Alan Grayson still not clear about endorsing Hillary Clinton

Last month, the Hillary Clinton campaign named Orlando Democrat Alan Grayson to its Florida Leadership Council.

The liberal firebrand and U.S. Senate candidate joined more than 150 elected officials and community leaders – the elite of the state’s Democratic politics – to build a grassroots coalition to help Hillary win the Florida primary in March.

Being named to such an impressive group, you’d think Grayson was endorsing Clinton.

You’d be wrong.

In an appearance on Thom Hartman’s radio program, Grayson responded to a caller questioning his progressive roots. The caller (Karen from Spring Run, Pennsylvania) wondered why he would support Clinton, who is “funded by every big bank and corporation” in the United States.

“I didn’t,” Grayson responded bluntly.

In light of Grayson’s inclusion on Clinton’s Leadership Council, it would seem that short answer needed a little more clarification.

“What happened,” Grayson continued, “for those of you who have been following me and been listening to Thom’s show and watching me on MSNBC, I’ve had good things to say about Secretary Clinton, very good things to say about Bernie Sanders, and good things to say about Joe Biden when it looked like he might be running.

“I said, among other things, that Bernie Sanders is a national treasure.

“And I pointed out that although I hold the current title for most amendments passed on the floor of the House, the person who held that title before me was Bernie Sanders when he was an Independent.”

Grayson – with every other member of the Florida Democratic delegation, save for first-term U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham – accepted Clinton’s invitation to the Council, whose mission is to game plan for November.

Despite that acceptance, Grayson continues to say Bernie Sanders is a “strong candidate” for President. But apparently not enough for Grayson to endorse the “national treasure” either, since:

“I also believe that Hillary Clinton is a strong candidate for President. I think she’s very experienced.  I don’t buy into this argument that she’s some kind of right-winger. I just don’t. I’ve spent enough time with her personally and individually to be able to make that judgment, just like I’ve spent enough time with Senator Sanders to be able to make that judgment.

“These are two strong candidates,” he said. “If Vice President Biden had joined the race we would have three strong candidates.”

Grayson then told Hartman he knows there is “an enormous level of antipathy” by many of Sanders’ supporters towards Clinton.

“Honestly,” he said, “I think that’s not deserved.”

Grayson also believes that it might actually mean something – to both the country and the world – to elect a woman president.

So for those keeping track, Grayson likes both Clinton, Sanders and Biden, and has joined a group with the primary purpose of helping Hillary win the presidency in November.

But that’s not enough for him to endorse Clinton. At least that’s what he says now.

Grayson promotes himself as a politician with “guts.”

Maybe he’s right; because you gotta have guts to pull off a move like that.