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Please vote to make me one of your FDL Firedogs. If there’s one thing you know about me, it’s that I don’t back down.
The story that everyone wants to tell is that the Democratic Party is disheartened and disintegrating. Teabagger Republicans are juiced up and on top. Or so the media says, over and over again.
But the House candidate who raised the most money in the entire country during the last FEC reporting period — $860,000 in three months — is not a teabagger. He is not boosted relentlessly by Fox News. He’s not even a Republican. He doesn’t think that the Earth was created 6000 years ago, that President Obama was born in Kenya, or that global warming is a hoax.
This House candidate also, remarkably, had the largest number of contributors. Over 15,000 individuals contributed, many of whom have given time after time, whatever they could. The House candidate who raised the most money did so without French-kissing lobbyists, without flattering the idle rich, and without reaching into his own pocket.
The House candidate who raised the most money, from the most people, is an outspoken populist who tells it like it is on the war, on jobs, and on health care. His website is called CongressmanWithGuts.com. In the 100,000 e-mails that he has received this year, the most common refrain is, "You are saying what I’ve been thinking."
I know who he is. Because he’s me.
But no one has reported that the House candidate who raised the most money, from the most people, is a proud Democratic populist. No one.
There are something like ten thousand political reporters in this country, maybe more. The information above is readily available. Anyone could have visited an official government website, www.fec.gov, any time this past week, and seen it for themselves. We did our part — we sent out two news releases, both local and nationwide. But in lieu of any actual reporting in the media, there is instead what Simon & Garfunkel vividly described as the "Sounds of Silence":
And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence.
The political reporters camped out in D.C. often act like a giant Xerox machine for the fib factory known as the national Republican Party. Recently, they saw fit to report (and repeat, and repeat) the Republican Party’s crackpot claim that we are withholding a secret poll with bad news in it for us. (We aren’t; there is no such poll, but the Republican Party is soooo good at manufacturing plausible lies.) Not one word from those reporters, though, about what would seem to be an irresistible "feel good" story — that thanks to People Power, that brash, plain-spoken Democratic Congressman from Orlando is the Number One fundraiser in the country. Nothing about that.
The fact that an unapologetic progressive Democrat could amass such support, not by trading favors for money, but by striking a chord with so many ordinary people, refutes the pervasive meme of Democrats divided and despondent. Particularly when it’s a Democrat who says that "you can’t beat a Republican by being one." Particularly a Democrat who quotes Harry Truman and Howard Dean: "If you run a fake Republican against a real Republican, the real Republican will win every time."
Freshman Democrat Alan Grayson, number one in the country. The story that no one will tell. It doesn’t fit their preconceptions. So you’re just not going to hear about it.
Please help me continue this momentum, and make me one of your FDL Firedogs.
66 Comments
Welcome Congressman. We need you to get re-elected, and to elect more like you into Congress.
x2
I was proud to vote for you to be the first FDL Fire Dog, Congressman. You are one of the very few in Washington who speaks for me. Keep up the great work!
Thanks, Congressman Grayson, it’s unceasingly amazing what the transcriptionists do not hear, research or report. Thanks for the information.
Why did you vote to condemn the Goldstone Report?
Vote for Kucinich and Grijalva they are progressive Democrats across the board
here is Judge Goldstone’s report. You and your staff might want to think about reading it
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/9/docs/UNFFMGC_Report.pdf
Would you be willing to invite Judge Goldstone to the hill to discuss his findings? Would you be willing to go on Rachel Maddow’s to discuss with JudgeGoldstone what your specific objections were?
I respect your gumption and your stance on many issues
Would you be willing to invite Judge Goldstone to the hill to discuss his findings?
Would you be willing to go on Rachel Maddow’s or another media outlet with Judge Goldstone to discuss what your specific objections were to his UN report?
Here is the Goldstone report. Your a reasonable man on most issues. Hope you and your staff read the report and invite Goldstone to the hill to discuss this report like grown ups
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/specialsession/9/docs/UNFFMGC_Report.pdf
Sorry that came up twice. First comment did not make it up. Apologize
Who gives a rat’s ass about Palestinians?
Grayson, you da man.
[Mod Note: Most of us here work to have some compassion for all our fellow human beings.
Can we agree to not take this one any further, please?
Sorry if I hurt anyone’s feelings. I lost control and was thinking about my own country.
I care about Palestinians and all other human inhabitants of this tiny planet.
I don’t even wish that callous people such as you come to harm.
Peace.
Alan, we are well aware of your failure to challenge AIPAC in any meaningful or even symbolic way.
Are you afraid of their vast power and ability to end the careers of politicians?
As a high profile Jew, you could do so much to insist that Israel not be exempted from international standards regarding human rights.
Your failure to take this stand might make you a good Jew in your view, but it doesn’t make you brave, just, or consistently principled.
We’ve got your back when you change.
You bet your ass. Grayson could lead the way. (well Dennis all ready has) but Rep Grayson you could be moderate on this issue.. Without rejecting that Israel exist and that they have every right to protect Israel 67 border. But that disproportionate use of military power and breaking international agreements is wrong. (U.S. is in same boat) There are plenty of Jews who are fair and balanced about this issue. Why not lead the way and invite Goldstone to the hill to discuss his findings.
You would blow people out of the water.
There is a way to do this with balance and honesty. Have Naomi Klein help moderate
yeah well you might want to think about American lives. How many times do we need to hear that this the unbridled support that we give Israel no matter what they do is one of the “core motivations” for the people who are willing to blow themselves up to take out Americans.
Maybe Grayson is more willing than most to deal with this critical issue more honestly. Putting together a panel of experts about this issues with Judge Goldstone on it would be a good start. Rep Grayson could lead the way
Everyone is harnessed in some way to some ideology that they cannot escape — whether by culture, blood, or money. The object of the game is to support those who are the least compromised for the current task at hand.
Political strategy suggests you cut Congressman Grayson some slack here for now. You’d be surprised how fragile the nation is at this moment in time, which could benefit greatly from his special brand of boldness.
I fully support Grayson and Paul’s effort to audit the Fed.
I just hope Grayson’s support of it isn’t like Weiner’s support of single payer health care, thrown out there for show and retracted when Rahm/Goldman Sachs pick up the phone and say “show’s over, you got your boost.”
Here’s Grayson’s top contributors for the last year. I have no firm conclusions or opinions. At least most came from FL, and not NYC.
http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/campaigns/alan-mark-grayson.asp?cycle=10
I’ll never understand why people want to reply three times to the same post to say the same thing. It’s like they’re arguing with themselves.
When I saw the title of this post, I thought it might be about the dominance of the Israel lobby, and the failure of our press and politicians to even mention it.
Turns out it was just an AIPAC funded PEP bragging about AIPAC inspired donations, without mentioning how much of it came from AIPAC’s Rolodex.
Shhhhhh…
I think both you and Leen have made your point.
Go Grayson Go! Don’t ever stop.
Alan ignore the Hamas cheering section in here. Lots of us love ya for your principled stands and your guts. Keep telling it like it is. Oh and u were elected to rep. Fla. not Israel , we know that but some of these folks are judge everyone by whether or not your either pro-Israel or Pro. Pal. But, not as I said all of us!
some of us are looking for “principled stands” across the board. If anyone can talk about this issue in a measured and straight forward manner it could be Grayson. He has the skills and intellect. Obviously. He could lead the way without alienating the voters he is worried about. There is a way to do this and Grayson could figure it out
Please see my reply to BillW at #10.
With 20 % of our own population unemployed or under employed and 20 other major problems happening @ the same time no offense but do u really think this is a BIG issue for many of us right now?
If people keep being willing to blow themselves up while taking out Americans you should be concerned. This critical issue has been dealt with unfairly far too long.
Hey Mods just responding
Responding….or just continuing to beat the drum?
responding
Is that out of line? Someone directly addressed me
Blutodog February 9th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
23
In response to Leen @ 17 (show text)
With 20 % of our own population unemployed or under employed and 20 other major problems happening @ the same time no offense but do u really think this is a BIG issue for many of us right now?
You have said your piece, more than once, and I’m hoping to maintain some semblance of peace on a thread where neither side seems willing to give an inch.
Frankly, I find it fascinating that for all Rep. Grayson has done to support real financial reforms, the majority of the comments on this thread are bickering about the I/P issue.
are you trying to control the debate and put down any adverse opinions? Sure looks like it
Actually, I’m trying to let people talk about the various positions of Rep. Grayson without obsessing about one single issue.
Is there anything that Mr. Grayson has done that you might possibly support?
RBG, am I wrong, or are you the only moderator who goes out of their way to play mediator, steering the discussion with the unspoken threat of censorship?
“Can’t we all stop criticizing Israel?”
I’m going to make a feeble attempt to stop trashing the good congressman’s thread.
If you’d like to read my reply, it will be in this this thread.
I have said numerous times on this thread and others that his stance on health care reform and education is exemplary. Just wish he were a progressive across the board
His voting record
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=412276
The part of his voting record that does not reflect real progressive values. Although the progressive community has been complicit in accepting this huge chasm
The story that needs to be told
http://mondoweiss.net/2009/12/gutsy-progressive-congressman-alan-grayson-leads-a-double-life.html
I said four hours ago that you’d made your point.
What more do I need to say?
You don’t base your judgment on pro Israel or pro Palestinian issues?
***********
blutodog January 4th, 2009 6:09 pm
DEATH TO HAMAS !! LONG LIVE ISRAEL!!
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/03-3
I never said I wasn’t pro-Israel. It wasn’t about me. It’s about Grayson. I don’t think his being pro-Israel makes him a bad guy like many of u obviously do.
The Israel Lobby has far to much influence on American political decisions. So, simply put, American needs to elect those who will put America first. Sure isn’t many of that type in the White House now. A bad guy? It isn’t about bad; it is about electing people who will listen to the people of America..rather than the Lobby. Whatever AIPAC wants, AIPAC gets. I suspect that many are rather tired of that situation.
I got news for u the Saudis have more influence in our economy and Gov’t then Israel or the Jews. Arab oil money plays a huge political role in DC but u never hear about that because its well hidden. No Congress critter of either party wants to be tied to these characters, but check it out and what you’ll find is that Arab oil $$ is everywhere. The Jews though are easier to kick by both the left and the right because they’re visible and actively visible. Not so our brothers in robes and head scarves.
“The Israel Lobby has far to much influence on American political decisions.” Prove it. Why not just say you don’t like JEWS and cut to the chase blue. Jew hatred on the left is just as evident these days as it was once on the right and still is on the extreme right ( KKK, Aryan brotherhood,etc) Hows that feel for company blue, cause I’m sure all those folks agree with u.
Pulling out that over used ace is not working any longer
I notice the mods are conspicuously silent on this very rough and insulting comment of bluto. There is definitely a double standard here on criticism of Israel and PEPs.
Leen, don’t let them silence you. The idea that in considering support of
Grayson all mention of his stance with regard to Israel must be excised or at least minimized is ridiculous. The single most pressing cause of just about any domestic problem you can name is our continual war stance, the fact that we spend as much on defense as the rest of the world combined. It’s a terrible drain on our economy. The military industrial complex contributes to the steady erosion of our rights and civil liberties both directly through the CIA/NSA etc., and indirectly because it fosters corporate power. As we know, the Founders, notably Madison, feared standing armies as a primal threat to democracy.
For many years it was the Soviet threat that maintained US immoderate defense spending. But since the fall of the Soviets, Israel’s needs and behavior have increasingly fueled the perceived need for defense spending and, among other matters, the possibility of war with Iran. Our unconditional support for Israel has had the effect of poisoning our reputation in the Middle East and elsewhere, and pro-Israel organizations like AIPAC have tended to stifle discussion of any of this.
IMO, even the best of domestic programs have little chance of being effective as long as we carry this defense albatross. Israel’s contribution to this, and Alan Grayson’s contribution to Israel’s continued intransigence are perfectly valid topics of discussion in answer to Grayson’s request for support above.
“I lost control and was thinking about my own country.”
Don’t worry, every Congressperson shares your indifference if the price is right.
[Mod Note: as RBG pointed out at #10, let's move on.]
“[Mod Note: as RBG pointed out at #10, let's move on.]”
Works for me. This indifference thing is contagious.
Back to the PEP Rally.
I’m looking forward to the day when our elected representatives to “The People’s House” won’t have to race each other in money-raising campaigns. I’m looking forward to a time when they no longer have to worry about money, at least in connection with their ability to be elected, or re-elected. Seems like there must be other, better things to spend time on as a member of the House.
Allen, it is my belief that it will be impossible to extricate ourselves from the systemic corporate grasp on America unless we first accomplish two things:
*Lobby reform (lobby by petition only).
*Publicly financed elections. Pre-established and required format. No contributions.(Sure, there still might be money coming in through the back door, but a lot less incentive for it with the American people controlling the playing field.)
Would you work toward implementing these changes into our electoral process?
Alan, I am Jewish and I have dual American and Israeli citizenship, was born and raised in U.S. and lived in Israel for 8 years. What the Israeli government has been doing with the Wall and with Gaza I find to be an abomination. Please consider my views. I voted for you as my first choice in the FDL poll and will GOTV for you next time you need people to make phone calls, as I wrote back when responding to your email. My rep is Doggett and I dearly love him, but I ask people to choose Alan first as Doggett is very good at raising all the money he needs. We need more people like you in our Congress. Go Alan!
I voted for you to be an FDL fire dog and I tweeted this story on Twitter, too.
recommended
Wow…this thread was hijacked by emotion mind. (not that this is “bad” but it wasn’t the point of the thread).
The point is that it’s not being reported that you raised the most funds. This is further evidence of the problems in our media…and I have a feeling that you might have po’ed a few corporates!!
I appreciate your candid and authentic approach. I voted for you number one!!
As to Palestine and Israeli relations…I study peace…and my theory is that invalidation of trauma over many centuries has led to a deficit in skills required to find peaceful solutions. (we are having a similar thing take over in our country today). There are skills that work. WE should first teach people the skills for peace…and role model them before we expect people to find peace.
Ethnocentric nationalists who believe God gave them the land of others really just need a better example from a country they rule by proxy.
Feel the love:
http://vimeo.com/5416002
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze5dbxPO8cU
Thanks for that comment.
I was happy to cast my Firedog vote for you, Congressman, because your statements and positions on critical issues have more closely represented my own stand than most others in Congress. I have no big complaints about the representatives of the districts I inhabited in 2009 (I moved from Jackie Speier’s district in CA to Louise Slaughter’s in NY in June); they have mostly voted “correctly” from my point of view. But they are not vocally challenging the disastrous “conventional wisdom” being offered up by the Republicans, the Blue Dogs, and corporate media. Their silence works against our long-term goals by allowing the right wing to dominate public discourse and obstruct crucial legislation. Your decision to be vocal and progressive on the issues which matter makes a difference to a lot of folks who might otherwise abandon all hope of ever seeing an improvement in their lives.
I was happy to give you my vote, and if I can ever get a job again, I will be happy to send you some money as well. But like a lot of other Americans, I am facing dire economic circumstances having lost nearly everything to the housing bubble and stock market (401k) crash on the heels of having my job shipped to India. Unemployment and health coverage are long gone. So when I see Congress being obstructed by Republicans and Blue Dogs, and I hear Democrats and the administration saying things like “There’s no rush,” or “We’re going to take our time,” it makes me want to scream and tear my hair out.
There’s no time to lose, Mr. Grayson. This country needs some ACTION from Congress. There is a serious lack of forward motion in Washington, and it’s killing us, in some cases quite literally. If you have what it takes to stand up and lead, you will find yourself with a very substantial group of followers. I will be one of them.
Oh, man. So sorry about your situation, but Congressman Grayson is working as hard as he can on the health care front. I was blown away the first time I heard him offering up the republican health care plan:
1. Don’t Get Sick
2. If you get sick, Die Quickly.
Kinda blew them off their perches!
Yes, he definitely got my attention that day, rather like slicing through the Gordian Knot of Republican obfuscation. He got their attention, too!
There are a lot of people worse off than me, so I try to stop myself from complaining. But we see yo-yos like Michael Steele saying stuff like “A million dollars isn’t much money,” or Kiran Chetry on CNN suggesting that $250,000/year is normal middle-class wage, and I wonder if all of our politicians are living inside that bubble. It’s not just a “recession” out here beyond the Beltway, it looks like a genuine depression. After twenty years of working in high-tech data processing, I find myself applying for jobs like “Kitchen Helper” and “Part-time Kennel Assistant”. Anything to stay out of the welfare line.
Sorry. I’m done whining now.
You deserve some whining rights. I admire your gumption.
Yeah, and correct too. Woo hoo Loo Hoo!
Congressman Grayson realy got screwed over on the Dylan Radigan show tonight. Radigan allowed the Republican to respond with blathering talking points versus asking the questions
I sent a note of protest To Radigan
Sorry – versus answering the questions
Rep. Grayson,
I’m going to cross-post this at Progressive Alaska. I’ve written a lot of posts about you up there. Would you be interested in coming up and speaking to Alaska Democrats someday?
Blutodog and others questioning Rep. Grayson’s Zionism – I’ll take a Likudnik progressive over a Likudnik regressive any day of the week. A lot of my friends are ardent Zionists. I certainly am not. We still work together on many projects.
Rep Grayson everything I have ever heard you say I almost completely agree with. I really like that you are willing to pull the stops out and tell it like it is. If you are reading this thread you all ready know the issues that I strongly disagree with you on.
But
How effective would you say that progressive blogs like Firedoglake have been in regard to pushing real Health care Reform?
Do you think progressives have to move over even more than we have? Single payer being what many people would like to see. What else do you think people should be doing that has not all ready been done?
Thank you, Alan Grayson. You are one of the few Congresspersons out there who is actually speaking for me. I hope you can get a liberal populist movement going, because I am so sick of the Tea Party people getting all the attention. When can I finally be a part of a huge movement that will actually change something? I’m scared, I’m angry, & I want to fight. I’m sick to death of feeling powerless.
What I wonder is how a Progressive loud-mouth, virtually a DFH, campaigns in Florida? If, for example, he wanted to become a Senator some day, how would he relate to Cuban-Americans, Cuba, foreign trade within this hemisphere, off-shore oil drilling and undocumented aliens.
Those are issues somewhat important to all of us, but very very much to Floridians.
Thank you congressman. I appreciate your post. I don’t get the chance to address you often, so I would like to add my voice to urge you to vote against all war and CIA funding, and to go with the majority of the progressive movement regarding the I/P issue. I agree with Leen’s views above but won’t say more on this. I think your domestic policy issues are great, especially regarding health care and the Fed. All the best to you.
Grayson calling out the Fed. Remarkable and honorable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXkqCjlnOmY
Grayson
Audit the Fed
http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/21/alan-grayson-says-audit-the-fed/
Thank you to Rep Grayson for these stands
“Teabagger Republicans are juiced up and on top.”
Are you sure that’s how you want to phrase that…or is that a pudenda on your pharyngeal?
Congressman Grayson, I was behind you and even donated to your campaign but this is callous, and really a cheap shot.
The hungry never miss an opportunity to pull up a chair to the dinner table either, funny that.
I can think of more objective sources to help educate you about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict than Howard Kohr.
I’d love to support you again, and I would even make phone calls for you if you could reconsider this. Clair McCaskil has visited Gaza. Perhaps you could follow her example.
I’m in the same boat as others here. I’ve donated to you, and voted for you in the poll. I think you are a fantastic voice on Health Care, and the right person to take on Republican talking points. But given that so much of our foreign policy involves Israel, someone who is so Pro-Israeli/Anti-Palestinian is going to be a problem for me.
I wasn’t even aware of it until I read this post, but I am going to be watching in the future. And I think any Progressive Presidential candidate is going to have to satisfy concerns about the right-ward tilt of our Middle-Eastern policy in the future.
Just some advice! Best regards, and thanks for posting here!
The Republican want to GET ELECTED no matter what. Period. They destroy the economy and now want to advise on how to repair it. They want to talk tough on defense, but had the worst attack in American history while they controlled the presidency, senate & congress. Give me a break. If Americans are stupid enough to vote these losers back into office, we deserve what we get!
President Obama– Republicans are out to destroy you. They hate you. Wake up.
And Alan Grayson, keep it up!!! You are awesome, and correct in your strategy!!!