Alan Grayson Compares Tea Party to Ku Klux Klan
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, said she was “disappointed” in fellow Florida Jewish Democrat Alan Grayson’s likening of the Tea Party to the Ku Klux Klan.
“Obviously I am disappointed in the use of that imagery,” Wasserman Schultz said in a statement to Politico. “Both sides need to dial back that kind of rhetoric and look to bring more civility into politics.”
An email sent this week from U.S. Rep. Grayson (D-Fla.) to his supporters includes an excerpt from TV appearance in which he said the Tea Party, the conservative movement that largely backs Republicans, is “no more popular than the Klan.”
The email is illustrated with a burning cross and captioned “Now You Know What the T Stands For.” Grayson has stood by the email.
Grayson, an outspoken liberal, returned to Congress by winning a central Florida district in 2012 after being ousted earlier.
He is a strong supporter of President Obama, but was one of the first Jewish lawmakers to oppose the White House plan to attack Syria over its use of chemical weapons.
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