Allen West

Florida In Play For Democrats In 2012: A Shock To Republicans!

Ronald 1 Comment

Florida has become in many ways the center of right wing conservatism, what with the election of Governor Rick Scott, Senator Marco Rubio, and Congressman Allen West in the midterm 2010 elections.

The state legislature is about three fourths Republican as well, and only six Democrats serve Florida in the House of Representatives.

No one is saying that the Democrats are about to take over state politics, as that will be a long haul, but public opinion polls show that Barack Obama leads both Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum in state polls about the Presidential election, and that Democratic Senator Bill Nelson has a big lead over Congressman Connie Mack IV, and that former appointed Senator George Lemieux is not even in the equation for the upcoming race.

The odds for Lois Frankel to overcome Adam Hasner for the Palm Beach County seat, that West held before he chose to move to a new congressional district in northern Palm Beach County and Martin and St. Lucie Counties, is seen as very good. And West is facing a major challenge in a young, charismatic CPA named Patrick Erin Murphy.

This is probably due to the improving economy, and the growing alienation nationwide of Independents, non Cuban Hispanics, and women to the GOP agenda.

Since Florida is the ultimate “swing state”, this might improve the possibility of Senator Rubio as the Vice Presidential running mate of Mitt Romney, even though Rubio keeps on saying that he has no interest, at age 41, rising to that level.

Florida will certainly be paid a lot of attention in this year’s political races!

The Leading US House Race For 2012: Allen West Vs. Patrick Murphy In Florida

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Probably the most controversial race in 2012 for the House Of Representatives is also the second highest in raising of funds–the race in the new 18th Congressional District in northern Palm Beach County, Martin County, and St. Lucie County between Congressman Allen West (R) and his challenger Patrick Murphy (D).

West, one of two African American Republicans in the House, was elected in what is now the 22nd Congressional District in Palm Beach and Broward Counties, but has decided to compete in a district likely to be more favorable to his right wing conservative and confrontational views. West NEVER is diplomatic, as shown when he condemned Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the head of the Democratic National Committee, as well as the House member from the 20th Congressional District in Broward County and Miami-Dade County, in the strongest possible and insulting terms, and refused to apologize for his rude language, particularly toward a woman!

West served in the Iraq War, but was forced out of the military over his rough treatment of a detainee, and now spews forth his right wing extremism, and has no problem raising money, having gained a total at this time of $5.8 million, more than any House member except Speaker of the House John Boehner. Imagine, he has raised more than House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp of Michigan, and Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the leading figures in the House leadership outside of Speaker Boehner.

This race represents a major challenge for Democrat Patrick Murphy, who operates a company that cleans up oil spills, and has raised $1.42 million so far.

The 28 year old Murphy could be, if elected, the youngest member of the House, unless Ilya Sherman in the 10th Congressional District in Illinois is elected, who is slightly younger than Murphy.

Anyone who wants to see West removed from the House of Representatives should contribute to the Murphy campaign, in what will become the most expensive House race in the entire nation.

Herman Cain, Allen West, Tim Scott: African American Republicans Who Come Across As Outside The Mainstream!

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A recent development that makes one wonder about what motivates people is the candidacy of Herman Cain for President, and the words and actions of Congressmen Allen West of Florida and Tim Scott of South Carolina.

These people are the face of African Americans in the Republican Party, and all three have made people’s heads turn and eyes roll, as all three have come across as way out of the mainstream of American politics!

Herman Cain, former talk show host and corporate President of Godfather Pizza, is running for President, and making ridiculous statements, including letting the average American decide if a mosque can be built in his or her community, and stating that he would not appoint a Muslim to his cabinet. He also has made statements against Mormons, as not being a Christian group, and while that could be argued, the answer is who cares, as we do not have a religious test for public office!

How would the American people react if we were to say that a church or synagogue could not be built? It is not up to the average American to limit the rights of any religious group to organize, and Cain shows tremendous prejudice against both Muslims and Mormons.

Now Cain has suggested that Barack Obama face impeachment because of the Health Care legislation, and because the administration is attempting to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. So we are to impeach a President because we disagree with his policy choices? Then every President would face impeachment!

Also, Cain claims he woke up after finishing fifth in the Ames, Iowa Straw Poll, believing that he will be the Republican Presidential nominee, which means he is mentally deranged, having delusions of grandeur! What an embarrassment to the party and to the African American community at large, and notice he has no ideas or suggestions to help create jobs for his own community or Americans at large!

Then, there is Allen West, who uses incendiary language regularly, uses his military background as a plus, even though he was drummed out of the military for inappropriate behavior in Iraq, and fails to act in a chivalrous manner against anyone who dares to criticize him on the issues! So he goes ahead and insults Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to the extreme, using inappropriate language in an email, over reacting to her denunciation of his stand against Medicare, when he has hundreds of thousands of constituents in his district who are covered by Medicare. West refused to apologize for his outburst, and obviously has an anger problem, and yet some are crazy enough to suggest him for Vice President!

Tim Scott has also called for the impeachment of Obama because of the Debt Ceiling Crisis, even though both he and West contributed to it through their support of the Tea Party Movement, and both of them are among the most right wing members of the GOP presently, and both are a disgrace in the sense of not accepting how their stands hurt the African American community at large.

It is almost as if Herman Cain, Allen West, and Tim Scott are aliens from outer space, who somehow got stranded on earth, and need to be examined in a lab for their weirdness, and anger, and self hate of who they are!

Congressman Allen West Should Be Censured For His Vitriolic Attack On Debbie Wasserman Schultz!

Ronald 1 Comment

South Florida has a very large number of senior citizens, who will be affected by the Republican attempt to gut Medicare and Social Security.

Congressman Allen West, one of the most right wing conservatives in Congress, has come out for such cuts, and his colleague, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is also chair of the Democratic National Committee, criticized his action that will hurt his own constituents. She did not issue a personal attack on West, but when he heard what she had said on the floor of the House of Representatives, he went ballistic!

Already seen as a “loose cannon”, who was forced to leave the military in 2004 because of mistreatment of an Iraqi prisoner of war, West lashed into a bitter personal attack, saying Wasserman Schultz did not act like a lady, and he would not give her, therefore, appropriate respect ordinarily due a fellow member of the House!

West called his colleague “vile, unprofessional, and despicable”, and accused her of “heinous, characterless behavior” unbecoming a member of Congress!

What West needs to do, but will certainly not do, is look in the mirror, realize his temper tantrum was way overboard, and apologize to Wasserman Schultz and all women in America for his lunatic temper and lack of respect for women!

Why has West not learned to be civil, cordial, and congenial with those he does not agree with? Does he really think that hitting someone over the head symbolically with a hatchet is the way to solve disagreements?

West should be censured for his vitriolic attack, as unacceptable behavior! Wasserman Schultz criticized his policy views, while West did a character assassination, totally uncalled for!

However, no such censure will occur, and the best result will be the defeat of West in his congressional district by former West Palm Beach mayor Lois Frankel! This is certainly one of the most significant House races for 2012, even before yesterday’s events!

Herman Cain Vs Muslims, Mormons, And Latinos!

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Herman Cain is one of the lesser GOP candidates for President, and has hardly been mentioned by the author because of the belief that he was going nowhere, having had NO political experience, and whose major accomplishment in life has been as the CEO of Godfather Pizza, and a conservative talk show host on radio.

But Cain, who is African American, and therefore, should be more sensitive than most about prejudice, has now become embroiled in controversies over religion and nationality, and is coming across as whacky and loony as a result!

Cain has opposed building of a mosque in Tennessee, claiming it would lead to the adoption of Sharia Law, even though only 25 percent in a poll in Tennessee are against its construction. There is no justification for preventing the building of ANY religious building anywhere in America!

Also, Cain has come out against the Mormon faith, saying Mitt Romney cannot be elected President because many Southerners don’t like the Mormon church!

The fact is that it should not matter if ANYONE likes or dislikes someone for being Muslim, or Mormon, or Catholic, or Jewish, or even African American, or any other religion or ethnicity! Does Cain really believe, for instance, that many Southerners would have no problem with him, an African American, becoming President, when so many, as it is, have been shown to be against Barack Obama, to a great extent because he is African American?

We do NOT decide who should hold public office, or whether a religious house of worship should be constructed, based on bias or prejudice or narrow mindedness!

And while we are at it, Herman Cain should also be criticized for telling Latinos that he favors building of a 20 foot “Berlin Wall” along the Mexican border, with electrification and moats that would contain alligators!

How can anyone take such a whacko seriously as a Presidential candidate? Cain sounds just as whacky and loony as Congressman Allen West of Florida and South Carolina Congressman Tim Scott, both also African American and conservative, but just as outrageous in their assertions and beliefs!

From An Economic Crisis To A Constitutional Crisis: The Insanity Of Tea Party Conservative Republicans In The House Of Representatives!

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With Tea Party and conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives holding firmly against any raising of the debt ceiling by raising revenue through tax reform and the ending of tax loopholes, it seems more likely that we may reach a situation where the good faith and credit of the United States could be lost by August 2, leading to a worldwide economic collapse that would put our nation into another Great Depression!

What could be done to prevent this scenario if no agreement is reached between the White House and Congressional Republicans?

As Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner had suggested in May, the 14th Amendment, Section 4, would be a solution, as it guarantees all government debts must be paid, so the debt ceiling would automatically go up without a congressional vote under such a situation.

But now, there are threats of impeachment of the President, first suggested by black Republican conservative Congressman Tim Scott of South Carolina, a member just as looney as Congressman Allen West of Florida in his irrationality!

Of course, there have been threats of impeachment before over ending support of the Defense of Marriage Act; illegal immigration policy; and the “Birther” controversy by other nutty Republicans, and Obama will not let such threats deter him from doing the responsible thing!

But it means we may be moving soon from an economic crisis to a constitutional crisis, and if that is the case, bring it on, as there is no way that Obama would ever be removed from office by a two thirds vote of the US Senate!

The economic survival of the nation is more important than the fruitless move to impeach another President, bringing back memories of the abuse of impeachment by the Republicans against President Bill Clinton in 1998-1999!

House Republicans Begin A Strategic Retreat On Medicare Portion Of Ryan Budget!

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The Republican Party may have committed a “Waterloo” on themselves by promoting the Paul Ryan plan to privatize Medicare over ten years, and taking a vote where all but four Republicans in the House of Representatives voted in favor of what has become a major controversy in House districts all over the nation during the Easter recess.

When Paul Ryan himself, Allan West in South Florida, and other GOP Congressmen witnessed massive assaults on them at Town Halls in their districts, it had a tremendous impact on them, putting some of them into panic mode.

So now House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia has indicated that the GOP will not push the change in the Medicare system until after the 2012 elections.

That is a warning sign of what can be expected if the American people are stupid or ignorant enough to elect a Republican House of Representatives and Senate and a Republican President in 2012.

The Republicans are biding their time, and hoping that corporate outlays in campaign spending and effective propaganda commercials can fool the people a second time!

The Democrats, led by Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, have made it clear that they will hammer home what the GOP wanted to do, and what it will certainly do if they gain complete control of the government. And one can be sure that Democratic National Chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the South Florida Congresswoman, will be effective in pushing the issue as well!

There is no question of the need to reform Medicare, but not destroy it, as the GOP has wanted to do since it was first born over their opposition in 1965 under President Lyndon B. Johnson!

Tim Scott And Allen West: New Black GOP Congressmen Creating Headaches For Speaker Of The House John Boehner! :(

Ronald 1 Comment

Next month, John Boehner of Ohio becomes Speaker of the House, and he has been tearful about the fact that he has risen to the top from a difficult economic circumstance as a child.

But he may be doing more than being tearful, once he has to deal with the Tea Party favorites that have been elected in many House districts.

Already, the two freshman Black Republican Congressmen, Tim Scott of South Carolina, and Allen West of Florida, are causing grief with their statements and intended actions! 🙁

Scott and West both have spoken up against raising the debt limit when that unpleasant issue occurs in the spring, an action which if pursued by enough other Republicans in the House and Senate would cause the bankruptcy of the government, and lead to a world wide economic collapse.

Both Congressmen-elect talk about cutting hundreds of billions of dollars in spending as an alternative, which it is not, as to cut spending drastically at a time when most cities and states are already in bankruptcy or close to it, would cause human suffering and mass unemployment on a scale unseen since the Great Depression. 🙁

And the fact that these men are from minority background, and refuse to recognize that it is precisely people of their own race who are suffering the most when it comes to unemployment, bankruptcy, home foreclosures, hunger, and poverty in this economic downturn, makes them truly disgraceful, and is a sign of their truly loony and wacky behavior, in many ways worse than that of their white counterparts who are so far to the right that one wonders if they have basic humanity as part of their nature! 🙁

South Florida Gains Two New Controversial GOP Congressmen! :(

Ronald 1 Comment

In the recent midterm Congressional elections, South Florida saw two new GOP Congressmen elected, both of whom are bound to make news, but probably not in a positive way! 🙁

David Rivera is the new Congressman for the 25th Congressional District in Miami, who has been accused of domestic violence against a woman years ago, and was involved in a car crash into a truck carrying fliers accusing him of domestic violence, even though he denies the whole story. But the Miami Herald has done investigation on this and claims that Rivera is covering up on this matter! 🙁 So the matter is not likely to go away anytime soon!

Even more controversial is the new Congressman for the 22nd Congressional District in Broward and Palm Beach Counties, and one of two newly elected African American Republican Congressmen. Allen West was a lieutenant colonel in the US Army who retired under fire for his tactics in Iraq in 2003, and he is seen as one of the most right wing members of Congress, similar to Michele Bachmann in using loose rhetoric! He had a motorcycle gang as a security detail, and briefly hired right wing talk show host Joyce Kaufman, a Fort Lauderdale radio celebrity, as his Chief of Staff until she backed out two days later, after her fiery speech during the campaign advocating using the Second Amendment if the election results were unsatisfactory! 🙁

These two Florida Congressmen will give the GOP leadership headaches in all likelihood, and will not follow the old line that freshmen are seen but not noticed! 🙁

South Florida Conservative Talk Show Host Joyce Kaufman And Congressman Elect Allen West: Two “Wingnuts” That Will Make News! :(

Ronald 1 Comment

One of the most notable Tea Party Movement favorites who won election to the House of Representatives last week was Allen West, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army, who was forced to leave the military after inappropriate treatment of a prisoner In Iraq in 2003, and who has been associated with right wing, pro gun groups!

With large amounts of money, including support from Karl Rove associated groups, West defeated Congressman Ron Klein of Boca Raton, in one of the most confrontational campaigns in the country! 🙁

West is a “wing nut” who will make lots of news with his comments and actions, seen by many as an African American male counterpart of Michele Bachmann, Congresswoman from Minnesota, who is constantly making outrageous statements and calling for extremist actions against the opposition party, and confrontation in foreign policy!

It is bad enough that West will be a “nightmare” in Congress, but he has now appointed right wing “nut job” talk show host Joyce Kaufman, who is a South Florida “wannabe” replica of Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity on the local level! 🙁

Kaufman has been an outrageous talk show host on WFTL in Fort Lauderdale, spewing poison, hate, and nastiness, calling for violent actions against illegal immigrants, war against Islam, and ridiculing Democrats in despicable language, such as calling Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Debbie Wasserman Schmutz (dirt in Yiddish)! She has used similar assaulting language against other Democrats, including former Congressman Robert Wexler, and other Democrats on the national scene, and has been totally negative in every way toward President Barack Obama!

She will now gain national attention, which she craves, as the Chief of Staff to Congressman West, and she is sure to be a “lightning rod”, drawing controversy by her statements and actions, instead of being a quiet, behind the scenes figure as Chief of Staff!

It is odd for a political figure to pick a media personality to be the leader of his staff! It is also weird that Kaufman, who constantly promotes states rights and hatred of the federal government, will now be a federal government employee and be paid by taxpayers for her work!

Interesting example of total hypocrisy on her part, and it also brings to mind that she somehow expects to be a “correspondent” for her radio station while working for West, which is seen by people on Capitol Hill as a conflict of interest, and totally inappropriate, and possibly illegal to boot!

But then conservatives like to rail against government, and then feed at the public trough as they pursue their agenda to make this country a land of the elite doing everything they can to make the rich richer, the poor poorer, and the middle class slipping constantly down in the direction of poverty!

The voters of the 22nd Congressional District of Florida will eventually realize the blunder they have made, brought about by large amounts of corporate cash without limit, thanks to the Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United case in January of this year! 🙁