Rep. West is Confused and Paranoid

Yesterday, we discussed the brouhaha between southern Florida representatives Allen West (R) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D). Rep. West was offended that Rep. Wasserman Schultz implicitly criticized him on the House floor for endorsing a plan that would change Medicare in a way that would cost his elderly constituents at least $6,000 a year in out of pocket medical expenses. Rep. West sent an email to Ms. Wasserman Schultz in which he called her “the most vile, unprofessional, and despicable member of the US House of Representatives.” He also copied several other people on the email, including Eric Cantor and Nancy Pelosi.

Now Rep. West is going on hate radio and claiming that anyone who thinks he overreacted is using a double standard and motivated by racial considerations.

“The thing that really most aggravates me is that there is this double standard, in that the people on the hard left can continue to attack conservatives and especially minority conservatives, and female conservatives,” said West. “But yet when all of a sudden you stand up and you say that you will not tolerate this anymore, then they claim to be a victim — which I find just absolutely laughable.”…

…”I grew up in the inner city, strong values, came from a strong military family and background,” West continues. “What we do is we totally invalidate the liberal social welfare policies and programs. And you know, I’m the threat because I’m the guy that got off their 21st-century plantation, and they cannot afford to have a strong voice such as mine out there, reverberating and resonating across this country.”

While it is nice that Rep. West was able to have a military career (even if it ended in dishonor and disgrace) and get himself elected to Congress, people are not criticizing him because his example of success invalidates social welfare policies. Rep. Wasserman Schultz was perplexed that a politician who serves a district that is basically a giant retirement community would think it was a good idea to support a bill that would increase his constituents medical costs by at least $6,000 a year. So, that’s the first thing he was criticized about. The second thing he’s being criticized about is his decision to send out an intemperate email which was clearly a total overreaction to a legitimate question.

12 Comments

Bearpaw on July 21, 2011 at 11:32 am

“But yet when all of a sudden you stand up and you say that you will not tolerate this anymore, then they claim to be a victim …”

rikyrah on July 21, 2011 at 11:42 am

from one Black Person to Another:

KNEEGROW, PLEASE

joe from Lowell on July 21, 2011 at 11:52 am

Allen West’s Inner Monologue:

“Dum de dum de dum de dum. I think I’ll pick a fight with Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, in public.

No way this is going to blow up in my face. Because of how awesome I am, you see.

Let’s roll.”

Richard Bachman on July 21, 2011 at 12:06 pm

How dare Ms. Schultz say the sky is blue, that water is wet and that the sun rises in the east. How dare her!!!

The truth can be very painful, Mr. West. And it has a well known liberal bias.

priscianus jr on July 21, 2011 at 1:03 pm

It’s unheard of for a member of congress to criticize the policies of another member of congress. Absolutely unheard of, shocking and vile.

Bob Stanley on July 21, 2011 at 1:22 pm

Normal people would see Wasserman Schultz’ comment as constructive criticism rather than as an “attack.”

nonynony on July 21, 2011 at 1:31 pm

Well, no – it was an “attack” of a sort – a very mild rebuke in a political setting.

It’s the kind of thing that House members routinely brush aside.

Which makes West’s outburst all the more weird because why would he take something like that so personally? Because seriously – if a Republican freaked out this way every time a Democrat rhetorically said something to the effect of “my Republican colleague hates poor people and retired people” I think the House e-mail server would be clogged with nothing but outraged e-mails from Republicans.

West turned an off-hand bit of rhetoric from a colleague into extra fodder for an opponent in an upcoming election. That’s stupid in so many ways.
- joe from Lowell on July 21, 2011 at 3:20 pm
  
  I want to be sensitive here.
  
  What kind of exit screening does the Army provide for an individual like Allen West?

Betty Cracker on July 21, 2011 at 1:56 pm

I am very much looking forward to Mr. West’s concession speech after the 2012 election. He won’t stay unemployed for long — some local talk radio outfit will snap him right up.

Oui on July 21, 2011 at 2:27 pm

The Struggle for Iraq in 2003, Interrogations – How Colonel Risked His Career By Menacing Detainee and Lost

(NY Times) May 27, 2004 – In western Broward County, where Lt. Col. Allen B. West, 43, is preparing to start life over as a high school social studies teacher, the grass is green, the air is moist and the pressure is barometric. Iraq seems very far away, as does the night last August when Colonel West used his gun to coerce an Iraqi police officer during an interrogation.

Colonel West wanted the Iraqi policeman, Yehiya Kadoori Hamoodi, to think ”this was going to be the end” if he did not divulge what he knew. So Colonel West presided over what he considered a time-sensitive interrogation that grew steadily more abusive until he himself fired a pistol beside Mr. Hamoodi’s head.

But the record of his case is unclear on whether the Iraqi officer provided valuable information, and Mr. Hamoodi said in an interview that he did not, because he knew nothing.

COL. WEST’S WELCOME HOME AS A HERO

But there were still no signs of the meteoric political rise to come. West told the newspaper that he’d turned down a lucrative offer to work with a private military contractor with work in Iraq, saying that he’d rather get a job teaching inner-city youth in a Broward County school and that his new goal was to work his way into a school administrator’s role.

Instead, after a year teaching at Deerfield Beach High School, West headed back to a war zone. He took a job in Afghanistan, joining a private military contractor (MPRI) with a controversial past.

For Allen West, “War Hero” Is in Eye of the Beholder

Lt Colonel Allen West’s Speech on Jihad and Islam for Freedom Defense Initiative

"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."

on July 21, 2011 at 5:31 pm

This guy was thrown out of the military because he violated 2 clauses of the UCMJ, during an interrogation of a person. He was never qualified as an interrogator.

If I were Wasserman-Schulz, I would go NOWHERE near West. Bad things can happen.

Phil Perspective on July 21, 2011 at 9:47 pm

Does this bring an end to the South Florida no-compete clause that DWS had with the South Florida Pukes?

Bearpaw on July 21, 2011 at 11:32 am

“But yet when all of a sudden you stand up and you say that you will not tolerate this anymore, then they claim to be a victim …”
rikyrah on July 21, 2011 at 11:42 am

from one Black Person to Another:

KNEEGROW, PLEASE
joe from Lowell on July 21, 2011 at 11:52 am

Allen West’s Inner Monologue:

“Dum de dum de dum de dum. I think I’ll pick a fight with Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, in public.

No way this is going to blow up in my face. Because of how awesome I am, you see.

Let’s roll.”
Richard Bachman on July 21, 2011 at 12:06 pm

How dare Ms. Schultz say the sky is blue, that water is wet and that the sun rises in the east. How dare her!!!

The truth can be very painful, Mr. West. And it has a well known liberal bias.
priscianus jr on July 21, 2011 at 1:03 pm

It’s unheard of for a member of congress to criticize the policies of another member of congress. Absolutely unheard of, shocking and vile.
Bob Stanley on July 21, 2011 at 1:22 pm

Normal people would see Wasserman Schultz’ comment as constructive criticism rather than as an “attack.”
- nonynony on July 21, 2011 at 1:31 pm
  
  Well, no – it was an “attack” of a sort – a very mild rebuke in a political setting.
  
  It’s the kind of thing that House members routinely brush aside.
  
  Which makes West’s outburst all the more weird because why would he take something like that so personally? Because seriously – if a Republican freaked out this way every time a Democrat rhetorically said something to the effect of “my Republican colleague hates poor people and retired people” I think the House e-mail server would be clogged with nothing but outraged e-mails from Republicans.
  
  West turned an off-hand bit of rhetoric from a colleague into extra fodder for an opponent in an upcoming election. That’s stupid in so many ways.
  - joe from Lowell on July 21, 2011 at 3:20 pm
    
    I want to be sensitive here.
    
    What kind of exit screening does the Army provide for an individual like Allen West?
Betty Cracker on July 21, 2011 at 1:56 pm

I am very much looking forward to Mr. West’s concession speech after the 2012 election. He won’t stay unemployed for long — some local talk radio outfit will snap him right up.
Oui on July 21, 2011 at 2:27 pm
.

The Struggle for Iraq in 2003, Interrogations – How Colonel Risked His Career By Menacing Detainee and Lost

(NY Times) May 27, 2004 – In western Broward County, where Lt. Col. Allen B. West, 43, is preparing to start life over as a high school social studies teacher, the grass is green, the air is moist and the pressure is barometric. Iraq seems very far away, as does the night last August when Colonel West used his gun to coerce an Iraqi police officer during an interrogation.

Colonel West wanted the Iraqi policeman, Yehiya Kadoori Hamoodi, to think ”this was going to be the end” if he did not divulge what he knew. So Colonel West presided over what he considered a time-sensitive interrogation that grew steadily more abusive until he himself fired a pistol beside Mr. Hamoodi’s head.

But the record of his case is unclear on whether the Iraqi officer provided valuable information, and Mr. Hamoodi said in an interview that he did not, because he knew nothing.

COL. WEST’S WELCOME HOME AS A HERO

But there were still no signs of the meteoric political rise to come. West told the newspaper that he’d turned down a lucrative offer to work with a private military contractor with work in Iraq, saying that he’d rather get a job teaching inner-city youth in a Broward County school and that his new goal was to work his way into a school administrator’s role.

Instead, after a year teaching at Deerfield Beach High School, West headed back to a war zone. He took a job in Afghanistan, joining a private military contractor (MPRI) with a controversial past.

For Allen West, “War Hero” Is in Eye of the Beholder
- Lt Colonel Allen West’s Speech on Jihad and Islam for Freedom Defense Initiative
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
on July 21, 2011 at 5:31 pm

This guy was thrown out of the military because he violated 2 clauses of the UCMJ, during an interrogation of a person. He was never qualified as an interrogator.

If I were Wasserman-Schulz, I would go NOWHERE near West. Bad things can happen.
Phil Perspective on July 21, 2011 at 9:47 pm

Does this bring an end to the South Florida no-compete clause that DWS had with the South Florida Pukes?

Rep. West is Confused and Paranoid

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