Rep. Alan Grayson on Health care, Afghanistan, Elections, Heated Rhetoric, More

Grayson on criticism: 'If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.'

Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) was online Monday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss health-care and the House's passage last week of a reform bill, his stand on Afghanistan urging President Obama to pull troops out of the country, his use of controversial rhetoric in referring to the Republicans' health-care plan and another incident using an off-color word to describe a female Federal Reserve advisor, his reaction to Republican Web site, MyCongressmanIsNuts.com, and more.

____________________

Alexandria, Va.: Mr. Grayson, you should be honored by the Republican attack ads focused on you. You are emerging as a vital leader and your fan club extends far beyond your district. Never forget that there are literally tens of millions of us, from the Beltway to Broward, who are watching your efforts with delight!

Best wishes.

Rep. Alan Grayson: Thanks. It turns out the populism is popular.

_______________________

Perry Hall, Md.: Congressman Grayson,

I'm a Republican, but a staunch supporter of you and your methods sir -- let me state that upfront. I especially support your relentless push for more clarity and transparency by the Federal Reserve. Specifically, your support of the Audit the Fed proposal. What do you think is the number one adversary or complication that might prevent such a bill from being enacted into law, and how might we -- as citizens -- help you and congress overcome that?

-

Rep. Alan Grayson: The Senate. Since I started working to get Democrats on board, we have over 300 co-sponsors in the House. Barely 30 in the Senate. We have to concentrate on the Senate.

_______________________

Philadelphia, Pa.: What is your opinion of the proposal from Ron Paul and Bernie Saunders calling for an audit of the Federal Reserve Board?

Rep. Alan Grayson: I've worked hard to make that happen. We've had a series of oversight hearings in which my questioning made a splash (3 million views on YouTube, in one case), and I worked with Democrats for months to make it a bipartisan bill, helping to line up over 100 Democratic co-sponsors.

_______________________

Atlanta, Ga: Did you see Michael Moore's movie about capitalism? If so, what did you think of it?

Rep. Alan Grayson: Not yet. I've been a little busy on health care. But I saw his other movies, and I took my three older kids (out of 5) to see them.

_______________________

New York: Mr. Grayson, what is your reaction to Congressman Watt's gutting of the Audit the Fed bill and how do you anticipate to reinvigorate efforts to bring transparency and clarity to the one critical organization that is accountable to nobody except its Wall Street overlords?

Rep. Alan Grayson: We're working on it. Don't touch that dial!

_______________________

Orlando, Fla.: Do you see any grouping of financially competent Democrats standing up and trying to stop the Federal Reserve and U.S. Federal Government from crowding out of private sector investment during the remaining years of the Obama administration?

Do you see yourself taking on leadership roles in bringing reality-based financial policy positions to the Democrat party as the Federal Reserve and large U.S. banks attempt further QE and bailout packages?

Regards from downtown Orlando.

Rep. Alan Grayson: Yes. We cannot permit the Federal Reserve to bail out the worst banks at our expense. That's not capitalism, that's Wall St. socialism. Heads Wall St. wins, tails we all lose.

_______________________

Bowie, Md.: Do you think the 2012 election cycle will be a referendum on what the Dems did wrong or what they did right? What do you think are the key issues that will will be pivotal to Dems in the 2012 election?

I'm a registered Dem.

Rep. Alan Grayson: Whether we're talking about 2010 or 2012 or 2016, I don't think that the voters are going to want to hand power to a party that brought us to the brink of national bankruptcy in 2008, and started two endless wars. Even a dog knows when he's been kicked.

_______________________

Burbank, Calif.: Do you ever hang out with Joe Wilson? If you've met, what do you two discuss?

Rep. Alan Grayson: I've never said a word to him. And vice versa.

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: Mr. Grayson -- if you cannot be civil and are unable to act like an adult you ought to resign your position.

Your behavior and others like you and Joe Wilson ought to be removed from office. You are dragging politics further into the gutter instead of working on solutions.

Rep. Alan Grayson: You certainly are up-to-date on the Republicans' talking points.

_______________________

A teacher says "Thanks!": Rep. Grayson, I teach at Evans High School in Orlando, Fla., and I wanted to say thank you for the money you were able to raise for our desperately poor, inner-city school. Thanks to you, we were able to get security cameras, our new school building plan finally got pushed through all the red tape that had been holding it up, and much more.

We appreciate your "guns blazing" approach to politics, and while it gets you in trouble with people who are opposed to change, it means a lot to the rest of us.

Rep. Alan Grayson: $200 million for Orange County schools. And, therefore, no schools closed. That's what it's all about.

_______________________

Mt. Laurel, N.J.: You recently commented that Republicans and conservatives should be considered enemies to our country. If that is true, what are you suggesting should be done to them? Should they be arrested? Should they be deported? In wars, then enemy is killed or jailed. I would like you to explain your solution to this problem with the Republican party and conservative movement.

Rep. Alan Grayson: You're misquoting me. This is what happens when people get their news from Fox.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: "a party that brought us to the brink of national bankruptcy"

With all do respect sir, both parties did this. Dems have controlled Congress for 40 of the pat 50 years. Look at your party with Fannie and Freddie, AIG, etc.

Enough blame to go around...don't act like the Dems weren't in the pocket of the wrong people as well.

Rep. Alan Grayson: Not true. According to Federal Reserve statistics, 20% of our entire national wealth was destroyed between July 2007 and December 2008. Under the Bush Administration, we witnessed the greatest economic mismanagement I have ever seen.

_______________________

GAO Audits: What is the likelihood that we will see GAO audits of the massive amounts of taxpayer dollars that have been used to prop up banks that in turn took that money and gave millions of dollars in bonuses? That is fraudulent, is it not? Where's the watchdog who's going to put these people in jail?

Rep. Alan Grayson: The biggest bailouts are secret bailouts conducted by the Federal Reserve. The GAO is barred by law from auditing them. That's why we need H.R. 1207 to pass, and why I've fought so hard for that.

_______________________

Anonymous: I agree with your stand to pull out of Afghanistan but what answer do you give to those who think there will be chaos after our departure and we are therefore obligated to stay?

Rep. Alan Grayson: No. There is chaos right now in Somalia (I know; I've been there), and we managed to find our way out of there. What's next, occupation of Burkina Faso?

_______________________

Walla Walla, Wash.: Tip O'Neill said that U.S. representatives ought to move their families to D.C. since it's better for family life.

Newt Gingrich said that U.S. representatives ought to keep their family living in the home state because it's better politics.

Just curious if you'd agree with Tip O'Neill or Newt Gingrich on this one personal life issue?

Rep. Alan Grayson: It's not about me. I'm the only member of Congress with five children in school, at home in Orlando. I miss them very much. But it's not about me.

_______________________

Bassett, NE: What are the chances of getting the taxpayers money back that was given away freely by the fed and the Treasury to Goldman Sachs.

Rep. Alan Grayson: I'm certainly not giving up, any time soon.

_______________________

Alexandria, Va.: So, is it OK to call a Fed Reserve employee a "whore"? How can you defend that remark?

Rep. Alan Grayson: She was Enron's lobbyist. Then she went to work as a lobbyist for the Fed, and attacked me. I said what I said, well over a month ago. Then I called her and apologized. She accepted my apology. So why are you still kicking it around?

_______________________

Roswell, Ga.: What do you have to say about Congressman Mel Watts, who represents a district containing the headquarters of Bank of America and the former headquarters of Wachovia and who receive heavy financial support from the financial services industry, killing the bill to audit the Fed?

Rep. Alan Grayson: Working on it.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: "between July 2007 and December 2008"

Who controlled both houses of Congress? Who approves budgets/spending? Congress....

So, please explain what you are trying to say.

Rep. Alan Grayson: All these people waiting to have one question answered, and you have to ask two. Go to the back of the line.

_______________________

San Clemente, Calif.: Mr Grayson, most people know a lot about your outspokenness in Congress. I think it is less well known that you were a major figure in representing whistle blowers against war profiteers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Do you still keep a hand in that issue and how are the many cases going? Are you still not allowed to talk about it? I think that everyone should watch the British documentary program Panorama's episode "Highway Robbery." You were great.

Rep. Alan Grayson: I was featured in "Highway Robbery," because I spent years prosecuting war profiteers in Iraq. It's on our YouTube channel.

_______________________

Iowa City, Iowa: I've been to Obama rallies during the Democratic primaries and I've been to Teabag rallies in the recent months.

The difference I noticed the most was voter registration forms. At the Obama for President rallies, I think there were about a dozen or more times some 20-something very politely asked if I'd fill out a voter registration form and about the only word used more often from featured speakers than "CHANGE" was "VOTE."

While at the Teabag Anti-"You Name It" rallies, people were being told not even to fill out income tax forms or 2010 Federal Census forms. Needless to say, nobody ever asked if I'd like to fill out a voter registration form.

So that's why I don't fear anything from the Tea baggers. A poll showed that "Birthers" are mostly in the "least-likely-voter" category yet weirdly, the National Republicans are all to ready to embrace them?

Do you think my observations told any truth?

Rep. Alan Grayson: Of course. Fox heavily promoted simultaneous teabag rallies on a weekend, and drew 250,000 people around the country. Compare that to the 2 million who traveled to DC, on a workday, to see Barack Obama become President.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: How can you get things done in Washington while being such a lightning rod for controversy? For instance, do you think people are less willing to work with you if they are afraid you'll embarrass or attack them?

Rep. Alan Grayson: Gov Track, an independent civics website, ranks me as the 30th most effective Member of Congress, in terms of swaying colleagues. That's 30th out of 535, as a freshman. So I'm getting things done.

_______________________

Brooklyn, N.Y.: Do you think it is possible to reform our political system without campaign finance reform? If so, how?

Rep. Alan Grayson: We're trying, by establishing a different model. Today, we're doing a "money bomb" at congressmanwithguts.com. It's already drawn almost $400,000 in small contributions. And we are Number One in contributions at ActBlue right now. Of course we need campaign finance reform. But in the meantime, this is the way to do it.

_______________________

Lyme, Conn.: I am trying to figure out a possible end result for health care legislation. Do you believe it may be likely that what can pass will be legislation where the trigger for a public option has greater conditions upon which the public option is created should costs not be brought down significantly?

Rep. Alan Grayson: The House bill will have a public option. The Senate bill probably will have a public option, in some form or another. Then we'll see what happens in conference. In the end, it's very likely that we will have a public option.

_______________________

washingtonpost.com: govtrack.us

_______________________

Northern Virginia: You an economist? Why did you get into politics then?

Rep. Alan Grayson: I worked as an economist before I graduated from law school. It comes in handy on the Financial Services committee, believe me.

_______________________

Austin, Tex.: Any chance I could persuade you to move to Austin and become MY Representative in Congress? I'll take you out for BBQ. Heck, I'll take your whole family out.

Not going to say which district I'm in, but I'm sure you can guess.

Rep. Alan Grayson: Warning: I have five children. That's a lot of mouths to feed, even with BBQ.

_______________________

Knoxville, Tenn.: I watched the hearing about 1207 on the net, great stuff. I especially like the GC from the Fed squirming when asked whether the Fed intervenes in the equity markets.

You also asked about the gold the Fed has. What do you think an audit of the gold supply, which hasn't been conducted in 50 years, would reveal?

Rep. Alan Grayson: Keep watching, and we'll find out.

_______________________

Harrisburg, Pa.: For those who think you are "nuts" for criticizing K Street, maybe it will be useful to educate the public on just how powerful K Street is and how much they distort legislation for the benefit of paying clients over the general public interest?

Rep. Alan Grayson: Of course. That's what they're paid to do. And paid very, very well. Just look at the disclosures. And that's just the one who spend most of their time lobbying for specific legislation.

_______________________

Florissant Valley, Mo.: G'day Mr. Grayson. Do you feel that your no-holds-barred approach to partisan infighting is paying off? I dislike verbal fisticuffs myself, but when you hear fellows like R. Limbaugh (as a Missourian I apologize for him) engaging in daily disparagement or Liz Cheney refusing to admit either she or her father ever made a mistake, well, one gets eager for someone with clout and standing to fight back. Will it work?

Rep. Alan Grayson: Absolutely. We've completely changed the terms of the debate. For the first time all year, the Democrats are playing offense, not defense. And now Americans recognize that we need to pass health care reform to save lives. It's a moral issue. And framing it has such has had a dramatic impact on people's thinking, as the polls confirm.

_______________________

Glenmont, Md.: Seems to me one of the biggest problems facing our democracy is gerrymandering of election districts to ensure "safe" seats. There's nothing more anti-democratic than that. Moreover, it contributes to the hyper-partisanship we're seeing in Congress.

Would you support a proposal to establish an independent federal commission that would be responsible for redrawing election districts? Seems to me it's inherently corrupt that the people who benefit from redistricting are the ones responsible for redrawing the districts. That power should belong to the citizenry.

Rep. Alan Grayson: If it were constitutional. I think that the voters should choose the elected officials, not the elected officials choose the voters. I live in one of the worst gerrymandered states in the country, so I know something about the subject.

_______________________

Republicans and Conservatives: So, what did you REALLY say? So you don't get misquoted?

Rep. Alan Grayson: Look it up, and please respect the fact that lots of other people are waiting to have their first question answered, while you have asked two.

_______________________

Cannon Falls, Minn.: First, thanks for your outspoken remarks supporting health-care reform. My husband has cancer and we are often one crisis away from not having any health insurance at all. Your support of this important issue is much appreciated.

My question is, on the Republican side there are many on the far right who speak out, and I think they help to shift our dialog to the right. There are so few on the left who have chosen this role (to help move the dialogue toward the left), do you see your role this way, or is there another reason you have been so outspoken?

Rep. Alan Grayson: I'm just saying what a lot of people have been thinking. It's about time someone did.

_______________________

Mackinaw, Mich.: I understand not wanting to tell tails out of school, but there must be a funny or unexpected thing you notice about somebody big in D.C. (Speaker Pelosi, CoS Emanuel, Vice President Biden, etc...) that you can share, right?

Rep. Alan Grayson: This may not be what you are looking for, but I was delighted to see, from personal experience, that the Democratic Leadership in the House is populated by good people with both a head and a heart. Which is something you can't really judge from a distance.

_______________________

Silver Spring, Md.: You don't seem to mince words when lashing out against Republicans. But here you are prominently supporting legislation offered by one (HR 1207, Rep. Ron Paul). Do you share any other views in common with Rep. Paul? Or is this a case of "Color me surprised, a Republican got it right!"

Rep. Alan Grayson: The war. Civil liberties. And the Fed.

_______________________

Orlando, Fla.: Rep Grayson,

In the cash for clunkers program, I ask you sir, how can a $4,500.00 incentive to buy a car cost taxpayers $24,000.00? How do you justify this cost? Is this not a typical example of government waste? If you agree, I'd expect you to do your part in reducing government and not expanding it as currently being proposed. Thank you.

Rep. Alan Grayson: I don't think that your facts are right.

_______________________

Anonymous: So many of our elected legislators seem proud of being willfully ignorant (Palin, Inhofe, Pence, and so many, many more ), and play to that part of our electorate... the Bush voter, if you will. Does this bug you as much as it bugs me? Thank God we have a president now who is intelligent, which I would put as a major requirement of holding any elected office.

Rep. Alan Grayson: Well, we tried it the other way for eight years, and that didn't work out too well.

_______________________

Orono, Maine: Sure you've been asked if you've ever meet the president, I was curious if you ever meet the first lady and if yes, what was that like and if no, would you like and what you ask her?

Rep. Alan Grayson: My wife and I have both met her. She's a very intelligent person, with a good heart. And, by the way, an excellent campaigner.

_______________________

Fort Walton Beach, Fla.: No congressman in 100 years has been able to take on the Federal Reserve, do you really think you are that good?

Rep. Alan Grayson: Let's hope so.

_______________________

Des Moines, Iowa: Thanks for joining us Rep. Grayson. You've admirably taken on Republican chicanery in recent months, but I'd to know if you will ever test the Obama administration on state secrets privileges, indefinite detention and other egregious executive powers the office of the president is vested with in our modern era. It's not about partisanship; it's curtailing the power of the president. He's not a king. This is not a monarchy. You, Mr. Grayson, seem to be a voice that could stand up to his own party on this issue. Thanks and best of luck.

Rep. Alan Grayson: The closest thing that we have to a king in this country is the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. He handed over $500 billion of our money to foreigners, without even discussing it with the President or any member of Congress. That, my friend, is a problem.

_______________________

Philadelphia, Pa.: Sir, the posted from N.J. may have misquoted you but the poster is very close to [what] you said. "Fox News and their Republican collaborators are the enemy." Is this not true? You said this on the Ed Show (MSNBC) on 10/22/09, right? Who are these Republican collaborators? Do you have any specific names of individuals? Should sedition laws be reinstated to place these people in jail? What's the solution please?

Rep. Alan Grayson: So we agree, then, that I was misquoted. Can we please give someone else a chance, instead of reciting Fox talking points?

_______________________

New York, N.Y.: Rep. Grayson,

Thanks again for all your hard work, fighting the good fight and telling it like it is. How do you suggest that your supporters, and those generally supportive of HR 1207, best go about expressing their desire to see it passed to their regional representatives and senators?

Keep up the good work.

Rep. Alan Grayson: Send e-mails, make phone calls, and try to set up meetings with Congressional office staff. You would be surprised about how many Democrats I won over as co-sponsors after ordinary voter contact like that paved the way.

_______________________

Orlando, Fla.: Act quickly, as someone may grab this site soon, but I believe mycongressmanisgreat.com is available.

Rep. Alan Grayson: Sad, isn't it, that it's available? As Rachel Maddow said, she wasn't surprised at all that congressmanwithguts.com, our moneybomb website today, was available.

_______________________

New York, N.Y.: Hello Rep. Grayson,

Bernanke argues in a 2004 paper buying equities is an effective way to fight deflation. Next time you question him under oath will you ask if the Federal Reserve purchased equities at any point during his tenure as chairman?

Best Wishes.

Rep. Alan Grayson: Excellent suggestion.

_______________________

Tiffin, Ohio: Are you aware of the FED policy announced last Friday concerning commercial real estate, and the directive to do prudent loan workout arrangements? Could this at some point, turn into another bailout to the banks or CRE companies. No more bailouts please, enough is enough.

Thank you for taking this time to communicate with America. We are NOT happy.

Rep. Alan Grayson: We really have to be on guard about future bailouts, and hidden bailouts. They're a real threat, and I mean right now.

_______________________

Rep. Alan Grayson: It's 2 pm. Time's up! Thanks for all the great questions and comments. I learn so much from this. And thank you, WaPo, for giving me and everyone else this chance to communicate, and learn.

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.