Labels: Democrats with balls, Hillary Clinton, Republican id-driven two-year-olds

Labels: Bill Clinton, Democrats with balls

ORLANDO, Fla. -- WFTV learned on Monday that former U.S. Congressman Alan Grayson is running for office again.

On Monday, Grayson said he doesn't plan to do anything different. He said he's running again because of all the people who have reached out and asked him to. Grayson already raised nearly $100,000 in donations before filing his paperwork on Monday.

"We need somebody who's gonna stick up for what's right. Somebody with guts," Grayson said.

During Grayson's last campaign an ad referred to his opponent, Daniel Webster, as Taliban Dan. Grayson lost his District 8 Congressional seat to Webster after a highly controversial campaign. And Grayson's take on the Republican health care plan caught national attention.

"Republican plan: don't get sick. And if you do get sick, die quickly," said Grayson on the floor of Congress..

Looking back, Grayson said he has no regrets about his campaign.

"What went wrong with my campaign, and Democratic campaigns all over the country, is that Democrats didn't vote," said Grayson.

Grayson said he's proud of his track record, from jobs, to helping Central Florida's housing crisis.

"When I started, there were 3,000 families every month losing their homes in Orange County. We got that number down to 1,500," said Grayson.

Grayson said his approach this time around depends on the circumstances, but for the sake of supporters who sent him donations before he announced he's running again, he said he has no plans to hold back.

"We're fighting for our survival. We're fighting for our jobs, our homes. We're fighting for Social Security and Medicare," said Grayson.

Grayson may not be running for his old seat with redistricting under way right now, he may end up running for a newly created seat for Orlando. It's still to early to know who he will be running against.

I’m in.  I’m running for Congress.


I’m running because I  promised Charlaina and Rick that I would.   Charlaina called me a few weeks ago, from the hospital.  She told me that her husband, Rick, was suffering from multiple organ failure – lungs, kidneys and liver.

Rick was 56 years old.  That’s three years older than me.

Rick was a veteran.   But the Veterans Administration wasn’t covering his hospital bills.

Rick had had a bad liver  since he was 30, when he contracted hepatitis.  No insurance company would go  near him.


Every day Rick survived, his  family owed several thousand dollars more to hospitals and doctors.  And  they had no way to pay it.

I told Charlaina how sorry I  was.  And I told her that I wasn’t in  Congress anymore, so I wasn’t sure how I could help.

She said: “You can run again.”

“You are the only person who ever cared about people like us.  Rick wants people in Congress who can’t be  bought and sold.  Rick wants you to run again.”

A dying man wants me to run  for Congress.  What exactly could I say?

I promised that I would run.

Rick died on June 30, 2011,  at 5:55 p.m.

I’m keeping my promise.   I’m in.

For the four million people in Florida who can’t see a  doctor when they are sick, and  the fifty million nationwide, I’m in.

For the 70% of all homeowners  in Orlando who owe more than they own on their home, and the 25% nationwide who  are “underwater,” and feel like they  are drowning, I’m in.

For the six million Americans who haven’t worked in  six months and are seeing their  benefits running out, for the eight million more who are unemployed, and for  the eight million on top of that who can find only part-time work, I’m in.

For the millions of parents  who have absolutely no idea how to  pay for a college education for their children, I’m in.

And for everyone who is  appalled by the prospect that we may cut Social Security and Medicare benefits  as we spend more than $150 billion a  year on three unnecessary wars and almost  $100 billion a year on the Bush tax cuts for the rich, I’m in.


I’m in.  And  I’m going to need your help.  Are you in?

Click here to contribute to my campaign

Labels: Alan Grayson, Democrats with balls

Labels: Alan Grayson, Democrats with balls, Fox News, The Right Wing War on the Middle Class

Labels: Anthony Weiner, Democrats with balls, Medicare

Labels: Better Democrats, Democrats with balls, More like this please

Labels: Anthony Weiner, Democrats with balls, More like this please, sheer awesomeness

Labels: Democrats with balls, music

...there are those in the house who are willing to shut down the government, take people's paychecks away from them, because they want to deny women access to health care in this country.

Labels: Democrats with balls, women's health

For all the good it will do, this is a reminder that some of us know damn -- and will never stop Saying Out Loud -- the ugly truth that you dare not ever admit in public: that the Movement you spent so many years helping to build was born corrupt and raised by monsters.

That you were warned at every step along the way that teetering on the edge of a fascist abyss with giggling, Bible-thumping sociopaths trying to shove us over the edge is exactly where your grotesque cult of Thatcher and Reagan would land us.

And now that we are all squatting in the ruins of the culture your Movement destroyed, how will you atone?

Labels: bloggers, Democrats with balls, liberalism

Debate and reason do not work, because Conservatism is no longer operationally a political philosophy, and the GOP is no longer a political party. They are cults, and no self-respecting cult junior assistant copy-boy who is gunning for a promotion to the Cult Home Office ever made it into cult middle management by saying, "Whoopsie! Looks like we got this one wrong! Maybe the infidels are right this time and we need to rethink the Glorious and Infallible words of our Foundational Dogma."

Labels: Anthony Weiner, bloggers, Democrats with balls, NPR

Labels: Anthony Weiner, Democrats with balls, rape, reproductive rights

Labels: Anthony Weiner, Democrats with balls, real heroes

Labels: Alan Grayson, Democrats with balls

Labels: Alan Grayson, Democrats with balls

Dear Colleague,

Perhaps the most crucial vote you will cast in the reorganization of the 112th Congress involves the Ranking Member position of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. This is because the presumptive Chair of the full Committee, Rep. Darrell Issa of California, has already made wild and unsubstantiated charges which threaten to tum the principal oversight committee of the House into a witch hunt.

In just the past week, he has indicated a telling enthusiasm for a broad probe into the $700 billion American Reinvestment and Recovery Act program. He has equated it with “walking around money.” As you know, that is political slang for money off the books and under the table. He made this unsubstantiated claim in the context of promising hundreds of investigative hearings into the present Administration, calling President Obama “one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times.” I immediately sent Mr. Issa a letter (attached) calling for him to produce the evidence for such charges or to retract his statement.

Mr. Issa, through his eagerness to make unsubstantiated charges and to draw conclusions in advance of evidence, reveals a lack of restraint and basic fairness. This conduct in the Chairman of the Committee will degrade Congress’ oversight credibility and undermine the institution of the House through a lack of restraint in the use of subpoena power.

We cannot simply stand by idly and hope that such a reckless approach to the use of the power of the Chair will not happen, especially since it is not only being promised, but demonstrated by the person who will hold the gavel.

It is a matter of the highest importance that any intemperate use of the power of the Chair be challenged at every turn. Accordingly, I have decided to step forward as a candidate for Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. In that capacity, here is my pledge to you and our fellow members ofthe House:

1. Zero tolerance for smears and innuendo. Every single statement by Chairman Issa which is lacking in respect for the process of oversight, every unsubstantiated allegation or any publically pronounced assumption which lacks basic fairness will be promptly challenged.


2. I will encourage a team approach on the Committee which will tap the talents of all members to actively participate in responding to any abllse of process.


3. All members will receive weekly updates of oversight activities to be able to provide input.


4. Cooperation with Chairman Issa when, and only when, he proceeds in an even-handed manner which demonstrates basic fairness and respect for due process.

In the past two Congresses, the Domestic Policy Subcommittee, which I chaired, held over sixty hearings and heard testimony from hundreds of witnesses. We received testimony from Democratic and Republican administrations alike, proceeding in a deliberate and methodical manner, through thorough questioning of witnesses.

As Chairman, I worked closely with the Obama Administration. As a result of my advocacy and the multiple hearings that my Subcommittee held on foreclosure prevention, the Treasury Department created a $15 billion nationwide principle reduction program for “underwater” borrowers and now will allow flexibility in the use of federal foreclosure prevention funds by state housing agencies so that they’ can hire foreclosure prevention counselors.

Aggressive and thorough oversight is never to be feared. It is a goal. Now, with the change in the leadership of the Committee, we must be ready to preserve that goal tirelessly, courageously and unstintingly. That is the only way we can defend the integrity of congressional oversight from becoming an abusive power.

I ask for your consideration and your vote for Ranking Member of the full Committee.

Sincerely,

Dennis J. Kucinich
Chair, Domestic Policy Subcommittee
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Labels: a real mensch, Democrats with balls, Dennis Kucinich

Labels: Alan Grayson, Democrats with balls, movies

Labels: Anthony Weiner, Democrats with balls

Labels: Democrats with balls

Labels: Al Franken, Democrats with balls