Congressman Grayson And The Florida Tea Party Party.

As the world now knows, Orange County, Florida mayorial candidate Matt Falconer and Congressman Alan Grayson are not strangers.

But there is more to the story. Last week, in an email to supporters Falconer said the following (emphasis added):

This week the Florida Tea Party Party sent a fundraising letter to Republicans in Orange County using my name to promote donations to the "Florida Tea Party Party." I did not provide authorization to use my name in the letter nor do I endorse or support the Florida Tea Party Party. The letter came as a complete surprise to me.

Because I know these blind requests for donations cost more to mail than they bring in donations there is a hidden agenda behind the Tea Party Party fundraising letter. The letter may have cost $8000 to mail and if they are lucky bring in $1000 in donations. Someone other than the Florida Tea Party Party leaders paid for the mailing.

The brains behind the Florida Tea Party Party is political operative Doug Guetzloe. Doug's current political customers on his radio show advertisements include Congressmen Alan Grayson and my opponent Mildred Fernandez. I suspect Mildred Fernandez has employed Doug Guetzloe to do what he does best; to throw mud on opposition candidates. I now view the Florida Tea Party Party as a political consulting firm not a political party.

This is a pretty big accusation by Falconer, not just against Fernandez but implicitly against Congressman Grayson as well. And there is more: The only official candidate of the newly formed Florida Tea Party Party is nominally running “against” Grayson. Former Republican Peg Dunmire is running as a third-party Tea Party Party candidate in the 8th Congressional District against both Republicans and Grayson. Many observers argue that such third party Tea Party candidates will only serve to split conservative votes and benefit Democrats like Grayson.

Notably, after the announcement last month of Dunmire’s out-of-left-field candidacy the good Congressman suprisngly took the time to comment and respond. Even more suprising, however, he has not yet commented at all on the assertions and accusations in the above email. And Grayson is not one who normally stays silent about any accusation.

Why is Grayson paying attention to this under-funded, third party "challenge" from Dunmire and then suddenly going silent at Falconer's implicit accusation?