Alan Grayson defends using old celebrity endorsements

Alan Grayson is bringing out big names — Michael Moore, Martin Sheen and Oliver Stone — in his Democratic primary campaign against U.S. Rep. Darren Soto, touting high-profile endorsements in his first ad and in campaign emails.

There’s one caveat, however – those celebrities gave their endorsements years ago, in other races against different opponents.

Grayson says whatever the year they praised him, he believed their sentiments remained the same.

“I assume what he said then is in his heart now,” Grayson said Monday about Stone, the Oscarwinning director of “JFK”, “Platoon” and “Wall Street.”

“He said it so eloquently, there was no need for him to repeat it,” Grayson added.

Grayson was referring to Stone’s quote, which he included in campaign emails sent out last week, in which the famous director said, “I support Congressman Alan Grayson because he

supports peace — and I’m asking for you to support him, and join our movement for peace.”

Stone said that in 2010, when Grayson was running for re-election to a second term in Congress.

Don’t count Soto, D-Kissimmee, as among those who are impressed.

“Voters are smart enough to look at the age of these old endorsements and give them the merit they deserve in a 2018 election,” Soto said Monday.

Likewise, documentarian Michael Moore’s words of support for Grayson, as well as those of “The West Wing” actor Martin Sheen, are also several years old.

Moore’s video of support dates from 2010, though his quote backing Grayson in campaign emails was described as “a blast from the past.”

Sheen’s endorsement, included in two emails sent out last month, dates from 2014 based on Sheen’s mention of Grayson’s opposition to increasing U.S. involvement in Syria, which took place in 2013.

Representatives for Stone, Sheen and Moore could not be reached for comment.

Aubrey Jewett, a professor of political science at the University of Central Florida, said the dated endorsements “are somewhat unusual. Candidates usually try to get current endorsements for offices they’re running for right

“Is there a time when a political ad gets too old? I hadn’t really thought about that before.”

now. … But some of these are pretty A-list celebrities, and it’s not quite as easy to get them again.”

Grayson, asked if his campaign reached out to some of the celebrities before using their quotes, said, “sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t.”

He called Stone a friend, “someone I’ve spoken to from time to time, [including] just a few months ago.” He said he also worked with Stone to hold a screening of Stone’s film “Snowden” at the U.S. Capitol a few years ago.

Grayson added, “Is there a time when a political ad gets too old? I hadn’t really thought about that before. … What it comes down to is, whatever is being said, is the thing being said still valid or not? Regardless of how old it is.”

Grayson said his campaign is no longer using the original ad with Moore and Sheen, instead focusing on a new one about growing up in the Bronx and how it shaped his values.

Still, he said Moore’s description of himself as “standing up for what I believe, stepping up for the rest of us, and not afraid to say what’s on my mind,” was a nearpermanent description in his case.

“To change in my case would take a lobotomy,” Grayson said. “Moore was simply saying, ‘He is who he is.’ I’m not going to change any time soon.”

Alan Grayson, who has used past celebrity endorsements in current campaign ads