Tag: Alan Grayson

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Politics

Alan Grayson Questions “Canadian Born” Ted Cruz’s Eligibility to Run for President

UNITED STATES - DECEMBER 15: Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., participates in a news conference calling for no funding of the escalation of the war in Afghanistan on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009. (Photo By Bill Clark/Roll Call/Getty Images)

Karma is amazing, eh?

Barack Obama was born in America to an American mother. But that didn’t stop Republicans like Donald Trump, from claiming that Mr. Obama is not a citizen of the United States and thus, ineligible to hold the office of President.

Ted Cruz was NOT born in America. He was born in Canada and the last time I checked, Canada was a totally different country. But Republicans, including Donald Trump, have apparently accepted Cruz’s Canada birth as acceptable enough to run for president in America.

But one congressman is questioning Cruz’s eligibility, and he is filing a lawsuit to prove his point.

Alan Grayson, a Democrat, told Fox News Radio Cruz does not meet the constitutional requirement that the president be a natural born citizen.

Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta, in 1970 to a Cuban-born father and American-born mother, and had American and Canadian dual citizenship as a result.

Cruz did not acknowledge his dual citizenship publicly until 2013 when the Dallas Morning News published his birth certificate, but renounced it in 2014, saying at the time “as a U.S. senator, I believe I should be only an American.”

“The Constitution says natural born Americans, so now we’re counting Canadians as natural born Americans?” Grayson said during an interview with Alan Colmes on the radio network. “How does that work? I’m waiting for the moment that he gets the nomination and then I will file that beautiful lawsuit saying that he’s unqualified for the job because he’s ineligible.”

Colmes told Grayson he thought it was interesting that many of the people who were concerned about President Barack Obama having a Kenyan-born father — his mother was American and he was born in Hawaii — don’t share the same concern about Cruz.

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Politics

Alan Grayson Is Accusing His Wife of Bigamy

The Tamper Bay Times is reporting that when U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson married his wife, she was already wed to another man, according to a new court filing by the congressman’s lawyers, seeking an annulment on the basis of bigamy.

In new court paperwork filed in the couple’s divorce case last week, days before their 24th anniversary, Grayson, D-Florida, accuses Lolita Grayson of fraud, unjust enrichment and misrepresentation, among other claims.

He’s also suing for defamation, the new document states, stemming from a disturbance at their home in March. Lolita Grayson accused her husband of shoving her, but later dropped her petition for a domestic injunction.

Lolita Grayson’s attorneys did not immediately respond to a call or emails seeking comment on Tuesday.

Alan Grayson’s new filing, a counter-petition to her January divorce filing, states that when he met Lolita Grayson in 1985, she “represented herself as single in order to induce Mr. Grayson to marry her.”

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Politics

Rep. Alan Grayson Scammed out of $18 million in Florida

McLEAN, Va. — U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida lost $18 million in a scheme that cheated him and about 120 other investors out of more than $35 million, according to court papers.

The Virginia man who ran the scheme, William Dean Chapman, was sentenced Friday in federal court to 12 years in prison. Prosecutors say Chapman used the money to fund a lavish lifestyle including a Lamborghini, a Ferrari and a $3 million home.

In most of the court papers, Grayson’s identity is protected — prosecutors say only that an elected official with the initials A.G. was the primary victim — but documents twice mention Grayson by name. The Democratic congressman on Monday confirmed he is the A.G. mentioned in the documents.

Nothing in the court papers suggests Grayson was anything but a victim of the scheme. Grayson, a former trial attorney, said he has had a long record for picking winning stocks, which formed the basis for his personal fortune.

The scheme worked like this: clients would turn over their stocks to Chapman as collateral for a loan, and Chapman would let customers borrow about 90 percent of the stocks’ value.

If the stocks did badly, borrowers could walk away and keep the money they were loaned. But if the borrowers’ stocks did well, they would repay the loan with interest, and Chapman was supposed to return the stocks to the investor at their increased value.

But, according to court papers, Chapman sold the stocks and had no way to fulfill his obligations if a client’s stock portfolio did well.

“That’s why (Chapman) is going to prison for a long, long time,” Grayson said. “At least in the end, some kind of justice was served.”

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Politics

Alan Grayson Equates Teaparty to KKK, Allen West Gets Upset

That’s right, Allen West. He has decided to come to the rescue if the KKK… oops, I mean the Teaparty.

In an interview with Fox News’ “The Kelly File,” West questioned several high-profile Democrats — headed by President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) — for not speaking out.

“You know, we continue to hear the use of this extremist language, jihadist language, arsonist, extortionist and now this equating constitutional conservatives, people who just believe in a constitutional way of government to operate, with people who were responsible for lynchings, and horrible things in the South and all across this country,” West said.

Grayson initially made the tea party-KKK claim in an interview last Thursday on MSNBC’s “Politics Nation with Al Sharpton,” arguing that at this point, the conservative movement is “no more popular than the Klan.” The congressman escalated that claim with an email using a burning cross to signify the tea party.

“[T]here is overwhelming evidence that the tea party is the home of bigotry and discrimination in America today, just as the KKK was for an earlier generation,” Grayson said in a statement provided to HuffPost Tuesday. “If the hood fits, wear it.”

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Politics

The Real Alan Grayson Returns – We’re Less Popular Than Dog Poop – Video

If you don’t know who Alan Grayson is, then you must have had your head under a rock! Please allow me to me to remind you.

On the House floor on Wednesday, Grayson educated his fellow House colleagues on just how popular the American people think they are, especially after the Republican Government Shutdown. Explaining the meaning of the word “dignity,” Grayson educates;

If dignity means what the dictionary says it means—the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect—then surely the honor and worthy of honor or respect of this house has been called into question.

When only 7 out of 100 Americans approve of what we do – the lowest approval rating ever – then surely our dignity has been diminished and is actively being called into question. If we are to be called obstructionists, practicers of partisan petulance, if we are called an establishment that is rotten to the core, if we are leaving Americans wondering why there is so much poison in the system, then surely our dignity as a body has been diminished.

If we’re accused of willingly provoking crises that suspend public services and decrease economic growth, then surely our dignity as a body has been diminished. If we cause international media outlets to refer to us as politically bankrupt and responsible for breaking America’s dignity, as a body, as a House, is being called into question.

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Politics Syria

Alan Grayson Disagrees With President Obama on Bombing Syria – Video

Rep. Alan Grayson went on MSNBC’s Weekends with Alex Witt on Sunday and had a rather tart interview with host Alex Witt. Alex, like the other hosts at MSNBC has taken a rather right-winged, warmongering stance on President Obama’s decision to bring Congress into the Syria decision-making process.

Beginning yesterday with Andrea Mitchell’s apparent surprise that the President would ask for Congressional approval before dropping bombs on Syria, Alex Witt continued today, questioning why Alan Grayson was so much against military intervention in the Syrian conflict.

Grayson began the interview by stating his reasons for being against America dropping bombs.

  1. It’s not our responsibility,
  2. Whatever we do will not accomplish anything useful
  3. It’s expensive
  4. It’s dangerous

Alex Witt was quick to point out that Grayson’s position was not a popular and wondered how much pushback he was getting from other members of the house or from his constituents. Grayson answered that his position was in fact, the popular position, stating that “the polls now show and would continue to show that Americans understand that it’s simply not our responsibility.” Grayson continued;

“We are only one country our of 196. We have our own problems to deal with and we’re not the world’s policeman nor the world’s judge, jury and executioner.”

Later on in the interview, Alex played a part of the President’s speech where he outlined the reason why America must attack Syria. In the video, President Obama asked what message do we send if a dictator is able to gas children and get away with it. Alex Witt asked Grayson to respond to the President’s question. Grayson explained that the rules already in effect requires the perpetrator be brought to “the International Court of The Hague” to answer the charges, “not be bombed!”

Watch the exchange below.

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Politics

Alan Grayson – Republicans’ Debt Ceiling Fight Amounts to “Legislative Terrorism”

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) paid a visit to Al Sharpton on MSNBC on Thursday night, criticizing Republicans for their opportunistic approach to the debt ceiling and cuts to government spending. The GOP is using it as “legislative terrorism” to “extract concessions” they wouldn’t otherwise be able to accomplish.

Sharpton pointed to remarks Paul Ryan made in 2011, wherein he said “you can’t not raise the debt ceiling.” He went on to also play remarks from Sen. Lindsey Graham and House Speaker John Boehner, both of whom described the calamitous effects of not raising the debt ceiling and defaulting.

“So, were they kidding then, are they kidding now?” Sharpton asked. “Why the big change?”

Republicans see that it is “a device to extract concessions they would otherwise never be able to accomplish,” Grayson replied. “That’s why it’s legislative terrorism.”

He continued:

They’re using the debt ceiling as a means to cut Social Security benefits, cut Medicare benefits, cut unemployment insurance, cut anything of any use to any ordinary human being in this country simply because they want more money for tax cuts for the rich.

“Holding the economy hostage, I would take from that,” Sharpton remarked, also noting Boehner reportedly told Republicans that he’s through with one-on-one negotiations with President Obama.

“Boehner is a chief with no Indians,” Grayson said. “He’s a weak, weak man, a weak speaker.”

Video:

h/t Mediaite

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Politics Tax

Tim Pawlenty’s Policies Makes Bush Tax Cuts Look Liberal

Tim Pawlenty came out with his economic proposal, a financial calamity that would make the Bush Tax cuts look as if it was proposed by former Representative and ultra liberal Alan Grayson. Some of the numbers in the Pawlenty plan are:

  • Reducing the top individual income tax rate from 35% to 25%
  • Reducing the top Corporate tax rate from 25% to 15%
  • Completely eliminate capital gains taxes, taxes on dividends and interest, and the estate tax
  • Having just two income tax brackets, 10 percent and 25 percent

These drastic steps by Pawlenty are supposed to reduce the federal deficit, but according to the Tax Policy Center, the Congressional Budget Office and the IRS, even if all Pawlenty’s figures add up, revenue generated would be just 13.6 percent of GDP from 2013-2021, and equals a tax cut of $11 trillion over the same time. In comparison, the Bush’s tax cuts were three times smaller than what Pawlenty is proposing.

To put things into perspective, the nice folks at The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities did their research and came up with the following chart.

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Bill O'Reilly Politics Republican Sarah Palin tax cuts

Alan Grayson Slams Fox News and The Right Winged Propaganda Machine

Alan Grayson points finger and calls names in this presentation in the House of Representatives, showing why some on the right insist on continuing the tax cuts for the rich. Grayson stated the obvious, that the truth of the matter is, Congressional Republicans are all going to benefit from those tax cuts.

Alan came prepared with huge cardboard cut-out of different so-called “pundits,” detailing what they make and how much more they are sure to get if the Republicans get their way and extend the Millionaire Tax cuts.

He then came up with a better use of that extra cash these rich folks don’t need – using it to create jobs – over 3 million jobs at $30,000 a year Grayson says, is the better way to get this economy moving again.

Names like Fox News contributors, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and Bill O’Reilly and even the former President himself will benefit tremendously from having these millionaire tax cuts extended. In Mr. Grayson’s own words;

They want tax cuts for the rich because they want a tax cut for themselves. What do I mean by that? Let’s take a look at the people who are really in charge, the ones who actually run the Republican party.

Let’s start with this gentleman here, the man with the cigar, Rush Limbaugh. Doesn’t he look happy? According according to Newsweek, he makes $58.7 million a year, and extending the tax cuts means he’ll have another $2.7 million. Mega dittos, Rush, and mega money. Let’s look at the next one.

Here’s Glenn Beck, according to Newsweek Glenn Beck makes $33 million a year as a pundit and extending the Bush Tax Cuts means a cool $1.5 million for Glenn bBeck’s ongoing imitation of Howard Beale from Network. Now let’s look at the next one.

Sean Hannity. Newsweek says that Sean Hannity, this man of the people makes $22 million a year from his act on Fox. And that means the Bush Tax cuts mean an extra $1 million. $1 million for Sean Hannity. Maybe he can afford some anger management classes. Let’s take a look at the next one.

Bill O’Reilly. He makes a modest $20 million a year from his gig on Fox. That means that the Bush tax cuts give him not quite seven figures, nearly $914,000 of extra cash. It’s easy to see why Bill O’Reilly wants to see the Bush tax cuts extended. And I have to say, he’s no pinhead when it comes to that.

And Now, Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin has made $14 million this year from cashing in on her fame. In fact, she’s done a better job of turning fame into cash than anyone in American history. $14 million. So she wants the Bush tax cuts extended so she can make an extra cool $638,000. As she was — as she would gesture (shoulder shrug.)

Alan Grayson did not win his re-election in November, but he is not laying down in these last few weeks of his term in Congress. He is going out with a bang, and in the process, pointing out some very significant truths along the way!

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