U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson dismissed concerns raised by some Democrats about his electability including his friend trial lawyer John Morgan who told the Miami Herald last night that he believes Grayson has a “snowball’s chance in hell” of winning the general election.
“I think John should lay off the scotch before noon,” Grayson said in an interview with the Herald today after his announcement. He will face fellow Democrat U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy who lives in Palm Beach County.
Morgan and other Democrats are worried that Grayson’s messy divorce and controversies about his hedge funds -- which prompted requests for Congressional investigations in recent days -- will damage his campaign.
Grayson described the requests for investigations as “politically motivated hit pieces being done in order to smear me.”
Grayson opened the hedge funds in 2011 but the news reports about them -- and the fact that he won’t disclose his investors -- have surfaced in the past couple of months as he geared up to run statewide. The complaints raise the question about whether he is violating a House rule by using his name on the funds. Grayson said he has done nothing wrong
Grayson told the Herald he has four investors -- whom he would only describe as “friends and family” -- and wouldn’t identify them.
The Orlando Democrat plans to campaign on giving seniors a social security raise, expanding the services covered by Medicare, reducing student loans and expanding access to healthcare. In 2009, Grayson described the GOP health care plan as “if you do get sick, die quickly.”
“I don’t think Obamacare has gone far enough,” he said today.
He will try to portray himself as the Democrat in the race -- Murphy was a Republican until he ran for Congress in the 2012 race against tea party favorite Allen West and donated $2,300 to Mitt Romney in 2007. Grayson pointed to Murphy’s ranking on the progressivepunch website (but read the caveats about their methodology from PolitiFact Florida.)
During the most recent quarter, Grayson said he raised about $200,000 -- the same as the previous quarter. Fundraising reports won’t become public until July 15th. Murphy’s campaign said this week he has about $2.5 million cash on hand.
Grayson, a former attorney, spent millions of dollars of his own money in previous races.
When asked if he will spend a $1 million or more of his own money this time, he said:
“I don’t think it’s going to be necessary. If it is, then I will. I want to win.”
Grayson pointed to his own record in terms of securing small dollar donations.
See Grayson’s Truth-O-Meter record from PolitiFact Florida.
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