Editor's Note: In the final 100 days before Election Day, CNN has been profiling one race at random each day from among the nation's top 100 House races, which we've dubbed "The CNN 100." Read the full list here . Today's featured district is:
FL-08: Rep. Alan Grayson is in danger of losing his seat.
Primary: August 24, 2010
Location: The middle of the state/a piece of Orlando
Days until the election: 21
This race is nothing if not interesting. First off, you have outspoken and controversial incumbent, Rep. Alan Grayson who has served one term in the House of Representatives, and earned far more than his share of bombastic headlines, famously referring to a woman lobbyist as a "K-Street Whore," and summarizing the Republican position on health care as "If you get sick, die quickly," much to the dismay of his party.
FULL POST
Washington (CNN) - The challenger in a hotly contested race for a U.S. House seat in central Florida accused Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson on Monday of using misleading edits in a campaign ad to distort his comments.
Former Florida state Rep. Dan Webster said the new ad by Grayson's re-election campaign doesn't accurately portray what the GOP candidate said.
(CNN) - Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson from Orlando, Florida, is known for speaking his mind.
It was Grayson who barreled onto the House floor last year to summarize the Republican health care plan as: "If you get sick, die quickly." It was Grayson who compared former Vice President Dick Cheney to a vampire. It was Grayson who called a lobbyist-turned-federal-reserve employee a "K Street whore."
When we asked Grayson about being referred to as "one fry short of a happy meal" he assured us he was not crazy in the truest sense of the word.
"Everybody is entitled to their opinion but I can tell you that if working hard and delivering for people is better, then that may make me crazy. If that's what it takes to call somebody crazy ... then I'm guilty as charged."
(CNN) - Reps. Michele Bachmann, R-Minnesota, and Alan Grayson, D-Florida, engaged in a spirited debate on health care reform Wednesday night on CNN's Larry King Live.
Specifically, the two squared off over whether the tactic of reconciliation - requiring only a simple majority to pass the measure - should be used.
"That's not how the Senate works," Bachmann said. "The Senate works with 60 votes, and now what the president is promoting is a nuclear option which is 50 votes."
Grayson replied: "There's nothing in the Senate rules that prevents reconciliation. It's been used 22 times overall and 14 times by Republicans. If it's good enough to provide tax cuts for the rich - twice under Bush - it's good enough to provide health care for all Americans."
Washington (CNN) – Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Florida, narrowly escaped harm earlier this week after being caught up in a military coup in the African country of Niger.
Grayson's press secretary, Todd Jurkowski, confirmed to CNN that Grayson was close to the action. "He heard the gunshots. They were literally in the building next door."
The outspoken congressman was in Niger as part of a congressional delegation focused on science, technology and humanitarian relief, according to Jurkowski. When the situation began to unravel, Grayson was taken to the residence of the United States Ambassador to Niger, where he was placed under armed protection.
On Thursday, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State P.J. Crowley told reporters the U.S. Embassy was monitoring the situation and confirmed Grayson was safe at the embassy. Later that night, a Niger military official announced the country's constitution has been suspended.
Washington (CNN) – Outspoken Rep. Alan Grayson has a message for blunt-speaking former Vice President Dick Cheney: stop talking.
Responding to the former VP’s criticism of President Obama’s national security policy, including his decision to try accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in civilian court, the Florida Democrat lapsed into Web-speak.
“You know, on the internet there's an acronym that's used to apply to situations like this. It's called ‘STFU,’” Grayson said on MSNBC’s Hardball. “I don't think I can say that on the air, but I think you know what that means.” The letters are an acronym for “shut the f*** up.”
Cheney has been a vocal critic of the president’s policies, telling Fox News earlier this week that the extended decision-making process on Afghanistan “feeds into sort of the basic al Qaeda strategy” by fueling a sense of uncertainty on the future direction of U.S. involvement.
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Florida Democrat Rep. Alan Grayson issued a written apology Tuesday evening for a comment for a month-old comment that has stirred controversy on Capitol Hill in recent days.
During a September radio interview, Grayson called Linda Robertson, an aide to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke who has also worked as a lobbyist, a "K Street whore."
In a statement issued Tuesday evening, Grayson said his comment was inappropriate.
"I offer my sincere apology," Grayson said in the statement, "I did not intend to use a term that is often, and correctly, seen as disrespectful of women.
"This characterization of Ms. Robertson, made during a radio interview last month in the context of the debate over whether the Federal Reserve should be independently audited, was inappropriate, and I apologize."
Just hours earlier, a spokesman for Grayson had defended the comment in a statement to CNN.
FULL POST
WASHINGTON (CNN) – Florida Democrat Rep. Alan Grayson issued a written apology Tuesday evening for a comment for a month-old comment that has stirred controversy on Capitol Hill in recent days.
During a September radio interview, Grayson called Linda Robertson, an aide to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke who has also worked as a lobbyist, a "K Street whore."
In a statement issued Tuesday evening, Grayson said his comment was inappropriate.
"I offer my sincere apology," Grayson said in the statement, "I did not intend to use a term that is often, and correctly, seen as disrespectful of women.
"This characterization of Ms. Robertson, made during a radio interview last month in the context of the debate over whether the Federal Reserve should be independently audited, was inappropriate, and I apologize."
Just hours earlier, a spokesman for Grayson had defended the comment in a statement to CNN.
FULL POST
(CNN) - A spokesman for Florida Rep. Alan Grayson is defending the outspoken congressman's recent comment calling an aide to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke a "K Street whore."
The comments - directed toward Bernanke aide Linda Robertson - came during a radio interview a month ago but are just now circulating Capitol Hill.
Grayson spokesman Todd Jurkowski said the congressman's comments came in response to an attack from Robertson over the his support of a GOP-backed bill to audit the Federal Reserve.
"She actually questioned his understanding of the difference between fiscal and monetary policy," he said in a statement to CNN. "She had the audacity to attack a congressman who used to be an economist. She's a career lobbyist who used to work for Enron and advocates for whatever she gets paid to promote."
Jurkowski also questioned why the comments are making news a month after the interview aired.
"Why is this coming up now? This interview happened weeks ago. This is just another way for the NRCC to attack their number 1 target," he said.
The comments are the latest in a string of controversial statements from the freshman congressman, who last month angered Republicans but became a hero to the left when he declared on the House floor that the GOP health care plan is to let sick people "die quickly."
Related: Liberals see health care hero in freshman Florida lawmaker
FULL POST
NEW YORK (CNN)– Controversial freshman Rep. Alan Grayson, who has become famous for attacking the Republicans' health care plan, went on the attack again Friday night, calling former Vice President Dick Cheney a vampire for his recent criticism of the Obama administration's handling of the war in Afghanistan.
"I have trouble listening to what [Cheney] says sometimes because of the blood that drips from his teeth while he's talking," the Florida Democrat said on MSNBC's Hardball Friday night. "But my response is this: he's just angry because the president doesn't shoot old men in the face. But by the way, when he was done speaking, did he just then turn into a bat and fly away?"
In a hard-hitting, wide-ranging speech last Wednesday, Cheney targeted the administration's decision-making process on how to proceed in Afghanistan, saying Obama has failed to give troops on the ground a clear mission or defined goals and appeared "afraid to make a decision."
"The White House must stop dithering while America's armed forces are in danger," Cheney said at the Center for Security Policy. "Make no mistake, signals of indecision out of Washington hurt our allies and embolden our adversaries."
In responding to Cheney's attack, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on Thursday got in a jab of his own.
From CNN Politics
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