I Wanna Be a Millionaire

Grayson raises in $550K in Q1, as he's under attack in Spanish.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012 | 12:56 p.m.

Ex-Rep. Alan Grayson (D-09) "continues to pad his campaign warchest, raising at least" $550K in Q1 of '12, according to his campaign. "The haul is a slight drop" from his nearly $600K haul in Q4 of '11, "but is still well above recent fundraising totals" for other Central FL candidates, "including incumbents."

Grayson's camp says nearly 12K donors contributed "and the average amount was $46." Grayson, in a statement: "We are doing something special. Our campaign model shows that you can raise money and win elections without having to sell out to special interests or the lobbyists" (Matthews, Orlando Sentinel, 4/3).

Grayson "has taken in more than" $1.6M in total so far (Isenstadt, Politico, 4/3).

It's All Fun And Games 'Till Someone Brings Up The Nazis

Grayson "blasted" businessman Mark Oxner's (R) new Spanish-language ad, which ties him to "the founder of Planned Parenthood" and oto eugenics, "as offensive, saying its suggestion that he and progressives are in any way tied to eugenics is 'a heaping helping of bonkers.'"

Grayson: "He accuses a Jewish person, with relatives who died in the Holocaust, of being a believer in Nazi eugenics. How ... sensitive. Or, nutty as a fruitcake. A fruitcake with extra nuts in it. That really is a heaping helping of bonkers. I didn't realize that you could buy that many tickets on the Crazy Train. Seeing as how Oxner thinks that I'm so obsessed with racial purity, he must think that it was utterly hypocritical of me to marry a woman who is not white, and then for us to have five beautiful children together."

"Oxner said he was not trying to make a connections to the Holocaust, and did not think it was an ad that should offend Jews" (Powers, "Central Florida Political Pulse," Orlando Sentinel, 4/3).

The Locavore

Ex-state Rep./Osceola Co. Commission chair John Quinones (R) "is the second Latino GOP candidate" to announce for CD-09, which "is more than" 44% Hispanic. "But that doesn't necessarily mean he, or any Latino candidate, has a straight shot at the nomination."

"In an interview, Quinones said he was running for Congress because he's familiar" with CD-09 and "believes the issue of 'bringing some efficiency and some streamlining into the federal regulations is one that (he is) certainly passionate about.'" He said the entirety of his old legislative district is in CD-09 and "he wants to continue to represent and serve his constituents." Quinones: "At the end of the day, the calling to serve is one I take very seriously."

"He steered clear of national issues." Quinones, on Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-WI) budget plan: "There's going to be time to debate and to go into the details. As we move forward, we’re going to put forward a comprehensive plan of issues that I'd like to bring forth when I become a Congressman."

"When asked whether he would have voted to raise the debt ceiling last summer, he declined to answer." Quinones: "The over and out-of-control spending is something that I'm passionate about" (Miller, "At The Races," Roll Call, 4/3). "Quinones said he will continue in his role" as co. commis. chair "during the campaign" (Shaw, "Central Florida Political Pulse," Orlando Sentinel, 4/3).