The Man Who Is Alan Grayson

Heather at Crooks and Liars brings us fascinating, heartbreaking and inspiring details about the man who is single-handedly beating the ever-lovin' shit out of Congressional Repugs and their cowardly Blue Dog allies.

For anyone who hasn't seen this, I thought it was worth sharing. From Alan Grayson's You Tube page "Rep. Alan Grayson asking Federal Reserve General Counsel Scott Alvarez about the Fed's independence" on Sept. 25, 2009.

Also there is a really wonderful diary up at Daily KOS by davidkc with more on Grayson's background. I highly recommend reading it-- Alan Grayson Shows Dems How to Play Hardball.

The more I read about this man, the more I like him. As the KOS diary points to, the St. Petersburg Times published a lengthy profile of Congressman Grayson and here are a few portions that I thought were worth sharing.

But a leading opponent has not yet emerged, and Grayson, the 12th-wealthiest member of Congress, has resources to defend himself. He spent $2 million of his own money on the 2008 campaign. (The "die quickly" speech has triggered $150,000 in contributions, his office says.) And his district has shifted from slightly Republican to slightly Democratic.

"It's no coincidence the National Republican Congressional Committee has named me as the No. 1 target next year," Grayson said. "We're working hard, getting things done."

Swagger courses through Grayson's every word, delivered in the accent of his Bronx upbringing and with the exacting nature of a lawyer who first made his name taking on — and taking down — contractors and war profiteers in Iraq.

"I don't need the job for income or satisfaction," said Grayson, sitting on a bench outside the House chamber in between votes. "The truth is, it's really a hardship. I took an enormous pay cut to take the job. Every week, I leave five young children and my wife to come up here.

"I don't owe anything to anyone here. I don't owe anything to lobbyists. I don't owe anything to leadership. The only thing I owe to anybody is the well-being of 800,000 people who depend on me."

That's the one that got me. "800,000 people who depend on me." Those are his constituents. The people who live in the district he represents. THEY are his job. And he is one of the few, the very few Democratic members of Congress who get that.

Heather concludes:

No wonder the Republicans have a big target on his head. We could use a whole lot more like him in our Congress.

Read the whole thing, including all the links.

Do not, Do Not, Do Not vote for any Democratic candidate who doesn't swear on the heads of her children that she will out-Alan Grayson Alan Grayson.