Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) is finding out that his loudmouthed criticism of Republicans is bringing him in big-time money.



Grayson raised about $850,000 in the fourth fundraising quarter from October to December, according to a campaign aide, and ended the year with nearly $1 million in his campaign account. It's slated to be one of the top fundraising performance for any House Democrat.



A significant amount of that money came from national liberal donors through the online clearinghouse ActBlue, raising nearly $700,000 for his entire 2010 campaign through the website.



Grayson has become something of a cable celebrity in recent months, with his rants against Republicans on television receiving national exposure. Last month, he compared former Vice President Dick Cheney to a vampire and said he should "STFU." Before that, he gave a speech on the House floor proclaiming that Republicans wanted seniors to die quickly because they weren’t offering a constructive health care plan.



Last year, Grayson referred to conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh as a “has-been hypocrite loser” who “was more lucid when he was a drug addict.”



Grayson’s rhetoric is also helping his Republican challengers financially. One of his opponents, businessman Armando Gutierrez, announced that he raised $210,000 for the fourth quarter, supplementing that total with a $100,000 personal loan.



Gutierrez is facing a competitive Republican primary against state Rep. Kurt Kelly, who just announced his campaign this month. Businessman Bruce O’Donoghue, a favorite of national Republicans, is also expected to enter the race shortly.

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