I was beginning to worry that Alan Grayson was ill...

[brooklynite]

He hasn't been asking for money for almost two months.

...but here he is, two weeks after taking office, looking for money for 2016, for his SAFE DEMOCRATIC district

Bill Maher will be performing in Orlando on February 8. I'll be there. Would you like to join us? Maybe you can.

Bill Maher put political comedy on weekly TV, he has kept it there for 18 years, and he has won 21 Emmy nominations along the way. His 2008 expose of organized religion, Religulous, is the 7th highest grossing documentary of all time.

I've been on his TV show four times. Take it from me: he's funny. Which is why I look forward to seeing his performance in Orlando. And why I would be happy if you came with me.

More specifically, two of my supporters will join us. One will be chosen from among the people who contribute $20.16 or more to our campaign, between now and Feb. 1. The other will be chosen from among our monthly contributors whom we call our "sustainers."

So there are two ways to get in on this:

(1) Contribute $20.16 or more to our campaign during the next 10 days.
(2) Be, or become, a monthly contributor to our campaign.

If you are chosen, we will fly you to Orlando, we will put you up in a nice hotel, and you can join me for Bill's show. But you don't have to be funny - that's his job.

Of course, there is the fine print. There's always fine print. Void where prohibited, blah, blah, blah. It's underneath my signature below. Take a look at it, if you have time - it's almost as hilarious as Bill is.

Look, forget the fine print. It's very simple - support our campaign (you know you want to!!), and you have a chance (maybe two chances!!) to join me and Bill Maher (THE Bill Maher!!) in Orlando (Florida!!). If you click here. Or if you hit that green button below. [/siv]

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

1. Alan is the only one doing this out of 435?

Or, let me bet that every single house member is already raising money and more than half of them are in safe districts.

[bravenak]

2. I love when he posts here too.

So engaging.

[Rex]

3. .

[benz380]

17. Ah the possibilities. n/t

[Rex]

19. They are truly endless on the internet, are they not?

The internet has created a place for people to invent themselves with each and every place they post! Think about it...on one forum you could be an airline pilot and on another an astronaut!

[HappyMe]

4. Outlandish!

How dare he raise funds for 2016!

[think]

5. For some reason he might not be getting large corporations & banks to help his campaign.... /nt

[HappyMe]

8. He needs more Wall Street buddies.

[LondonReign2]

18. Needs to attend more salons

[HappyMe]

28. A fancy $1 - $3k per plate super salon.

It's kind of refreshing to see a fundraising email that isn't a gloomy Eeyore type.

I may just give the guy the $20.

[benz380]

32. I'm thinking of giving too. This thread's at least $20 worth of laughs. n/t

[LondonReign2]

6. Third Wayer takes shot at real liberal? How surprising.

[brooklynite]

9. 1%er supported Grayson when his district was was competetive? How suprising.

He doesn't need the money as much as a lot of other districts do.

[LondonReign2]

13. Oh, you poor darling. How dare the mean Liberal Grayson raise money without a Third Wayer's approval

[CreekDog]

29. Elizabeth Warren also fundraises

Based on your posts, I would expect that you would understand that when progressives in safe districts/states fundraise, they are able to help other candidates by distributing that help to like minded candidates.

That's what Warren does.

It also increases the power of their point of view to the leadership of the party when they are able to help campaigns and help the party overall.

I'd expect you to know this, but either you don't or you're pretending not to.

[Thinkingabout]

55. Are you saying she raised $42 m and was still in debt after her election and she gave money to

Others?

[Fred Sanders]

7. Sounds like a good deal for 20 bucks for the prize.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

10. Our self-described one-percenter complaining about fundraising.

Regarding your own forture....I'll bet you built that, right?

[brooklynite]

11. Never inherited a penny...neither did my wife.

Not really relevant to the issue. I have no objection to Grayson and no objection to fundraising. I do object to incessant pleas for money by candidates who don't need it.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

15. Interesting you attack one of a handful of ACTUAL liberals in American politics

BTW, if I had my way all of your capital gains income would be taxed as regular income and my new tax bracket would tax all income over $5 million at 75%

And that probably isnt even enough

[LondonReign2]

20. Not surprising

When your goal is to represent corporate interests and push the country further to the right it's natural to attack actual Liberal Democrats.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

23. I honestly was surprised. I actually did not believe ANY actual democrats on this board

would be anti Grayson.

That does blow my mind and does prove what I fear about not just people here at DU but the Democratic Party in general.

There is an ALL OUT effort to stop people from voting, which comes from all directions, too

[LondonReign2]

24. See, you answered your own question. 'Actual Democrats'

Third Wayers only pose as Democrats

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

26. We are so fucked up, we have people way in one direction implying that voting for

someone like Hillary is the same as voting con, which is insane and then we have the far right of our side who argue with me all day here about liberal policies that I support or more accurately liberal stances on things like shooting black people for no reason

[CreekDog]

31. so you disagree with Nancy Pelosi's fundraising appeals?

[LawDeeDah]

51. In other words, you made it all by yourself with no help from others.

In other, other words, anyone can be in the 1%, they just got to be smart enough and work hard enough and if you aren't in that club, you must be lazy or stupid.

[CreekDog]

54. would you be more approving if he had married into his money

versus inheriting it?

[Rex]

12. A 'billionaire' is worried about Alan Grayson getting 20 bucks a plate!

At least it is entertaining! Not meant to be, but is!

[NCTraveler]

25. There are around 500 billionaires in the US.

Does one of them really post here? While Grayson is extremely wealthy, he is no billionaire.

[Rex]

40. I doubt it, but hey anything is possible.

Why would a billionaire spend all day posting on DU? Seems kind of odd, but again stranger things do happen.

[NCTraveler]

22. Our self-described one-percenter complaining about another known one-percenter.

There we go. Just wanted your vitriol at one-percenter to be properly directed at both parties in the discussion. Not just one. That would be a little unfair.

[LawDeeDah]

52. The bragging about the wealth is coming back to bite the ass, isn't it?

Oh, I had lunch with famous so and so, Oh, I'm so rich and you are not. Oh, my larks tongue in aspic is great.

Poor form at the very least. very least.

[SunSeeker]

14. Enough with the whining. If you don't want the emails, unsubscibe. nt

[benz380]

16. Some folks want attention. n/t

[NCTraveler]

21. Been a busy start to the year for he and his lawyers.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/breast-implant-leak-delays-congressmans-wifes-bigamy-trial-28375885

Breast Implant Leak Delays Congressman's Wife's Bigamy Trial

The trial had been scheduled for Thursday in Orlando but is now set for March.

Lolita Grayson had been suffering chest pains. When she went to a hospital to get checked out, she was told she needed emergency surgery to remove the leaking implants and scar tissue, according to court papers filed this week.

The surgery was Monday.

"Due to this medical emergency, wife is unable to prepare for or attend the trial," her attorney, Mercedes Wechsler, said in a court filing.

Lolita Grayson sued her husband for divorce last year after 24 years of marriage. But Alan Grayson says the marriage was invalid because she was never divorced from her first husband at the time of their union in 1990.

Lolita Grayson says she was divorced.

[stevenleser]

39. I still can't believe that some DUers defended Lolita Grayson after the bigamy issue came out on top

of the video that shows she lied about the domestic abuse.

[HappyMe]

44. With all of that solid proof, I can't think

of a reason to defend her. Just because I like Grayson, doesn't mean I like or support her.

[Fred Sanders]

43. Folks are complicated and imperfect, nothing I know of casts any moral concerns on the

Democratic Party Congressman Grayson and his progressive values.

[NCTraveler]

46. "Folks are complicated and imperfect"

No doubt about that.

[tkmorris]

27. How much Hillary charge for lunch these days?

I think you need to get off Grayson's case. Fundraising is a full time job for everyone in Congress, but especially so for those who aren't going to Wall Street with their hat in hand.

[Fred Sanders]

34. She was in Canada a couple of days ago....luncheon tickets at C$300 each. Like, 45 real dollars.

If it is going to take a Consitutional Conference to change things and that is impossible....

[HappyMe]

35. She has nothing to gain by soaking Canadians

for $1 - 2k for lunch.

There's a super pac houtenanny for her coming up that probably doesn't cost $45.

[Fred Sanders]

37. It was sold out, very well received.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/Manitoba/ID/2649379003/ (video highlights)

[Autumn]

66. Is she there for this "event"?

http://www.smh.com.au/world/hillary-clinton-talks-to-be-hosted-by-bank-often-investigated-for-wrongdoing-20150119-12tp80.html

[tkmorris]

41. More like $250 US

You're right about how difficult it is to get the money out of politics, which is all the more reason for some folks to stop knocking Dems they don't like for fundraising. Especially when they are doing so in nickels and dimes from the grassroots instead of charging thousands per plate to eat Foie gras with the Candidate and their banker buddies.

[Fred Sanders]

42. Gingrich kissed the feet of one man, Adelson, and had $ 10,000,000 showered on him. American.

Which Gingrich then showered on the Florida media to keep his wet dreams alive another month.

[Agnosticsherbet]

30. The price of equating money to Free Speech is that it requries those we elect to seek

ever more and more green words of support to pay for the escalating cost of running a campaign, even in a safe district.

[bluedigger]

33. He's been asking me for money since I donated for his first unsuccessful reelection bid.

I don't have squat to give him, but I'm glad he's still in a position to ask for help. He's one of the most effective, if not the most effective, members of Congress. Just have one of your people unsubscribe if it troubles you so.

[Marr]

36. Thank you for proving once again that the "we support Democrats here" line that

Third Wayers love repeating is just another rule they do not apply to themselves.

[HappyMe]

38. Ain't that the truth.

Along with strident demands for oathy pledges.

[brooklynite]

48. Feel free to misinterpret what I said...

I have no issue with Grayson. I object to people asking incessntly for money when they don't need it.

[LawDeeDah]

57. How's dead broke Hillary doing?

[arcane1]

58. How is it "incessant" when you said it's been two months?

And how do you know better than him how much he needs?

[brooklynite]

67. Because before that o so brief interlude it was every week...

twice a week if you invlude his posts here...

[CreekDog]

62. I guess the reason you complained about Hillary's fundraising is because she's in a safe district?

I guess the entire USA is a safe district then?

Or is this just a way to complain about the people themselves?

[brooklynite]

68. Hillary's never asked me for a penny

the independent group that is urging her to run only contacts me every 2-3 months.

Now there WAS that recent invite to a party with Howard Dean...

[Starry Messenger]

45. I get about 30 of these a day from various people and groups.

Did you just discover email or something?

[KT2000]

47. Citizen's United has created a mess

First of all, Grayson is not going to get corporate donations.
How many people assume that all politicians are swimming in corporate donations and figure it is pointless to donate themselves?
How much $ does it take for a populist to run against a Koch brothers candidate?
Safe or not, he will be bombarded with negative ads and they work.
Grayson has to appeal to the regular people for donations.

[msongs]

49. the op merely comments on how odd it is to hear from grayson without a pitch for money.

a pitch from grayson without asking for money is extremely rare.

[HappyMe]

50. Hearing from any politician when they

don't want money doesn't happen often. The only time I hear from the party is when they want my money.

[arcane1]

53. Fundraising is bad now?

I guess Hillary's super-PAC is evil too, as is Howard Dean?

[CreekDog]

56. he complained about Hillary's fundraising the other day

if someone doesn't like when Hillary or Grayson fundraises, then what can we conclude is bothering him about that?

[arcane1]

59. I wonder if any fundraising is ok?

[CreekDog]

60. maybe the fundraising he hasn't complained about?

what kind hasn't he complained about here?

[arcane1]

61. Ah, I see n/t

[trumad]

63. Dumbest Op of 2015.

[Puglover]

69. It's awfully early.

Don'tcha think?

But I'm sure this will make the top 10. 😊

[sabrina 1]

64. Good, thanks for the reminder, Rep. Grayson is one of the best Democrats in Congress when it comes

to shredding the Corporate Funded morons who do not work for the people, but FOR their real bosses.

I guess when you don't receive huge Wall St donations and the top 1% you have to depend on the little people.

Good for him, as one of the little people I will be happy to help him out.

[Autumn]

65. So donate some of your wealth to him like you do to Hillary.

Since I'm sure she never has to raise money. She's got to have someone in Congress and the Senate she can work with.

Oh wait