Here Comes Trouble: Stories from My Life

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Open Mike

Blogger Profile: Alan Grayson

Former Florida Congressman Alan Grayson was born and grew up in the Bronx neighborhood of New York City.  He graduated with high honors from Harvard College.  Congressman Grayson worked as an economist after college, but returned to Harvard.  In four years, Alan earned a J.D. with honors from Harvard Law School, and a master’s degree from the Harvard School of Government, and Alan finished all of the course work and passed the general exams for a Ph.D. in Government.  His master’s thesis focuses on gerontology.  He went on to be a founding member of the Alliance for Aging Research. 

In the early 1990s, Alan took leave from the practice of law, and started a business. Alan was the first President of IDT Corp., a telecom/internet company, which is now a Fortune 1000 company, traded on the New York Stock Exchange. 

Congressman Grayson was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008.

Alan Grayson lives in Orlando with his wife, Lolita, and their five children, Skye, Star, Sage, Stone and Storm.

Alan Grayson's Blogs

Page 1 of 1

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

December 5th, 2011

The Fed Bailouts: Money for Nothing

I think it's fair to say that Congressman Ron Paul and I are the parents of the GAO's audit of the Federal Reserve. And I say that knowing full well that Dr. Paul has somewhat complicated views regarding gay marriage. Anyway, one of our love children is a massive 251-page ... continue reading

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

December 3rd, 2011

Lincoln: "Labor is the Superior of Capital"

During my two years in Congress, I heard an awful lot of speeches. Some of them were delivered by some of the finest public speakers in America today – like Barack Obama, Neil Abercrombie, John Lewis, Anthony Weiner and Alcee Hastings. But none of them was as profound and poignant ... continue reading

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

September 27th, 2011

Harry Chapin on What Made America Famous

This may surprise you, but I prefer listening to speaking. Listening is much more relaxing. And, as the Chairman of the Florida Democratic Party often says, I never learn anything when my lips are moving. (Just to be clear, he says that about himself, not about me. He didn't say, ... continue reading

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

September 8th, 2011

My 10-Year-Old's Jobs Program

I like to help my children with their homework, whenever I have time. (And since January, I've had more time.) It's great to help them -- I know all the answers, and I never have to take the exams. Last night, we tried something different. They helped me with my ... continue reading

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

August 8th, 2011

Sometimes, Nothing Works

When I went to the Daily Kos website earlier today, I was surprised to see three – count ‘em, three – diaries about me.  One of them drew over 600 comments.  Hey, I’m not that important.  I’m just a former Congressman.  There are 10,000 former Members of the House of ... continue reading

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

May 4th, 2011

The End of Fear?

About a year after 9/11, I was sitting in an airport terminal, waiting for a flight, when nature called. I turned to the young lady sitting next to me, and asked her if she would watch my carry-on baggage while I went to the restroom. She looked at me, she ... continue reading

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

April 8th, 2011

At Least We Can Still Go Broke

Unless you've been living in a cave recently -- Osama, you can stop reading here -- you know that the Republicans have blocked the passage of the appropriations bills that apply to all federal spending between April 8 and September 30, so we are facing a government shutdown. And as ... continue reading

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

March 21st, 2011

No Fly: A Tactic in Search of a Strategy

One of the unfortunate imperatives of public life is that when something is the lead story, you think you've got to be doing something about it. Not just have an opinion on it. Be doing something about it. Volcano erupts? Prepare a news release on the new anti-volcano policy. Zombies ... continue reading

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

March 12th, 2011

Did They Die in Vain?

On May 4, 1886, in Haymarket Square in Chicago, the public rallied peacefully in support of 40,000 workers in Chicago who had gone on strike, to win the right to organize. The police attacked, and eight died. On July 6, 1892, in Homestead, Pennsylvania, 3800 workers went on strike, to ... continue reading

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

September 6th, 2010

What Robert Kennedy Said

Today is Labor Day. All across America, millions of people are discovering that the best way to celebrate Labor Day is by not working.Do you live to work, or do you work to live?If you are married, look at your wedding album: Are there any pictures in there of you ... continue reading

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

July 21st, 2010

The Republican Plan: Punch Me in the Face

They may not have a health plan. Or a jobs plan. Or a peace plan. But they do have a plan.Here is the Republican plan:"I'll give $100 to first Rep. who punches smary [sic] idiot Alan Grayson in nose."That incitement to violence was tweeted by Dan Gainor. Who is Dan ... continue reading

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

July 1st, 2010

If Conservatives Are Serious About Fiscal Responsibility, They'll Oppose Afghan Funds

By Rep. Mike Honda, Rep. John Conyers, Rep. Alan Grayson & Rep. Raúl M. GrijalvaIt is disingenuous to say this is an "emergency" supplemental. The only "emergency" is this: In funding the longest war in history, we are putting America further into debt with China, expanding the deficit, increasing wasteful ... continue reading

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

June 28th, 2010

Which Party is the Peace Party?

Me: "Why are people so uninformed and apathetic about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?"Right-winger: "I don't know, and I don't care."A recent poll showed that almost twice as many Americans think that we are losing the war in Afghanistan as think that we are winning it. (Whatever "losing" and ... continue reading

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

June 18th, 2010

Diamonds in Your Bathtub

In the New York Times for June 13th, the Pentagon proclaimed that Afghanistan holds almost one trillion lira - no, sorry, that's one trillion dollars - in hitherto-unknown mineral wealth.Allow me to offer these revelations:(1) Paris Hilton actually is Albert Einstein, with a wig. Think about it - you've never ... continue reading

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

June 7th, 2010

The Longest War

Today, the war in Afghanistan becomes America's longest war. Longer than the war in Vietnam. Longer than the Korean War.It took America two years to end World War I, and bring peace to the world. World War II was a little harder; that took us 3½ years to finish off.The ... continue reading

Alan Grayson

Fmr. U.S. Congressman

May 21st, 2010

The War Is Making You Poor Act

Next week, there is going to be a "debate" in Congress on yet another war funding bill. The bill is supposed to pass without debate, so no one will notice.What George Orwell wrote about in "1984" has come true. What Eisenhower warned us about concerning the "military-industrial complex" has come ... continue reading

Page 1 of 1

@TeoMitrovich: @MMFlint where was this walk?” Here. There. Everywhere. And Burbank. #miketakesawalk

May 16th
2:37 AM
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He's handled 1 more opportunity 2 go after WallStreet & not only can he NOT do it, he has to preface it by talking about how great they are.

May 15th
10:54 PM
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President Obama, today on 'The View': JP Morgan Is "One of the Best-Managed Banks" http://t.co/QtSZr5bN

May 15th
10:53 PM
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Stephen Wright: "Everywhere is within walking distance if u have the time." I have the time. U 2? 8pm PT 11pm ET (apologies to east coast)

May 15th
10:34 PM
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This is where I walked, amongst the flora & the fauna, mostly fauna. Can u guess where it is? http://t.co/v1Rl9prm

May 14th
9:58 PM
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"@82ndVet: @MMFlint why don't u walk down the streets of your beloved #Detroit?" Honestly sir, that is probably the safest place 4 me 2 walk

May 14th
9:03 PM
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Tonight's stroll down the Left Coast will begin at 6pm PT. Where's the best place to go for a walk between Seattle and San Diego?

May 14th
7:47 PM
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http://t.co/9IZTVTkG One thing I'm sure of: College students will not take this abuse much longer. The rumblings are everywhere.

May 13th
11:21 PM
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1st walk in California. The 9th week begins. 11 weeks ago tonite a teenager in FL went 4 a walk... http://t.co/LonMToKl

May 13th
10:59 PM
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Hello west coasters - I'm in your time zone now. The sun's still up - let's go for a walk. 7pm PT #miketakesawestcoastwalk

May 13th
9:31 PM
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Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers out there. Here's where the idea came from: http://t.co/o09H95yK

May 13th
11:28 AM
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Only 2 days left of free streaming for my musical contribution to the benefit CD "Occupy This Album" Listen here: http://t.co/AQEU0qmn

May 13th
11:21 AM
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"@Moneysnatcher69: How much weight have u lost?" Sorry, this must've landed in my Twitter feed by mistake. I think its meant 4 someone else.

May 12th
6:01 PM
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"@MichaelBrandl: More of us out here than u may realize! #walkwithMike" Well, if it's just 1% of u(10K), we've walked 2 the moon &back #newt

May 12th
5:55 PM
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I'm not sure how many thousands of us are walking. Even if it's only 1K, that means together we've walked around the Earth-twice! 6pmET 2day

May 12th
5:13 PM
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Today's walk marks the end of our 8th wk of walking. For me, I've walked the equivalent of Flint to Detroit.Should we continue on 2 Toledo?

May 12th
5:05 PM
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Bill Maher, last night: "More Biden gaffes - please!" http://t.co/9Gi8pbYp Hilarious - and spot on.

May 12th
3:10 PM
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Rachel's handle is @maddow. Let's thank her for her tireless work over the years. It played a role in this week's historical moment.

May 11th
11:11 PM
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Ok, time to walk! Beautiful night in NYC.

May 11th
10:59 PM
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"@TracyHover: @MMFlint a Michigan hat? Seriously? :)" I lost a bet. $ went 2 charity. Felt hair disintegrating while hat was on. #spartans

May 11th
10:57 PM
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I'm be speaking with Cornel West in a special benefit for New York City's Brecht Forum this Friday, May 18th at 7:00 PM at Hunter College's...

May 15th
7:13 PM
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'Occupy This Album,' with 99 songs performed by David Crosby & Graham Nash, Steve Earle, Tom Morello, Willie Nelson, Ani DiFranco, Third Eye...

May 15th
10:15 AM
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Deficit Reduction: The Great Distraction ...by Dean Baker www.michaelmoore.com Once again our "leaders" are distracting the public from the...

May 15th
10:13 AM
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In the “Loop” with Morello Standing Against ‘Grotesque Income Inequality’ ...by Donna Smith www.michaelmoore.com I listen to the lyrics of one of Tom’s songs...

May 14th
6:06 PM
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This week's This Modern World on DailyKos: Daily Kos: The Austerions www.dailykos.com Readers should imagine the Austerions speaking in full, booming...

May 14th
2:44 PM
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Plutocrats Deserve Public Scorn ...by Carl Gibson www.michaelmoore.com The only way to get the GOP (Guardians Of Plutocracy) out of office is to vilify them...

May 14th
2:13 PM
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One thing I'm sure of: college students will not take this abuse much longer. The rumblings are everywhere. Student Loans Weighing Down a Generation...

May 14th
5:16 AM
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Mother's Day for Peace www.youtube.com Gloria Steinem, Vanessa Williams, Felicity Huffman, Fatma Saleh and Alfre Woodard read the Mother's Day...

May 13th
5:48 PM
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Militarization of the Mothers: You've Come a Long Way, Baby, from Mother's Day for Peace ...by Colee www.michaelmoore.com The five most powerful...

May 13th
5:13 PM
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Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there. Here's where the idea came from: Mother's Day Proclamation, by Julia Ward Howe, 1870...

May 13th
4:59 PM
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...and here's my segment talking to Rachel about the Silverdome, and how Michigan is capitalism's laboratory: Rachel Maddow Show www.msnbc.msn.com...

May 12th
3:12 PM
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Here's the segment from The Rachel Maddow Show just before I was on, about the Pontiac emergency manager selling the Silverdome for $500,000: Rachel...

May 12th
3:08 PM
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Rachel Maddow will have me on her show tonite at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT on MSNBC. Among other things, we'll talk about the State of Michigan's...

May 11th
4:19 PM
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What If Kobe Bryant Were an Imprisoned Palestinian Soccer Player? ...by Dave Zirin www.michaelmoore.com Imagine if a member of Team USA Basketball were seized...

May 11th
12:30 PM
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The Energy Wars Heat Up ...by Michael Klare www.michaelmoore.com Here are the six areas of conflict – all tied to energy supplies – that have made news in...

May 10th
7:50 PM
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I will do a special live Facebook Q & A tonight at 11pm ET to discuss the historic announcement by President Obama today that same-sex marriage should be...

May 9th
11:37 PM
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I am deeply moved by the announcement made a short while ago that President Obama has gone back to his original position in 1996 and come out publicly in...

May 9th
7:27 PM
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Turns out the city of Chicago is terrified of Tom Morello and a bunch of unionized nurses: City of Chicago Pulls Permit for Nurses Rally After Event Adds Tom...

May 9th
1:27 PM
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This week's This Modern World from Tom Tomorrow on Daily Kos: Daily Kos: Circular debate www.dailykos.com

May 8th
11:20 AM
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To the Hague: Justice for the May 4th Kent State Massacre? ...by Laurel Krause www.michaelmoore.com The killing of American protesters remains effectively...

May 8th
10:20 AM
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My conversation and Q & A with all of you tonight was a blast! Let's do this again. My spirits are lifted by all the good people out there who care...

May 8th
12:07 AM
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I'm back from the daily walk with me. I'll be here on Facebook from 10pm to 10:30pm ET tonight if anyone would like to ask me any questions or talk...

May 7th
10:00 PM
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Wow. There's been over 60,000 downloads/listens of my version of "The Times They Are a Changin'" in just the first 72 hours! Thank you!...

May 7th
7:03 PM
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On Saturday, President Obama said: "Corporations aren't people. People are people." Right the eff on! Now, how do we make that the law of the...

May 7th
6:25 PM
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Michael Moore Talks Movies in Montclair (Video) montclair.patch.com Documentary filmmaker speaks to sold-out audience on final day of Montclair Film Festival.

May 7th
4:58 PM
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Adam 'MCA' Yauch: Our Ambassador From Atlantis ...by Dave Zirin www.michaelmoore.com Adam Yauch and the Beastie Boys stood for more than just hip...

May 7th
4:13 PM
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Too Hot Not to Notice?: A Planet Connected by Wild Weather ...by Bill McKibben www.michaelmoore.com As long as this remains one abstract problem in the long...

May 7th
12:35 AM
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Hey, just crossed the 600,000 mark for number of Facebook friends/fans! Shouldn't we celebrate or share or poke or something? I'm game for anything....

May 5th
4:45 PM
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My recording of "The Times They Are a-Changin'" is on the CD "Occupy This Album." Release date: May 15th.

Many musicians...

May 4th
12:34 PM
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And now for a surprise: MY FIRST-EVER RECORDING! "The Times They Are a-Changin'" Listen here -- it's part of a fundraiser CD for Occupy...

May 4th
12:24 PM
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Open Mike

  • December 5th, 2011

    The Fed Bailouts: Money for Nothing

    I think it's fair to say that Congressman Ron Paul and I are the parents of the GAO's audit of the Federal Reserve. And I ...

  • December 3rd, 2011

    Lincoln: "Labor is the Superior of Capital"

    During my two years in Congress, I heard an awful lot of speeches. Some of them were delivered by some of the finest public speakers ...

  • September 27th, 2011

    Harry Chapin on What Made America Famous

    This may surprise you, but I prefer listening to speaking. Listening is much more relaxing. And, as the Chairman of the Florida Democratic Party often ...

  • September 8th, 2011

    My 10-Year-Old's Jobs Program

    I like to help my children with their homework, whenever I have time. (And since January, I've had more time.) It's great to help them ...

  • August 8th, 2011

    Sometimes, Nothing Works

    When I went to the Daily Kos website earlier today, I was surprised to see three – count ‘em, three – diaries about me.  One ...

  • May 4th, 2011

    The End of Fear?

    About a year after 9/11, I was sitting in an airport terminal, waiting for a flight, when nature called. I turned to the young lady ...

  • April 8th, 2011

    At Least We Can Still Go Broke

    Unless you've been living in a cave recently -- Osama, you can stop reading here -- you know that the Republicans have blocked the passage ...

  • April 8th, 2011

    At Least We Can Still Go Broke

    Unless you've been living in a cave recently -- Osama, you can stop reading here -- you know that the Republicans have blocked the passage ...

  • September 8th, 2011

    My 10-Year-Old's Jobs Program

    I like to help my children with their homework, whenever I have time. (And since January, I've had more time.) It's great to help them ...

  • March 12th, 2011

    Did They Die in Vain?

    On May 4, 1886, in Haymarket Square in Chicago, the public rallied peacefully in support of 40,000 workers in Chicago who had gone on strike, ...

  • May 21st, 2010

    The War Is Making You Poor Act

    Next week, there is going to be a "debate" in Congress on yet another war funding bill. The bill is supposed to pass without debate, ...

  • March 21st, 2011

    No Fly: A Tactic in Search of a Strategy

    One of the unfortunate imperatives of public life is that when something is the lead story, you think you've got to be doing something about ...

  • December 5th, 2011

    The Fed Bailouts: Money for Nothing

    I think it's fair to say that Congressman Ron Paul and I are the parents of the GAO's audit of the Federal Reserve. And I ...

  • June 7th, 2010

    The Longest War

    Today, the war in Afghanistan becomes America's longest war. Longer than the war in Vietnam. Longer than the Korean War.It took America two years to ...

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