WASHINGTON (CNN)– Rep. Alan Grayson's re-election campaign is seeing an increase in donations since his House floor speech last week in which the freshman Florida Democrat said the Republican health care plan calls for sick people to "die quickly."
"The campaign has over half a million dollars in the bank and over 5,000 first-time contributors in the past three days," Grayson told CNN Saturday, saying he has his floor speech to thank for the influx of cash.
"People want to see a congressman with guts," Grayson said. "[And] America likes to hear the truth."
On Tuesday, Grayson called the Republican health care plan a "very simple plan."
"Don't get sick. That's what the Republicans have in mind," he said. "And if you get sick, America, the Republican health care plan is this: die quickly."
Grayson worked to clarify his remarks in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday.
"What I mean is they have got no plan," Grayson said. "It's been 24 hours since I said that. Where is the Republican plan? We're all waiting to see something that will take care of the pre-existing conditions, to take care of the 40 million Americans who have no coverage at all.
"That's what I meant when I said that the Republican plan is don't get sick. And if you do get sick, die quickly."
Republicans are working to use Grayson's outburst to their advantage too– starting the website disalangrayson.com where voters are asked to contribute to the "FL-08 Nominee Fund." The site says all contributions will go toward the Republican candidate who wins the primary challenge in Florida's 8th district.
According to Grayson press secretary Todd Jurkowski, who received the latest fundraising totals from senior campaign adviser Julie Tagen, of the over half-million dollars in the bank, more than $150,000 has come in since Grayson's pitch to Congress Tuesday night.
From CNN Politics
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Replace Nancy with Grayson so he can deal with the GOP the Party of NO. Go get them Grayson we have your back.
Grayson for PRESIDENT in 2012. This guy makess a lot of sense.
He obviously thought they meant we want a Congressman that is NUTS. Grayson's synopsis of Republicans wanting ill people to die is paramount to the eco-terrorist among the left crying of a Global warming catastrophe... Funny how they now call it climate change since the earth has been in a cooling period and a relatively light tropical storm season. If Grayson had based his arguments on some facts instead of fiction and depicted a misrepresentation of statistical numbers without providing a basis for the facts, it may have been more than a theatrical political grandstanding stunt for some campaign dollars. Grayson, you are a disgrace and you have failed to astound the educated, you won't be around next election cycle!
SO far no one has found fault with the cold truth Congressman Grayson stated: over 40,000 Americans die every year because of lack of health insurance.
That's the real atrocity, and I applaud the Congressman for having the guts to tell the truth.
It is shameful that Republicans are stalling and obstructing this reform.
It just KILLS me when I hear people talking about "I'm not paying for government run health care" because, my dear, if you have been living in the USA you have been paying for govenment run health care ALL YOUR LIFE!!
Obama needs support because he has A LOT to do...thanks to GWBush and the 8 years he squandered every penny Clinton was able to balance and save...talk about Obama putting "our children" in debt....he's trying to lay the framework to get "our children" out of debt.
I have lost several "friends" over politics since 9/11. My son served 2 tours of duty in Iraq...don't dare call me Un-American...and don't point fingers at my President (Obama) and expect me to keep my mouth shut!
Yes Susan,Congress members pay premiums and they have a choice. That is exactly what most Americans want as well. No one other than Republicans believe people want something for nothing. That has always been their weapon of choice, scare people into believing that people want something for nothing, that people just want to smooch off all those hard working Americans who are lucky enough to make good money.
Just like Medicare, most people expect to pay premiums. They just want them to be affordable and not constantly go up while the coverage goes down. People want to have choices, the same as our members of Congress. A lot of people just want to have the option of actually having insurance regardless of any pre existing conditions. And, it would be nice to be able to change jobs without having to worry about insurance coverage.
Thank you Rep. Grayson. You said the right thing. Republicans really look stupid condemning him considering the way they have acted ever since the election.
OK, Children.... You've proven that a democrat can be just as rude as a republican.
How about dropping the mutual insults and start trying to find a common ground for a health program that works better than what we have now.
Leadership is more than hurling insults at each other.
This guy is the best,.. Republican killer !!! I hope he inspires millions of Americans. We need to fix the mess the Republicans left us.
Republican = Irrelevent, party of No, party of NO IDEAS. Move over so we can fix your mess...
This guy is an idiot!!
Democrats call Republicans the party of hate and then we hear words like this from Grayson?
He is full of hatred. So sad really.
Can we clone this guy? Let's just replace all the politicians with him and then maybe we can get it done!
People voted for guts. People voted for action. The people who won know this. I've been thoroughly baffled by all this sudden backpedaling, compromise, and flat out wimpiness.
We need people in office who have enough spine to stand up to the Republicans.
I just wish Harry Reid, Mr. Milk Toast, could talk like this guy.
Who ever heard of this guy, was he doing janitoral service in the back of the house?
Thank God. Finally a democrat who is willing to stand up and not 'negotiate' away people's rights!!
I wish all those golden oldies out there demonstrating against 'Obamacare' would first:
1. Give up Medicaid and Medicare (Most socialist programs around)
2. Call their insurance companies and try to buy personal health insurance
Come back to me then and lets talk about 'socialised' medicine!!
I really like this guy. Very simple and straight forward.. I will TOTALLY
vote for him.. I dont even live in florida..
Thankyou congress man GRAYSON. finally some body is standing for
the people.we had enough from the hooligans and thugs that are trying to control the white house and congress, dont they realize that the president had amandate for change, the american people had sent a loud and clear message that they want change.
Really? "He's your man"? What "good work"? You mean by the fact that Dems reject every possible amendment or suggestion to their bill? (including posting it in its entirety online before a final committee vote for the rest of us to read; what could that possibly hurt?)
Or by the fact that the CBO says it *won't* be budget neutral? Or, that tort reform *will* bring down costs but it will probably take 10 years for doctors to work "preemptive diagnostics" out of their mentality? Or that people *aren't* actually dying from lack of health care? Or that the Dems have all the votes they need to get *anything* passed without Repubs but still can't?
Shall I go on?
respect. truth needs no apology. tell them again
I just took a gander at the different plans and so far to me the House Tri-Committee Plan has the most to offer. By comparison, the so-called "GOP" plan is a joke. Grayson is pretty much right on the money and we do need more like him in both Houses of Congress.
For those of you that think Greyson is polarizing the political arena I said this:
If you don't know until now who is playing the partisan game in congress in this debate about health care then you need to go hide under a rock.
It's time to give to the GOP a small dose of their own madecine and let them see how it taste. Bunch of Hypocrites.
Every Democrat you be calling this AMERICA HATERS like the republican party out everyday on their lies. That way the next time they have some foolishness to say on the congress floor they will think about it twice.
Rep GRAYSON is the man America has been waiting for.He should continue telling the truth.GOP have been like pharisees who always opposed Jesus.I wish we can have more than 300 Graysons in the congress.GOP have no agenda for this country.They are the most uncooperative group who will never support anything.Americans should make sure that they will never be the majority again and never win white house.
Maybe we would be better off if Grayson followed this advice, One less criminal demoncrat to have to eliminate in the next election.
Think Again, Grayson is a dirtbag as isthe rest of the Liberal Low Lifes. I have never seen such BS as what the left throws out. I can look at someone, listen to someone, look at their homes, their cars, what they drink, what they do for an income and tell you whether they are a Low Life Liberal or a hard working Republican! It's quite obvious when you are out in public. But America must have a class fo the lazy.
If anyone is not familiar with the plans, you can read them here on cnn'sPolitics page. Check it out.
All the phony outrage and Democrats demanding an apology when Joe Wilson spoke the truth. But when Grayson goes off with his ridiculous Holocaust statements.................the Democrats have once again proven what a bunch of hypocrites they are.
Nothing sways voters more than hyperbole. The two-party system needs to die. I'm tired of the status quo.