When we started Blue America back in 2005, there weren't many groups raising netroots campaign funds. Now there are dozens and dozens and, alas... some are scammers. You will never see Blue America send you an e-mail screaming about the world ending because of Marjorie Taylor Greene or Lauren Boebert so send us money and we will defeat them. We raise money for candidates, carefully vetted candidates who we feel will get into office and do a good job. Sure, we want to see Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert and Mad Cawthorn, Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Louie Gohmert, Mo Brooks, Paul Gosar, Matt Gaetz and the rest of the Gang Greene defeated, but candidates can defeat these people, not us-- and not scammers. When we find someone running against any of these clowns who we think deserves support, we'll let you know.
Although... sometimes we trying to push good candidates along into making the tough decision to run. It's not our #1 priority, but candidate recruitment is a tool we deploy sometimes too. Right now we're trying to get state Senator Chris Larson to become a candidate for the Wisconsin U.S. Senate seat held by crackpot Ron Johnson. And we've been trying to persuade Alan Grayson to run for the Florida Senate seat held by Marco Rubio.
Grayson's home just burned down to the ground this month and a few days ago his beloved family dog of 14 years, Bowen, died. So not the best time to nudger him about running. But... how about a Draft Alan Grayson movement? I found this old Alan Grayson for Senate page that is still live. You can see it by clicking on the link-- or on the ActBlue thermometer. Please consider contributing to his campaign... be the first.
I can't think of a better political leader to take on Rubio and fight him on the issues than Alan Grayson. When he was in the House, he passed more legislation than any other member-- all of it to help working families. Many people remember Grayson's time in the House by the video of him explaining Republican healthcare: "Die quickly," still the most viewed congressional floor speech ever. But fewer people know that Grayson was also a master of bipartisanship-- and not the sell-out Blue Dog kind. I had a talk with Alan about bipartisanship this morning. This is what he had to say:
'Bipartisanism,' these days, is often a sort of these-are-not-the-droids-you’re-looking-for mind-control game that the Right deploys against the Left to try to diffuse any effort toward real change. Notice how Fox News became a big proponent of 'bipartisanship,' only after Democrats took over the House, the Senate, and the White House. And look at the so-called 'Problem Solvers Caucus'-- which has never actually solved any problems, and never will-- except for the problem of what you can possibly say to voters, when you’ve accomplished nothing, and you never will.
There is, though, a real bipartisanship that only a tiny number of legislators actually practice, and 'by their fruits ye shall know them.' (Matthew 7:16.) Or not know them; there are legislators who haven’t passed a law in 20 years; their time in office has been literally fruitless. And then others like me, who passed a law, through the GOP-controlled House, every couple of weeks, for years and years. My secret was to find others on the other side, people like Chairmen Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Jeff Miller (R-FL), who actually would decide things on the merits. If they thought that I was right, they would provide bipartisan support for my laws; if they thought I was wrong, they wouldn’t. All I had to do was to stay in my office until 11 pm on many nights, writing up those bills and then getting to them before the vote.
For most Congressdwellers, 'bipartisanship' means Democrats and Republicans both sharing surf-and-turf with corporate lobbyists, dividing the martinis equally. But a small group of us really were 'bipartisan'-- the ones who actually gave a damn, who understood that the awesome power to make the laws that we all live by means nothing, unless you use it make people’s lives better.
And the people who know him best are, of course, the most excited at the prospect of seeing him go to the Senate. Former presidential candidate, Marianne Williamson told me this morning that "Alan Grayson has already proven himself an extraordinary lawmaker, and he belongs in the Senate. He has the grit, the brilliance, and the courage desperately needed in this moment."