truly remarkable,— Grayson said in the release. “The people of the 8th district clearly showed that reasonable people can disagree, and we can learn from each other.—

But the National Republican Congressional Committee, which is hoping to target Grayson for defeat next year, wasn’t so impressed and released a statement responding to Grayson’s pat on the back. The NRCC cited an Orlando Sentinel report that said Grayson stacked the room in his favor by packing the audience with Democrats and that less than half of the 125 seats in the union hall were open to average citizens.

“If Monday’s debacle was a model’ town hall, what’s his idea of a model’ democracy? Venezuela?— NRCC spokesman Andy Seré said. “The fact is, Alan Grayson’s attempt to silence dissent was nothing less than political thuggery in the first degree.—

On the flip side of the town-hall circus story, HOH has a new favorite comeback to replace the standard “so’s your mom,— courtesy of insult comic Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.). At a town-hall meeting in which a woman asked him why he was supporting “Nazi policies,— Frank shot back with a few zingers.

Our favorite: “Trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table. I have no interest in doing it.—

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