George Graham

I Believe Alan Grayson

grayson

 

reidI don’t know all the details of the dispute. But I think Harry Reid is out of line when he says Alan Grayson should abandon his run for Marco Rubio’s Senate seat.

Reid (photo at right) says Grayson acted “disgracefully” in operating and promoting a hedge fund that used to be based in the Cayman Islands. Grayson denies the charge, calling it “false and misleading.”

From what I know of Alan Grayson, he is a courageous and progressive Democrat  who would stand up for the causes I believe in. He seems to be the kind of representative I want for my state. And I plan to vote for him… unless I get more convincing evidence of his alleged transgressions than that story in the New York Times.

The Times article, citing an ethics investigation by the Republican ruled House, is careful to hedge its insinuations of conduct that might appear improper by adding “even if he (Grayson) had not done anything wrong.”

As for Reid’s accusations, I think they stem from a tug-of-war going on behind the scenes in the Democratic Party. The party establishment seems to be at odds with its progressives. And Grayson has sometimes been sharply critical of the party’s compromises with Republicans (illustration above).

So it’s not surprising that party bosses are backing Grayson’s more “moderate” primary opponent, Congressman Patrick Murphy.

Reid has been an undeniable asset to Democrats for many years, and I value his contributions in the Senate. But he, of all people, should know how easily you can get smeared in politics.

Remember when he got that serious eye injury? He blamed an elastic band that snapped while he was using an exercise machine. Political opponents immediately spread a rumor that he had been beaten up by shady connections who felt he had double-crossed them.

I think that’s a bogus story, of course. But we may never know for sure. What happens in Vegas, as the ad says, stays in Vegas.

And what happens in politics is often not pretty. As Otto von Bismarck famously said, “laws are like sausages; it’s better not to see them being made.”

Few folks in Washington have squeaky-clean hands. Politicians tend to bend the rules when it comes to lining their pockets. But I would be crushed to find out that Grayson is one of the crooks.

For now, anyway, I believe him when he says:

I never used my Congressional office to advance any business interest or for personal gain, and to say so is utterly deceitful.

As a  loyal Democrat, Harry Reid should have given him the benefit of the doubt.

Click for the Times article.

Harry Reid’s response.

Rumors about Reid’s injury

The complete Reid story.

About the author

gwgraeme

I am a Jamaican-born writer who has lived and worked in Canada and the United States. I live in Lakeland, Florida with my wife, Sandra, our three cats and two dogs. I like to play golf and enjoy our garden, even though it's a lot of work. Since retiring from newspaper reporting I've written a few books. I also write a monthly column for Jamaicans.com