Rep. Alan Grayson [D-FL08] is a first term Congresscritter from the Orlando – Disneyworld district which is supposed to be Republican. He’s not just a Democrat, he’s a blatantly progressive Democrat and doesn’t intend to put up with any more crap from the GOP.
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Established: 21 November 2004
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…despite my congenital cynicism, I have insisted on nurturing a deeply and perhaps not altogether effectively hidden hope that thing would be different this time. Unfortunately, the wisdom of cynicism seems to be generally winning out over foolish hopes for those “different” outcomes these days. Grayson’s actions on the floor of the House give me a glimmer of hope, but I have to confess I will be done – like totally done, like completely finished and out of “here” – if he is finally forced to extend any sort of apology other than the one he offered today to those who have died for lack of health insurance…
I first became fascinated with the world of politics back in the ’60’s when people we can only anymore think of as long-lost giants were willing to stand up and actually fight for what they believed in. We don’t see much of that anymore, and Ronald Raygun’s 1980 electoral success seems to be the line that can be drawn in the dirt demarcating the point at which I probably should have walked away from my fascination with the process. That, on reflection, seems to be the timeline placeholder that we can pretty easily point to as the first, earliest moment when Congressional Democratic spines began melting all across this great land of ours…
As near as I can tell, Grayson is real and he has no intention of apologizing for anything, including calling the Republicans “knuckle-dragging Neanderthals” on CNN. Digby has the video of the Situation Room, and he doesn’t back off.
He got in the face of people from the Fed over the bailout and lack of transparency, so his attitude is not new or single issue.
It’s a nice change, and a hopeful sign, but he needs support from some of the other Dems. He is at least willing to lead, which is something that has been sadly lacking in the House.
He came to Florida from Brooklyn via Harvard, Harvard Law, and the Kennedy School at Harvard, so he has the academic credentials, and obviously is ready to get in people’s faces.