Republicans And Their Bankster Patrons On The Attack Against Alan Grayson

It's still early in the 2010 congressional cycle but interested parties are starting to get their priorities in order. The DCCC is looking at #4 GOP House leader Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), the Republicans' Policy Chair, as a major target (as well as everyone's favorite lunatic fringe sociopath, Michele Bachmann). Obama won McCotter's suburban Detroit district 54-45% and McCotter only took 51% of the vote against an unknown and unfinanced opponent. Blue America would like to take out an even more extremist GOP leader, Paul Ryan (R-WI), who is also vulnerable (not to mention Bachmann). Ryan has never had a serious challenger and his district, which was taken by Obama 51-48% in November, is chock full of awesome Democratic state legislators (all of whom star in this uplifting little BoDeans video).

But the DCCC has made it clear that most of their resources will go towards protecting the seats of reactionary incumbents who grassroots Democrats refuse to support because they vote with the Republicans more frequently than with Democrats on crucial issues-- like Bobby Bright (Blue Dog-AL), Parker Griffith (Blue Dog-AL), Travis Childers (Blue Dog-MS), Walt Minnick (Blue Dog-ID), Leonard Boswell (Blue Dog-IA), Chris Carney (Blue Dog-PA), and Baron Hill (Blue Dog-IN).

Blue America will work primarily towards electing solid progressives to replace reactionaries (of either party). And we will lend a hand in any tight races where progressive incumbents may need some help. For example, because of the nature of her district, Carol Shea-Porter may be vulnerable to another predicted right-wing onslaught. But certainly the #1 target for national Republicans across the board is Alan Grayson, the outstanding Orlando freshman who has made a name for himself standing up for working families and flying right in the face of the powerful banksters who have financed the deregulatory mania Grayson aims to fix. He's fearless and his tough, aggressive questioning of banksters at the House Financial Services Committee, frightens bribe-besotted Republicans and their crooked patrons. Today's CQPolitics makes it clear that the right-wing is desperately trying to put a target on Grayson's back. It's not so much that they hate him-- they hate all champions of working families-- they fear him. They know he's smarter than they are and they know he has the kind of unblinking courage of his convictions that very few politicians don't banish from their internal workings in pursuit of political expediency.

When apprised of the fact that an old right-wing hack, Daniel Webster, may come out of retirement to run against him, or that Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty, a poster boy for pay-to-play political corruption in Central Florida, wants run, Grayson, who has a great district operation and understands that the demographics have now made his district pretty blue, didn't seem overly concerned. "Any Republican in my district who wants to see what it's like to run for Congress and lose is welcome to do so," he told DWT this afternoon. "But whoever it is, the DCCC will leave welts on his back." FL-08 gave its votes to Obama 53-47%, approximately the same result in the race that Grayson won against entrenched right-wing incumbent Ric Keller. Like much of America, FL-08 has lost that lovin' feeling it once had for the GOP.

Grayson said voters in the 8th District are less concerned with party affiliation than they are with what their representative can do to help them.

“The fact that they waste all of their time scheming over the next election shows how completely out of touch they are and how unable they are to do anything useful for anyone in central Florida,” he said of state Republicans.

Grayson, who gained attention before he was elected by pursuing lawsuits against defense contractors for alleged Iraq war profiteering, sponsored legislation passed by the House this month that involved a current hot-button issue. The measure would curb employee bonuses at companies receiving federal bailout money.

...
An influx of Hispanic residents, including an upswing in the strongly Democratic Puerto Rican population, has contributed to changing demographics in the 8th that have ended the Republicans’ long-running voter registration advantage. The area also has several large universities, where support for Obama’s presidential candidacy was strong.

But voter turnout is typically much lower in midterm elections. “I think the big question mark is, ‘Are college students going to remain engaged?’” MacManus said. “If so, that makes the district a little bit more [Democratic] blue than in the past.”

There is no freshman who has been truer to the progressive values and principles that are espoused in the netroots communities. If you'd like to say "thanks" to Congressman Grayson, and help protect this seat from a well-funded Republican attack, you can do it right here. You can also throw in for Carol Shea-Porter at the same page. Going on the attack against Ryan, however, is on a separate page: StopPaulRyan. Anyone who donates at least $5 to all three today, gets a free CD, compliments of Blue America.

If you wonder why banksters and the GOP are so eager to attack Grayson, watch him on the House floor: