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Congressman-elect Alan Grayson (D-FL) talks to Alan about winning a new seat in Congress after being ousted 2010.
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And like John congratulations to congressman -- I -- -- I don't know where they play a congressman.
A congressman elect down because.
Your vote -- about congressman Alan Grayson your congressman elect.
-- -- I know it's really confusing for me maybe you should call me Alan but that would be confusing to me -- you think you're talking yourself.
-- -- -- I congratulate him but you are you surprised.
Well surprised by the magnitude of it we checked with the house historian of the biggest comeback in history.
Usually no one has ever lost by eighteen and then one by 25 before that the -- -- certain.
And they did it's a slightly different district correct and you -- last time.
It's happening all constituents have new but we did equally well both are at the district of people in the -- and the people got -- -- -- And what do you think how -- year term be different than your first term in congress tyranny.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- Well.
You know if I look back -- -- I lost the first time.
The reason why look it's fundamentally different this time in the first time.
They spent five and a half million dollars to get rid of me -- -- the Polk Brothers they bring their health insurance companies the national Republican Party the chamber of commerce.
So I guess I could have learned the lesson to just go along with that in my -- learned that lesson but somehow I don't think so I think I'm going to be the same old Allan Gregg.
I think that's what people probably.
Is it proper to say reelected you I -- really to -- the correct term.
If the complexion of the makeup of the house is senator pretty much the same -- -- that a democratic senate Republican House Obama and office of health things many different.
Well I think the Republicans are running out of time.
My I think people recognize first of all.
That they have nothing to offer by solutions you know we have a country with fifty million people can't Cuba to a six.
25 million people who are still looking for full time work.
47 million people who need the government help defeat themselves.
And all the Republicans have to offered to any of that is just prayer you know.
A buck up you can get all of yourself pull yourself up by your bootstraps.
And that's it that's all gonna do for you.
-- -- you know the Democrats keep pitching ideas to put people back to work to make health care affordable make it universal.
To try to end discrimination.
Two to end could be is that military expenditures that are weighing down the -- -- -- it.
The Democrats actually have solutions to the problems that we -- Republican that nothing.
More and more every day people are waking up to that.
You know throw more than three years ago I said the Republican health care plan -- don't get sick and they -- three years ago something better than that and it still haven't.
Do you think that credit running out of time to think the president will do a -- -- does he need to do a better job working with Republicans.
I don't think that's really possible they've shown no willingness to work with the Democrats it's -- bakery.
For the first two years that you can obviously -- stalled.
And for the next two years they've Stovall.
I think the president must recognize that by now.
I think that the country needs are great.
The president has outlined in a general way what you want to do to solve those problems.
I don't think that Roosevelt let the Republicans stop him from solving the problem the Great Depression yeah I don't think that President Obama should -- the -- Republicans stop them from solving the problem the Great Recession but let's just get on whether it's.
What message you think Republicans need to take -- from the Obama victory would -- marijuana.
Recreational illegal in two states.
You've got gay marriage approved in three states this seems to be a progressive agenda that working for Americans and they're in denial on the other side.
Well I think the progressive agenda with a little bit different from you know I think the progressive agenda in terms -- full employment.
I -- progressive agenda in terms of pensions and health care.
Men and and paid sick leave and and and then paid vacations.
For people who work.
I feel in terms of progressive taxation.
I'd like to see the president put -- the full force -- often find all these.
Well that sounds like would be a great idea and hope he does and he certainly is -- -- -- immigration is one thing he plans to attack in his second term.
Well.
I think they'll be a good idea certainly promised to do it in the first term and it never got done.
But I I think that more universally.
We need to address the problem that.
Our -- -- -- fundamentally as a result of the fact that we have pervasive inequality in this country.
And termination.
We have billionaires determining the outcome -- elections.
We we have -- situation it's almost impossible for even good students to be able to go to higher education because their parents and they just can't afford it.
We we have a situation.
We're corporate welfare is that the basis for much corporate -- -- in this country you know this is golf function of the brutal pervasive inequality.
That we couldn't and I'd like to the president recognize that technology and then attack that.
How is it that Florida is again having a problem would vote counting it seems in this election.
Because the Republicans want it that way you know it I think that again it's the sign that they're just running out of time.
It's often the case that the right wing will try to attack and -- Some insular group like for instance the undocumented who can't vote or or maybe pregnant teenagers who can't vote either.
But now what they're doing if they're attacked and vilified the voters.
They're making it extremely difficult for ordinary people to vote unless they want to wait in line for six hours particularly if they're black.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- Seem to be at their worst.
Beat these shortages of of -- supplies and voting machines it always seems to be the -- In the African American neighborhoods somehow or other you know the neighborhood that are overwhelmingly democratic.
I mean here in Florida they deliberately.
Cut down on the days of early voting from fourteen to eight even though they were long lines last time.
They cut it down from fourteen to eight because the turnout among early voters was two to one democratic and why is that because so many Democrats happen to work on -- Tuesday.
What you -- -- -- early going north to vote at all.
Republicans recognizing that cut down on the early voting days and try to cut -- -- -- building by instituting six -- awaits.
We -- it that it that it racism among.
Those on the right and which dictates and other actions you know they go crazy when you suggest racism is behind some of their behavior.
Well look I mean -- well it doesn't matter where they're doing it because.
He's African American neighborhoods are African Americans aren't doing it because we've got an American neighbors are overwhelmingly democratic the result -- the second.
You know it checked out what happened in in Ohio in 2004.
-- congressman kind of sort of very detailed report about that.
It was only in the African American neighbors that you sort of shortages of voting machines that led to a much it's eleven hour waits.
Yeah.
You know that you get because they hate black people where they do it because they wanted to steal the election from the Democrats I don't know I don't -- it doesn't really matter the result that the senate.
But now with obamacare -- and you know I guess you won't have repeal of obamacare we're gonna have I wonder which can -- Florida's Rick -- to be able to be reelected -- C Hu and his time comes up.
He's he's he's not a very popular governor right.
No I think that pretty popular there Rick Rick Scott is no more popular right now than venereal disease.
I thought about how are you an acrylic and that there might be the quote of the enemy and so I think when -- -- -- -- -- -- these congressman thank you very much for.
Coming on the show regularly even when you were out of office -- forty -- and you again thank you very.
Thanks for having -- look you know I was in the desert for forty years or so -- All right thanks for your time once again --
