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Alan Grayson blasts Harry Reid over supporting Patrick Murphy

 
Published May 11, 2016

U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson blasted Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid during a meeting Wednesday and Reid shot back: "I want you to lose. It's true."

The eruption at the Congressional Progressive Caucus was reported first by Politico.

Grayson has not hid his feelings about Reid, who has endorsed U.S. Senate rival Patrick Murphy and says Grayson should drop out.

Reid and Grayson provided statements to the Tampa Bay Times.

Grayson: "Calling out the Establishment is never easy, and it's not always polite. I had a rare moment to challenge the lies that Sen. Reid has spread about me, and Sen. Reid made it clear that he's too heavily invested in the Republican sock puppet he's calling a Democratic Senate candidate to consider the truth of the matter. Sen. Reid ought to learn that 'I want you to lose' is no excuse for a gross smear. But the air is cleared."

Reid spokeswoman: "Senator Reid was honored to be invited by the Congressional Progressive Caucus to discuss issues on which he and they can work together. Alan Grayson decided to be disruptive, to the embarrassment of his fellow colleagues. Senator Reid took the opportunity to express his low opinion of Congressman Grayson to his face and remind him that the reason Senator Reid has said that Grayson is under ethics investigation and appears to be running a Cayman Islands hedge fund from his Congressional office in order to line his own pockets is because these things are true, as established by seventy-four pages' worth of evidence from the Congressional Ethics Committee."

A person with knowledge of the Grayson-Reid blow up describes it this way:

"Reid was invited by Congressional Progressive Caucus/Ellison. He went ‎and basically it was a Q/A where members stood up and asked Reid questions. Everything going well until Grayson's turn. He said to Reid: 'Do you know who I am?' Reid said: 'Yes.' Grayson said, 'Say my name. Say my name.'

"Reid sat there as members started yelling Grayson down including Ellison. ‎People were embarrassed and yelling at him to stop. Grayson then reads from Reid's February statement and Reid says, "I want you to lose and it is true.' "