[Boca Raton, FL] Seems that U.S. Rep. Allen West (R-22/West Palm Beach) – the sort-of still a Tea Party fave who’s running for re-election in a different district (18) this time out – doesn’t want to really talk about the incident which caused him to “retire” from the military.
Or was he kicked out (albeit gently)?
The outspoken member of Congress, when pressed about the outcome of that incident at a recent Boca Raton speaking engagement, instead suggested that those assembled discuss President Obama‘s drug use back when he was a teenager and college student.
Huh?
Here’s the exchange, as reported by Think Progress:
QUESTIONER: Please release your Article 15 conviction.
WEST: I was not convicted of anything. I think everyone knows what happened. I mean if you guys have a problem with the fact that people were out there planning to kill my soldiers and I found a guy, I put a pistol, shot over his head, and they weren’t killing my soldiers anymore. If you guys have a problem with that, you need to go talk to someone else, because if I’m in that exact same situation, I’m making the same decision for those men and women. [...] So if you guys want to go back and talk about what happened nine years ago for me, let’s talk about the president doing blow, and smoking dope.
VIDEO OF ALLEN WEST BEING INTERROGATED BY A CONSTITUENT:
Wow. First of all, let’s review Allen West’s war crimes. Yes, he was convicted – the military version of convicted – of falsely imprisoning two men, torturing a suspect and not following proper Army procedure. He was hit with an Article 15, which is just below a court martial, and fined $5,000.
West was allowed to retire in 2004 with full benefits.
Yet his telling of the incident sounds so patriotic, doesn’t it? When, in fact, West violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice, a very serious offense.
As reported previously in Sunshine Slate, the story goes like this: While serving in Taji, Iraq, Lieutenant Colonel West got some information that there may be a plot to ambush him and his men possibly involving civilian Iraqi policeman Yahya Jhodri Hamoodi.
West had his men in his command detain Hamoodi for questioning. Problem was that West, despite being a lieutenant colonel, had never conducted – or even witnessed – an interrogation before. He was not authorized to conduct one.
As you can see in the recounting below, West would have been better off if he had just said no to interrogation:
Arriving at the interrogation room, West approached Hamoodi, took out his gun, and chambered a round. He placed it in his lap with the gun barrel facing Hamoodi. “I had drawn out my pistol as a means of conveying a threat to him for the seriousness of wanting the information,” West told investigators. Hamoodi said that after West’s arrival, “a soldier pulled his shirt over his head, and numerous others began to punch him in the chest.” The beating bruised his ribs, said Hamoodi, but those bruises had healed in the month that passed before he met with investigators.
Said West: “Yes, there had been sporadic body punches and shoving to the individual, which I witnessed but did not allow to get too brutal.”
Photo: allenwest2012
Hamoodi still didn’t give West or the soldiers the information they wanted, either because he wasn’t part of the assassination plot or because he was being an uncooperative witness.
West ordered Hamoodi out of the interrogation room and took him outside the facility, where Hamoodi says West pointed to six soldiers who were standing in line with their weapons in hand. Through the Egyptian translator, West told Hamoodi: “If you don’t talk, they will kill you.”
When that didn’t work, West admitted to pushing Hamoodi’s head into a clearing barrel full of sand, which is typically used for clearing weapons. West then put his gun into the same barrel, near Hamoodi’s head and fired.
“In my anger I do not know if I fired two shots in to the barrel or one into the air and another into the barrel,” said West in his sworn statement.
Now how does that compare to President Obama doing drugs 30 years ago as a teen and/or as a college student? It doesn’t. Tens of millions of people did drugs in their youth – very few gave illegal torturous interrogations and committed war crimes before being booted from the Army.
[West Palm Beach, FL] Ever since his name was mentioned as a possible contender for the GOP‘s VP spot in the 2012 presidential election, U.S. Rep. Allen West (R-22/Fort Lauderdale) has dialed up the crazy talk.
The darling of the Tea Party people seems to never miss a chance at grabbing headlines for his outlandish statements. He just can’t help himself. He’s Allen West!
It has only been a few short weeks since “Mama Grizzly” Sarah Palin, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and “Pizza Guy” Herman Cain all proclaimed that Colonel Allen West was their first choice for the VP job. Since then, West has come unhinged. Completely unhinged.
According to West, he’s uncovered a plot within the Democratic party so devious that it already comes neatly prepackaged with an ultra-buzzy buzz word. In fact, it is one of the biggest buzz words of all time in American cultural history: communists.
ABC News reported that Allen West said: “I believe there’s about 78 to 81 members of the Democratic Party that are members of the Communist Party.”
Note to West: you are supposed to dial down on the loco when people are considering you for the second most powerful job in Washington D.C. Third most powerful if you count Grover Norquist. And you should.
The Palm Beach Post also reported that West said the following (yes, he refers to himself in the third person):
“I really wish that, standing here before you, was Allen West and President Obama,” West said. “We could have a simple discussion. But that ain’t ever gonna happen.”
“Why not?” an audience member asked.
“Cuz he was too scared!” West responded in a mocking voice.
WATCH HIS COMMENT HERE:
President Obama is “too scared” or doesn’t care? He doesn’t have time to meet with every member of Congress individually. And President especially doesn’t want to “hang out” with one of the most extreme members of the opposition party that constantly bashes him.
Or maybe it is just because the President of the United States doesn’t want to hang out with guys like Allen West, who “pals around” with outlaw biker gangs and has tortured prisoners against international and U.S. law, as previously reported by Sunshine Slate.
In defense of West’s “commie” comment, spokeswoman Angela Melvin toldThe Huffington Post that, ” The Congressman was referring to the 76 members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. The Communist Party has publicly referred to the Progressive Caucus as its allies.”
“The Progressive Caucus speaks for itself. These individuals certainly aren’t proponents of free markets or individual economic freedom,” Melvin said.
So he did mean exactly we thought he meant, Melvin. Of course, equating progressive Democrats to communists is an extremist point of view, some would say.
Wouldn’t want you to start the RED SCARE PART 2, now would you Congressman West? You know how the American people loves sequels.
Well, not everybody. Count the NAACP not amused: they dropped West from a scheduled speech-appearance.
By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate
Lead image: TexasGOPVote.com (Allen West photo), graphics by Sunshine Slate Images
[Fruit Cove, FL] On Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott signed the 2012-13 Florida budget, which included $1 billion “more” for education and $142.7 million in line-item vetoes.
But you’d think he signed an education bill the way he’s talking.
“Over the last year I have traveled the state to hear from Floridians what issues they care about most. That’s why this budget should be known as an education budget,” Gov. Scott said.
“The two issues that Floridians care most about are jobs and education, and the two go hand-in-hand since a good education is critical to getting a good job.”
The focus on education is a stark reversal to last year at this time when Scott signed a budget that chopped education by $1.3 billion, meaning that education in the state still hasn’t caught up under Scott, financially speaking.
His 2011-12 signature also came with $615 million in vetoes, more than four times the amount of this year’s I-don’t-think-sos.
Besides the massive cuts to education, the 2011-12 signing ceremony was mired in controversy as it was a private event held at The Villages in Sumter County, a hot spot of Tea Party and GOP support (for those who haven’t been paying attention, Scott is a Republican).
Florida budget signed: Gov. Rick Scott, with students from Evans High School on April 9
Florida’s Tea Party support for Scott helped him win by a slim margin over Democratic challenger Alex Sink.
“Signs that support the governor are allowed to stay, signs that don’t are told to leave?” said Bud Webber, 73, of Orlando, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg Times back then). “Come on. That’s ridiculous.”
Scott made sure that things would go a little more smoothly this year – the signing ceremony was held at Cunningham Creek Elementary School in Fruit Cove, in St. Johns County. It was a perfect opportunity for Scott to talk up the $1 billion in additional education funding in the 2012-13 state budget.
“Education is the key to Florida’s long-term prosperity, so we had to find a way to pass the critical increase in education funding in the budget,” Gov. Scott said.
Scott is really hammering home the education thing – probably a little too much, making his play for improved poll numbers extra-obvious. Also on Tuesday, Scott hold a ceremonial bill-signing ceremony at the Margaret K. Lewis School in Panama City.
Want to see the complete list of the 2012-13 vetoes? Click here. For more information on the 2012-13 budget, visit here.
By: Adam Rousso/Sunshine Slate
Image: Richard Ceaton (left), senior, talks with Gov. Rick Scott, in the Evans High School video lab, April 9, 2012. Scott joked that the students should learn how to do campaign ads. (photo: Lance Turner/latuphoto.com/Sunshine Slate Images)
[Tallahassee, FL] The organization that represents the state’s 67 counties says that it plans to sue the state over a new law that a major financial analysis company says will seriously downgrade the municipalities’ borrowing power.
On Thursday, the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) announced that it is looking into fighting a newly signed law that will force counties to shoulder the costs of the accounting mistakes within the Florida Medicaid system.
Before HB 5301 was signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott less than two weeks ago, it was derided by a coalition of Tea Party activists, local elected officials and tea party activistsas “the worst kind of body blow to taxpayers” and a “bureaucratic mess.”
“From the outset, we’ve said that local taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to pay for Tallahassee’s accounting errors,” said Chris Holley, Executive Director of FAC. “And to ensure that they are not, we will be pursuing legal action.”
The FAC promises to file a suit in the 2nd Judicial Circuit in Leon County in the coming weeks. Already on board the litigation train are the counties of Seminole, Pasco, Polk, Manatee and Leon.
On Tuesday, Moody’s Investors Service released a report that backs up the FAC’s claim, saying that HB 5301 “has negative credit implications for Florida counties.”
It spells out the financial double whammy that the bill has set up for counties already hard hit in a down economy.
Photo: FAC
Florida Medicaid – FAC’s Chris Holley says legal action on its way
“Provisions in HB 5301 permit the state to withhold counties’ share of sales tax revenues to pay for current Medicaid costs, and also reduces counties’ share of general state revenue-funds over the next five years in order to pay for the state’s $325.5 backlog of Medicaid payables,” says the Moody’s report.
Previously, the counties would pay their Medicaid expenses out of their general funds. The complicated formula put the emphasis on the state to properly set billing rates based on a variety of factors. Well, due to what the counties call poor accounting by the state, the fund is now more than $325 million behind.
So to make that up, the Florida Legislature devised a plan that gives the state the power (starting in May) to withhold a county’s sales tax revenue share until their Medicaid payment has been made.
The problem lies in the counties – having traditionally had access to that money year round – will no longer be able to have those funds at their disposal.
“This procedural change weakens available revenue to service sales tax bonds and non-ad valorem obligations,” says the Moody’s report.
The FAC spells it out a little more directly.
“We appreciate the Governor’s promise to address these systemic Medicaid billing errors,” said Holley. “However, HB 5301 has made this multi-million dollar accounting mess the law of the land — a reality we are forced to confront in the courtroom on behalf of Florida’s communities and taxpayers.”
[West Palm Beach, FL] With the grueling Republican primary finally over – Rick Santorum dropped out yesterday, if you haven’t heard – the jockeying for position has begun for potential running mates for Mitt Romney. So far, much of the hype-buzz surrounds South Florida Congressman Allen West (R-22/Fort Lauderdale).
First, as reported by Sunshine Slate, Sarah Palin was the first major Republican talking head to “nominate” West.
“You know who I’d like to see … Colonel Allen West,” Palin said during the interview. “Colonel Allen West, who’s been to the school of hard knocks, he should be the one who should be considered seriously for VP.”
“In this very tumultuous time across our world, someone who has served in our military or at least has intimate knowledge of the way the military works and should work, perhaps by having a close family member serve, someone like that,” said Palin, emphasizing West’s military background.
South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley also spoke out in favor of West as the VP nod, telling FOX News that, “You have heard Governor Palin talk about West, and he’s good.”
But Haley also said there were some other good options (including another from Florida).
“Of course, Marco Rubio is great and Chris Christie. We know he can be the fighter, and I think there are so many really great ones out there,” said Haley. “I think Romney is going to have a hard time picking.”
Photo: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate Images
Herman Cain suggested South Florida Congressman Allen West for the VP slot
Now another major player on the GOP scene has come forward with an endorsement for West for the 2012 ticket as VP: Herman Cain. During an interview on Monday on a radio show hosted by Steve Gill as reported by Talking Points Memo, Cain was asked his thoughts on who should get the VP nod.
“Colonel Allen West out of Florida,” Cain said without hesitation. “Here’s why. He is well-spoken, he is direct, people in Florida love him, he has a huge following. He is from Florida. Florida is going to be one of those key states.”
“But more importantly, Colonel Allen West is a dedicated patriot,” said Cain. “He served in the military, and he is willing to serve his country some more.”
Cain didn’t stop there – he offered West a helping hand in the inner dialogue he might have on the matter.
“Now I know that there might be some push back on his part, because he’s just in his first term as a United States Congressman,” Cain said. “But my advice to him, if he were to ask me, is, you’ve served your country well and now you have a higher calling.”
“I would strongly recommend that he consider it, depending on any personal considerations he might have,” the former campaigner-for-president said.
In other Allen West news – there’s always something – the outspoken Republican actually said that supports about “10 to 15 pages” of the embattled Affordable Care Act, which probably didn’t sit well with his Tea Party base. But it was his comment on a certain provision that caught a lot of attention.
“You want to talk about something that’s really racist? They have a tanning tax,” West said, referring to a tax on tanning salons in the Affordable Care Act’s language, as reported by the The Palm Beach Post.
“I’m not tanning.”
By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate
Lead image: from Allen West’s official Flickr photostream
Confrontational Congressman Allen West Is Not Afraid To Speak His Mind, Or Call Anyone Out For Speaking Theirs
By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate
[Washington, D.C.] During a recent interview on FOX News, former Alaska Governor and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin wouldn’t say whether she’s interested in running again as the GOP’s VP. Not big news, really.
But Palin did drop a bombshell of sorts when she mentioned that she would sure like the current crop of candidates to consider a certain Florida Congressman as a contender for the 2012 ticket as the Vice Presidential running mate.
“You know who I’d like to see … Colonel Allen West,” Palin said during the interview. “Colonel Allen West, who’s been to the school of hard knocks, he should be the one who should be considered seriously for VP.”
U.S. Rep. Allen West (R-22/Fort Lauderdale), while certainly the darling of the Tea Party people, has never been considered anything more than a Congressional curiosity, a lucky son of a gun who ran at the right time to earn a place in Washington.
The stuff that comes out of West’s mouth is legendary. And not necessarily in a good way (that depends on which side of the aisle you are on, or what offends you).
Even though those on the right will not like the comparison, West is the Alan Grayson of the Republican Party. Like Grayson, West was swept into office by a political wave – Obama for Grayson, Tea Party for West – and just like Grayson, you never know what he’ll say next.
Sarah Palin talks up U.S. Rep. Allen West on FOX News
And when he does say something, it usually sends the other side screaming. Just like Grayson. Or like that lady from Alaska … oh what’s her name again?
“In this very tumultuous time across our world, someone who has served in our military or at least has intimate knowledge of the way the military works and should work, perhaps by having a close family member serve, someone like that,” run-on sentenced Palin, pushing West’s camo cred.
Perhaps Palin is onto something (although she’s not the only one to think this way – peep The POH Diaries).
After all, West is a Tea Party favorite and African-American. Both are factors that could help the GOP shore up some of the base lost if/when former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney – you know the not-very-conservative conservative gazillionaire – wins the nomination, as well as make a play for some of the black vote.
But then again, West is truly a divisive figure that comes with a whole luggage rack full of baggage that could be more trouble than his nomination would be worth (sound familiar?). There might not be a more polarizing figure in Congress than Allen West.
Also, West is struggling himself with his own re-election campaign, having switched to a more Republican-friendly district in an effort to hold onto his D.C. day job.
But even that isn’t going so well – Democrat Patrick Murphy has followed West to his “new” district with a vow to defeat the one-term incumbent. Did I say “vow”? I meant die-hard commitment – Murphy almost sounds like he’s stalking West (and we all know how well stalking works out for a Democrat in Florida).
“Allen West can run, but he can’t hide,” said Murphy in a blog post, after he called West a “coward” for sheltering his candidacy in a GOP-fortified part of the state. While using the word coward is a good start, Murphy needs to break out the saucier stuff if he wants to compete with “Wild” West, The Mouth From The South.
Hey, Murphy’s no joke – he’s already raised over $1.4 million for his rising campaign. West has him beat at the moment, however, with campaign coffers ringing up an impressive $2.7 million in contributions.
West does have a lot of support within Florida’s Republican-dominate state government. One of those is State Senator Joe Negron (R-28/Palm City), who says that, “Congressman Allen West is the type of principled conservative we can trust to go to Washington to actually solve problems, instead of becoming part of the problem.”
“I know he will continue fighting to ensure a bright future for all Americans through his dedication to reducing reckless spending and rolling back the failed economic policies of the Obama administration. I wholeheartedly offer him my support and endorsement in his campaign for Florida’s 18th Congressional District,” Negron said.
And some of his fellow colleagues in Congress – by way of the Sunshine State – also support him as well.
“Congressman West will be a principled advocate for the people of Florida’s Treasure and Gold Coasts,” said U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney (R-16/Stuart) in his endorsement for West. “He will continue to lead the fight for policies to help get our nation back on track and he will continue his efforts to get government out of the pockets and off the backs of hardworking taxpayers and small businesses so the economy can grow and create jobs.”
“I know Congressman West will also continue to work to rein in the enormous deficits and debt so threatening to the retirement security of our seniors and the future our children and grandchildren,” Rooney said.
It is not surprising that Rooney endorsed West for the 18th District. West was all set to run against Rooney in D-16 until he moved his operation.
“After much prayer, reflection and discussion with my close friends and family, I am announcing today my decision to seek reelection in Florida’s proposed 18th Congressional district,” said West in a prepared statement announcing the district switch.
“I have always believed the state of Florida would be best served by having both Congressman Tom Rooney and myself in the House of Representatives working to solve our nation’s most pressing problems,” he said.
Allen West speaking on the House floor on C-SPAN in Dec. 2011
Allen West … The Mouth That Roared (A Little Too Much)
West better spend that cash wisely, as he is getting it from all sides, even his own. Conservative columnist and TV fixture George Will took West to task – in his trademark, buttoned-down style, of course – for complaining so vociferously about the price of gas.
“Allen West from South Florida, a Republican, said he was outraged this week because it cost him $70 to fill his car,” Will said. “He drives a Hummer.”
Zing. But West doesn’t need any help from anyone. While most politicians fire a well-aimed single shot at their opponent or policy, West squeezes off rapid-fire Uzi rounds, spraying everyone and everything with incendiary sound-bite bullets.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t know when to take his finger off the trigger, and has a politically-fatal penchant for saying things that could – at minimum – be classified as definitely beneath the demeanor of a Congressman and, at worst, the mad ravings of a lunatic.
But the Tea Partiers love him because he says what they think (again, like Grayson).
During a speech on the House floor in mid-February, West trumpeted the Republican record for “minimizing government dependence” for the less fortunate as it is “particularly beneficial to the poorest among us,” he said.
“Conversely, the Democratic appetite for ever-increasing redistributionary [sic] handouts is in fact the most insidious form of slavery remaining in the world today, and it does not promote economic freedom.”
Photo: U.S. Rep. Allen West
A slide from one of Allen West’s recent Town Halls
More insidious than the actual slavery that still exists, Mr. West? He certainly has a flair for the ridiculous.
Take, for instance, this true but contextually-challenged factoid he told to The Daily Caller back in January.
“Under President Obama’s leadership, there’s been a 41% increase in food stamp recipients in the United States of America,” West said after hosting a Conservative Black Forum on Capitol Hill.
Yes, true, but West fails to mention that more people were added on the food stamp rolls under President George W. Bush, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition which kind of makes the manufactured Obama drama a little less fantastic.
Just a few days later at a Lincoln Day Dinner with Herman Cain, Congressman West said that Democrats can “get the hell out of the United States of America. … I will not allow President Obama to take the United States of America and destroy it.”
Destroy? Like Obama’s the villain in a James Bond movie? Come on Allen, aren’t you overdoing it a little (a lot)?
He has also called out Democrats in the harshest way possible for using race when addressing certain situations, asking, “why is it that we continue to hear charges of racism emanating from the left?”
My message to President Obama is this: ‘Mr. President, your very in office demonstrates Dr. King’s dream has indeed come true. But how devastated would Dr. King be to know the Americans who are still fomenting racism at the highest levels are the very people for whom he fought for and died?”
Yes, West is the proverbial pot calling the kettle black (oops, now he’s gonna come after me) and again when he refers to himself as, reported by The Washington Examiner, “a modern-day Harriet Tubman” who would lead black voters off the Democratic electoral “plantation.”
Rep. Allen West doesn’t like to “waste airtime”
“Wild” West
Possibly West’s “greatest hit” was his attack on a fellow representative from Florida, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-20/Pembroke Pines). West sent what can be described as on over-the-top email to Wasserman Schultz, insulting her gender and calling her “vile.”
The right cheered West on.
What did Wasserman Schultz – the Democratic National Committee chairwoman and Chief Deputy Whip of the House of Representatives – do to enrage West to the point of him using insulting, sexist language toward his fellow Florida representative in a widely distributed email to members of Congress?
In a run-of-the-mill speech on the House floor without West being present, Wasserman Schultz criticized his support of the “Cut, Cap and Balance” bill. She didn’t even mention him by name.
“Incredulously, the gentleman from Florida, who represents thousands of Medicare beneficiaries, as do I, is supportive of this plan that would increase costs for Medicare beneficiaries — unbelievable from a member from South Florida,” said Wasserman Schultz.
“It slashes Medicaid and critical investments essential to winning the future in favor of protecting tax breaks for Big Oil, millionaires and companies who ship American jobs overseas,” she said.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz on Allen West’s votes
Mr. West didn’t like it one bit. Here’s his response email, in its entirety:
From: Z112 West, Allen
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 04:48 PM
To: Wasserman Schultz, Debbie
Cc: McCarthy, Kevin; Blyth, Jonathan; Pelosi, Nancy; Cantor, Eric
Subject: Unprofessional and Inappropriate Sophomoric Behavior from Wasserman-Schultz
Look, Debbie, I understand that after I departed the House floor you directed your floor speech comments directly towards me. Let me make myself perfectly clear, you want a personal fight, I am happy to oblige. You are the most vile, unprofessional ,and despicable member of the US House of Representatives. If you have something to say to me, stop being a coward and say it to my face, otherwise, shut the heck up. Focus on your own congressional district!
I am bringing your actions today to our Majority Leader and Majority Whip and from this time forward, understand that I shall defend myself forthright against your heinous characterless behavior……which dates back to the disgusting protest you ordered at my campaign hqs, October 2010 in Deerfield Beach.
You have proven repeatedly that you are not a Lady, therefore, shall not be afforded due respect from me!
Steadfast and Loyal
Congressman Allen B West (R-FL)
When asked if he would alter any of the harsh language he used in the e-mail, West said emphatically that, no, he wouldn’t.
“There are certain ways we speak in the military and I guess I have not learned the D.C. insider talk that these people are used to,” said West, an Army veteran with 22 years of service in the military. “Don’t poke me in the chest. That’s the bottom line to that exchange.”
The “war of words” between Wasserman Schultz and Allen West – guess who brought a bazooka?
Not everyone is buying that excuse, especially those who have served in the armed forces.
Former members of the military point out that “the sexist and disrespectful language West directed at a colleague is incompatible with military service,” says Richard Allen Smith, the Vice Chairman of VoteVets.org, a non-partisan political action committee and non-profit.
“There is not one officer worth his or her salt that would refer to a peer as “vile, unprofessional, and despicable.” Smith also notes that the Army Values includes the statement that soldiers and officers “Treat people as they should be treated.”
“In the Soldier’s Code, we pledge to ‘treat others with dignity and respect while expecting others to do the same.’ Respect is what allows us to appreciate the best in other people. Respect is trusting that all people have done their jobs and fulfilled their duty,” said Smith.
“And self-respect is a vital ingredient with the Army value of respect, which results from knowing you have put forth your best effort. The Army is one team and each of us has something to contribute,” he said.
Smith continued by saying that, “If an Army leader were to criticize another’s performance, that leader would criticize them as a Soldier, not levy the insult that the individual is not ‘a lady.’ Soldiers are Soldiers, and the same is true of members of Congress.”
Photo: Rep. Allen West
Allen West’s military service is seen as an asset to some, liability to others
A Casualty Of War?
Sarah Palin points to Allen West’s military record as a badge of courage. She might want to look again.
While West definitely served in the Army for many distinguished years, he elected to retire rather than face the ugly fall-out from his violent conduct during the interrogation of a detainee in Iraq.
The story goes like this: While serving in Taji, Iraq, Lieutenant Colonel West got some information that there may be a plot to ambush him and his men possibly involving civilian Iraqi policeman Yahya Jhodri Hamoodi. West had his men in his command detain Hamoodi for questioning.
Problem was that West, despite being a lieutenant colonel, had never conducted – or even witnessed – an interrogation before. And he certainly was not responsible for or supposed to be conducting interrogations in Iraq.
That’s how things get out of hand, as you can see in the recounting below:
Arriving at the interrogation room, West approached Hamoodi, took out his gun, and chambered a round. He placed it in his lap with the gun barrel facing Hamoodi. “I had drawn out my pistol as a means of conveying a threat to him for the seriousness of wanting the information,” West told investigators. Hamoodi said that after West’s arrival, “a soldier pulled his shirt over his head, and numerous others began to punch him in the chest.” The beating bruised his ribs, said Hamoodi, but those bruises had healed in the month that passed before he met with investigators.
Said West: “Yes, there had been sporadic body punches and shoving to the individual, which I witnessed but did not allow to get too brutal.”
Hamoodi still didn’t give West or the soldiers the information they wanted, either because he wasn’t part of the assassination plot or because he was being an uncooperative witness.
West ordered Hamoodi out of the interrogation room and took him outside the facility, where Hamoodi says West pointed to six soldiers who were standing in line with their weapons in hand. Through the Egyptian translator, West told Hamoodi: “If you don’t talk, they will kill you.”
When that didn’t work, West admitted to pushing Hamoodi’s head into a clearing barrel full of sand, which is typically used for clearing weapons. West then put his gun into the same barrel, near Hamoodi’s head and fired.
“In my anger I do not know if I fired two shots in to the barrel or one into the air and another into the barrel,” said West in his sworn statement.
Photo: Gage Skidmore
Candidate Allen West speaking at CPAC in Feb. 2010
Hamoodi indeed provided information – but it was later described as “meaningless information induced by fear and pain.” One of the people Hamoodi named under duress was arrested, but no plan for an attack or weapons were ever uncovered. Actually, none of the intel panned out at all.
“At the time I had to base my decision on the intelligence I received,” West said of his violent and irresponsible behavior. “It’s possible that I was wrong about Mr. Hamoodi.”
More than possible. West was hit with an Article 15 – just below a court martial – allowing him to retire in 2004 with full benefits. He paida $5,000 fine for falsely imprisoning two men, torturing a suspect and not following proper Army procedure.
“I know the method I used was not right, but I wanted to take care of my soldiers,” said West in his own defense. “If it’s about the lives of my soldiers at stake, I’d go through hell with a gasoline can.”
Hard to believe West earned only a slap on the wrist for his actions, although some – including West himself – felt it was the right thing to do under the situation. Forget about procedure and training. Forget about the Geneva Convention. Forget about the innocent Iraqi policeman who was tortured merely because West felt that’s what needed to be done.
”The fact is, I made a choice, the choice had consequences and I accept that,” West was quoted as saying in The New York Times.
VoteVets.org also weighed in on West’s Hamoodi “incident” in Iraq, saying that the former soldier is a “verified torturer, war criminal and a liar.”
Now West is a U.S. Congressman.
Photo: NBC News
Allen West shown here pallin’ around with biker gang members
West’s Outlandish Claims & Outlaw-ish Friends
In what has to be one of Allen West’s most outlandish statements, he claimed in an interview to have a higher security clearance than the President. The President of the United States. That statement was rated “Pants On Fire” by PolitiFact.
Why would he make such a claim? West was responding to a simple question about tax liens that had allegedly been placed against him.
“I had a Top Secret/Security Compartmented Information classification, that is the highest you can have in the United States Army. You don’t get a security classification like that if you have financial issues like that,” said West.
“I still retain a Secret security clearance. And I tell you, if you look at the application for a security clearance, I have a clearance that even the president of the United States cannot obtain because of my background,” said West.
West’s boast doesn’t even make sense, say the experts.
“The President is the one who established the security clearance system by executive order,” said Steven Aftergood, a national security and intelligence specialist with the Federation of American Scientists. “Therefore it is nonsensical to speak of clearances higher than what the president has.”
West also has a biker problem, which will certainly crop up if he gets the VP nomination.
Artist: Jerry Breen
Allen West as seen by biker dudes
NBC News profiled West’s involvement with Outlaws MC biker gang, considered by the FBI to be a criminal organization. NBC pointed out that when a supporter cautioned West about associating himself with criminals, he admonished the supporter for using the word criminal and made the case that the biker group “protected him during an interview.”
West also appeared as a speaker at a “constitutional rights rally” sponsored by groups claiming affiliation with the Outlaws, his presence detailed in photographs from the event. West saw nothing wrong with his any of it.
Before he was elected to Congress, he was also a frequent contributor to Miami Mike’s Wheels On The Road, a biker publication that consistently denigrates women, calling them such things as “oral relief stations,” according to reports.
West is prominently displayed on the magazine’s website – there’s even a flattering caricature of West on a motorcycle headed for Congress and a pic of a biker holding his “Go West” sign. This is after you scroll down from the picture of the same biker flicking the bird – and before you get to the dozen or so “award winning” cartoons making fun of President Obama.
There’s even a copy of Barack Obama’s birth certificate right there on the front page.
All of this seems like to high hill to a nomination for even this former soldier to climb. Yet, West seems to relish the opportunity to engage in battle. With anyone, anytime.
“All I have to say is one thing: Bring it on,” West said.
Protesting In The Picturesque And Historic Town Of Pensacola
Pictures by: Alyssa Ollivierre for Sunshine Slate. Words by: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate
[Pensacola, FL] The battle rages on for Occupy Pensacola protestors who day in and day out raise awareness of the financial inequalities that plague American society behind the slogan “We are the 99%.” The Pensacola occupation is the local response to the original (and ongoing) protests at Occupy Wall Street in New York City.
The protestors have reason to be upset with the system: the data clearly shows that the richest 1% are getting richer – by leaps and bounds – while the rest of us take home smaller pieces of the pie, or, at worst, slip below the poverty level. And polls show that a roughly 37% of Americans support the Occupy movement.
In Florida, where unemployment is well above the national average, the situation is even more grim.
On Dec. 6, a national day of protest was being held and Occupy Pensacola planned to be in full force. This was three days after a U.S. District Judge said no to their request to obtain a temporary restraining order against the City of Pensacola who has issued orders removing from protesters from City Hall property.
We look back at the good, the bad and the ugly events surrounding the protest movement in Pensacola throughout the month of November.
Photo: Alyssa Ollivierre for Sunshine Slate
On Nov. 19 and 20, Pensacola City Hall was vandalised, possibly in response to the removal of Occupy Pensacola tents on the morning of Nov. 19. When they arrived for work on Monday, Nov. 21, city workers discovered that City Hall’s front doors were chained and padlocked. Power boxes were also turned off plastic sheeting was all over the grass.
Photo: Alyssa Ollivierre for Sunshine Slate
Individuals from the movement have had run-ins with the law. In mid-November, an Occupy Pensacola protester was charged with stealing furniture from his neighbor, according to the Pensacola News Journal. The furniture was then taken to the Occupy Pensacola site at City Hall and couch cushions were found in the thief’s van. Jeffrey Scott, 32, was charged with felony burglary and larceny. There’s always one.
Photo: Alyssa Ollivierre for Sunshine Slate
The legal battle continued as Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward issued an eviction notice mid-November. The order instructed the protesters to remove their tents by 11 p.m. on Nov. 19. More than 20 protestors refused to leave and several tents remained past the deadline. The reason? Occupy Pensacola didn’t have a special-events permit.
Photo: Alyssa Ollivierre for Sunshine Slate
Earlier in the month, the city was providing protestors with water, electricity and sanitation services. When that was pulled, Occupy Pensacola‘s Adam Richard told FOX 10 TV that, “There are a lot of taxpayers out here. I think the number of taxpayers out here pays for the water and electricity.” The city claims that the live-in protest was costing $500 a month just in sanitation services.
Photo: Alyssa Ollivierre for Sunshine Slate
“We’re not leaving. This is our city & we will #occupy it” (Nov. 27, via the Occupy Pensacolawebsite)
Photo: Alyssa Ollivierre for Sunshine Slate
On a Nov. 30 post on Facebook, Es Jaybee commented in response to the legal decision that City Hall can kick the Occupiers off the property. “One can protest but only when, where & for how long the government says it’s okay. Doesn’t really seem like freedom to me.”
Keep up with Occupy Pensacola on their website and Facebook.
Four Of Florida’s Top Politicians Cancel, While Anti-Muslim Mouthpiece Pamela Geller Continues To Roar
By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate
[Daytona Beach, FL] The brochure and web site proudly displays the fact that three of Florida’s most powerful politicians – Gov. Rick Scott, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and U.S. Representative Allen West – were confirmed guest speakers at the event. The downloadable flyer also adds Attorney General Pam Bondi as being “invited” into the mix.
Other major conservative power-players like Andrew Breitbart, Laura Ingraham, Christian political crusader Ralph Reed and a representative from conservative think tank/right-wing message driver The Heritage Foundation are also on the schedule. (It should be noted that The Heritage Foundation – who is co-hosting a debate with CNN in Florida early next year – is a sponsor of the event.)
But a closer inspection of some of the other confirmed names scheduled to appear at The Florida Tea Party Convention 2011 – being held Nov. 4-6 in Daytona Beach at the Volusia County Ocean Center – reveals the participation of one of the most politically extreme individuals to ever have access to a soapbox or a computer keyboard.
The bottom line is that some of them simply have no business rubbing elbows with the likes of Scott, Bondi, Rubio or West. Or so one would think, anyway.
Good thing then that all four have bailed on the event (sort of).
When contacted for a comment on the booking, Gov. Scott’s deputy press secretary Jackie Schutz told Sunshine Slate that, “the governor was invited to attend, but it was not put on his schedule and he will not be attending.”
On the confirmed list of speakers page for The Florida Tea Party Convention
Rubio has also bowed out of the convention, according to sources, although organizers claim he is sending a video. West’s office said he could not fit the Florida Tea Party Convention into his schedule, but that he too would be sending a video.
Jenn Meale from Bondi’s office told Sunshine Slate that the Florida Tea Party Convention “is not on her schedule … she will not be appearing.” When pressed, Meale would not say whether Bondi had ever agreed to show up – she only repeated that wouldn’t be appearing.
Maybe they all got wind of some of the other speakers and decided against it. Or maybe they are just too busy, like everyone says.
Whatever the case, the Florida chapters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is happy the politicians pulled out of the Tea Party.
“We thank Senator Rubio and Governor Scott for avoiding the false perception that they would in any way legitimize anti-Muslim hatred by appearing at an event featuring hard-core Islamophobes,” said CAIR-FL Tampa executive director Hassan Shibly.
For the record, many right-wingers consider CAIR a radical Islamist group.
False Advertising Or Wishful Thinking?
The Florida Tea Party Convention 2011 website clearly states that Scott and Rubio are one of the “confirmed speakers listed below.” And the downloadable flyer features pictures of Scott, Rubio, Bondi and West. Yet none of them are attending, unless you count video.
According to one of the Florida Tea Party Convention organizers, both Scott and Rubio were planning on attending, but work just got in the way.
“Gov. Scott has been penciled in since Jan. 1,” convention organizer Pamela Dahl told Sunshine Slate. Dahl is well known in Tea Party state circles as the outspoken president of the Tri-County Tea Party, which includes Lake, Marion and Sumter Counties. Dahl says that the politician’s busy schedules kept them from speaking as scheduled.
As for two of the biggest names in the line-up – Rubio and Scott – bowing out, “They’ve called and apologized,” says Dahl.
Bait & switch: The pictured people are the only ones NOT attending the Florida Tea Party Convention
Scheduled To Speak: Pam Geller – “Anti-Muslim” Crusader
When asked about Pamela Geller and her campaign of misinformation and conspiracy theories about Muslims, Islam, President Obama and liberals, Dahl’s response was, “What things aren’t true?”
Dahl then launched into a series of anti-Muslim talking points straight out of Geller’s script. No doubt, Dahl is a fan of Geller. No wonder she was booked.
A religious extremist by most measures, Geller has been dubbed as a member of the “anti-Muslim inner circle” by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). In fact, there is a chorus of respected people and organizations who label Geller as “loony,” a “hate-monger” and a spreader of lies.
The progressive checks and balances website Media Matters for America – the arch-nemesis of the conservative mediasphere – summarized Geller as a “demagogue” and her viewpoints as “outrageous, inflammatory.” Chris McGreal of The Guardian, called her “extreme.” The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-FL) considers Geller an “anti-Islam” extremist and “Islamophobe.”
For her part, Geller denies hating Islam, and has stated this repeatedly during interviews. She only hates “political Islam.”
“Interfaith dialogue and mutual respect and mutual understanding is a one-way street with Islamic supremacists, not Muslims,” Geller said in an interview published by The New York Times. “I believe that Muslims are more victimized by Islamic supremacists than even non-Muslims.”
But it is hard to take her at her word when she suggests that Hitler and the Nazis were inspired by Islam, that Muslims engage in bestiality and that Muslim groups control information processing at the CIA, the FBI, the Pentagon, and the various branches of the military.
Geller in action during an interview
Her blog, Atlas Shrugs, is filled with hate-driven nonsense and wild unsubstantiated claims. Sure, there are a few truthful nuggets on there, but for the most part, it is sensationalist ranting of the lowest common denominator.
Geller certainly has no business sharing the stage with the likes of a sitting senator, governor, attorney general or congressman.
She left the publishing world to stay home to be a mom, eventually launching her Atlas Shrugs blog and co-founding the Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA), which has been designated as a hate group by the SPLC.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office even refused to grant SIOA a trademark because it, “refers to Muslims in a disparaging manner … by definition it implies that conversion or conformity to Islam is something that needs to be stopped or caused to cease.”
Volusia County Ocean Center – site of The Florida Tea Party Convention 2011
According to Loonwatch.com, “Geller now claims she never penned the Malcolm X article, and that she doesn’t support the theory that Malcolm X is the father of Barack Obama.” In fact, Geller has had to take down many of her blog posts because of gross inaccuracies.
Again, probably not the type of person you want to share the stage with if you are the governor.
Yes, Geller is free to say whatever she wants, of course. And the Florida Tea Party Convention has no problem with what she says, apparently, or they wouldn’t have scheduled her to speak. In fact, Geller is becoming quite the regular in conservative circles. She was an official blogger for the 2008 Republican Convention.
In a conversation with Sunshine Slate, CAIR’s Shibly recalled the recent bizarre turn of events involving Geller’s appearance in Daytona Beach. Shibly had called to talk to the convention organizers about Geller’s hate speech, and was expecting the worst.
Instead, he was pleasantly surprised that he ended up talking about how important the First Amendment was.
The conversation ended with Shibly’s group being invited to take the stage to offer their viewpoints as sort of a counter balance to Geller’s platform. Shibly accepted under one condition – that the CAIR representative be treated fairly and with respect, as any other speaker would be treated.
According to Shibly, when Geller heard about CAIR’s involvement, she immediately cancelled her appearance, citing the group’s radical message. So that led to the Florida Tea Party Convention people having to make the not-so-tough decision to cut CAIR loose and get Geller back on the schedule.
The emails the Florida Tea Party Convention organizers sent CAIR show a hostility toward the organization for “not support[ing] her 1st Amendment rights,” yet where is the hostility toward Geller for shutting down CAIR’s free speech?
“It just amazes me that they claim to honor the Constitution and freedom of speech so much and criticize us for ‘infringing’ on free speech, and yet they do the exact same thing,” said Shibly. “I had faith that maybe we could build bridges.”
Shibly points out that allowing Geller to spew her anti-Muslim hatred is much like inviting a KKK speaker to talk about how awful African-Americans are, or an anti-Semite espousing the evils of Judaism.
Neither would be allowed to speak, of course. And if they were allowed to speak, everyone would be (rightfully) up in arms, First Amendment be damned. So why are they tolerating Geller’s misinformed hate speech?
“Apparently, free speech is only protected by the Tea Party if it means inciting hatred against Muslims,” added Shibly.
[West Palm Beach, FL] One of the most powerful Tea Party voices in the state has had enough of a certain state representative.
In a prepared statement released earlier this week, Everett Wilkinson, the chair of the South Florida Tea Party and the state coordinator for Florida Tea Party Patriots demanded that State Rep. Chris Dorworth (R-34) answer questions about his financial dealings.
In fact, Wilkinson says Dorworth needs to “come clean or resign.”
“Florida Rep. Chris Dorworth leaves the good citizens of Florida’s District 34 and myself with many unanswered questions regarding his financial affairs and business dealings,” wrote Wilkinson in a widely distributed press release. “His financial reports lead the public to believe that there is a conflict of interest between his role as a Florida Legislator and his business interests.”
Of course, all of this comes as the credit card scandal that rocked the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) is still being sorted out by the IRS and federal criminal investigators. The RPOF even recently settled with a whistleblower over being fired for making waves about the improper spending.
Found on the South Florida Tea Party website – Chris Dorworth
Now it is Dorworth’s turn. On the South Florida Tea Party website, there is a big picture of Chris Dorworth with bold red letters and a question mark that says “Rep. Dorworth … Crook?”
“The best way to fight corporate greed is to bring it out to the open,” says Wilkinson, who points out that the Tea Party is independent and has no one to answer to – or protect.
“Our standing operating procedure is to expose and go after any form of scandal regarding ethics. The Tea Party is prepared to vehemently continue its investigation of Mr. Dorworth … an aspiring member of leadership in both the Florida Legislature and Republican Party.”
Wilkinson, backed by 37,000 active members of The South Florida Tea Party and the 150 tea party groups that make up the Florida Tea Party Patriot, is not mincing words.
“I am requesting from Mr. Dorworth that he either immediately resign or publically answer the questions regarding his sudden wealth increase of over $700,000 and how his business interests intermingle with his role as a public official,” wrote Wilkinson.
“Dorworth needs to come clean or resign,” he concluded.
[Tampa, FL] At yesterday’s Republican presidential candidate debate hosted by Tea Party Express and CNN, all of the focus was on Texas governor Rick Perry, who grabbed the poll position mere weeks after announcing that he would seek the highest office in the land.
He would find out what being in the national spotlight means many times throughout the evening.
Held in Tampa at the Florida State Fairgrounds and featuring eight candidates and an enthusiastic crowd made up of representatives of over 100 Tea Party organizations, the debate was seen as a turning point – and possible last chance to gain ground – for some in the crowded field of presidential hopefuls.
The cast included Perry, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former U.S. Rep Rick Santorum, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
The two-hour debate, hosted by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, was the first of two high profile Republican events in the Sunshine State this month. The other is the CPAC convention taking place at the Orange County Convention Center on Sept. 23.
Having a good showing in Florida is seen as crucial to winning the nomination. Which is why the gloves were off last night, with most of the contenders and also-rans spending their precious prime-time moments attacking … Rick Perry.
Michele Bachmann during Jacksonville campaign stop
In fact, it seemed as if everyone was after Perry. Blitzer used every opportunity to take Perry to task for some of the more outlandish statements he has made, specifically those on Social Security and the Federal Reserve. It is an indication of just how much Perry will influence the race from this point forward.
Perry was challenged to explain his comments describing Social Security as a Ponzi scheme, something he has since backtracked on. His answer was clumsy and his word choice and sentence structure surprisingly unsophisticated for the leader of a state the size of Texas.
“Well, first off, the people who are on Social Security today need to understand something. Slam-dunk guaranteed, that program is going to be there in place for those. Those individuals that are moving towards being on Social Security, that program’s going to be there for them when they arrive there.”
Yikes. He continued …
“We’re going to transform it for those in those mid-career ages, but we’re going to fix it so that our young Americans that are going out into the workforce today will know without a doubt that there were some people who came along that didn’t lie to them, that didn’t try to go around the edges and told them the truth.”
So who won the debate? Depends on who you ask, or who’s press release you read. I has to be said that the glow around Perry has somewhat diminished as the reality of a blustery governor perhaps not as educated and polished as the rest on the stage, may not be such a good idea for the country right now.
Former candidate Tim Pawlenty, who has already publicly endorsed Mitt Romney, declared (wait for it) Romney the winner, saying that “His experience working in the real economy was evident tonight. No other candidate has the same knowledge of how jobs are created and what it will take for our economy to grow and for businesses to start hiring again.”
Mitt Romney speaking in Nevada earlier this year
Bachmann press released that she was “the clear leader” at the debate, claiming to be “the only candidate who reflects the values and principles of the conservative movement, asserting her positions on economic growth, social security, healthcare mandates and immigration.”
As the Tea Party’s chosen one, she was smartly playing to her home-court advantage during the debate. Bachmann, who has suffered the most since Perry threw his ten-gallon hat into the ring, tried to gain ground – and probably did – but it may not be enough in a state that shows Romney and Perry nearly even at 24% and Bachmann more than a dozen points behind them.
“I think we can do so much better in this country,” said Bachmann during last night’s opening remarks. “That’s why I’m the chief author of the bill to repeal Dodd Frank, the bill to repeal Obamacare. And that’s why I brought the voice of the Tea Party to the United States Congress as the founder of the Tea Party Caucus,” said Bachmann.
The media has pegged Romney the clear winner, the most polished apple in the GOP’s cart. The Washington Post said that “Romney proved yet again that he is the best debater in this field with another solid performance in which he effectively downplayed his liabilities on health care and accentuated his strengths on jobs and the economy.”
The influential paper gives Romney four victories in four debates. A certain guy from Texas will have something to say about that. And he has. Multiple times since last night’s debate wrapped.
The Perry campaign has gone into overdrive, sending no less than seven emails that either lambaste his opponents, tout his achievements or both. The Mouth has to play simultaneous offense and defense, a tricky proposition for someone accustomed to saying just about anything that comes to mind.
Presidents can’t do that, there is too much at stake if you say the wrong thing. But Perry has made it clear that he doesn’t follow conventional wisdom and that just may be his undoing, leaving the nomination to a battered and bruised Romney when it is all said and done.
One thing for sure is that Perry is in it to win it. Romney and Bachmann need to bring their “A” game as Rick is aiming for a fight, and Florida is the battlefield.
By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate
Image: Perry photo by Ed Schipul, Bachmann photo from campaign, Romney photo from campaign
[Orlando, FL] With the quiet clang of silverware hitting dinner plates still echoing inside the convention hall, U.S. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann took to the podium Saturday night, still looking sharp and sounding energetic after a long day of Central Florida stumping.
The presidential candidate addressed a roomful of hand-picked, ultra-conservative supporters eager to partake in the invite-only appearance by the Tea Party favorite over drinks, dinner and Christian rallying cries at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando.
She spent most of her time talking up the efforts of her hosts and highlighting her background bullet points, including the big family move from Iowa to Minnesota and her finding of Jesus at age 16. Bachmann was also candid about her parent’s divorce, calling it a “difficult time for our family.”
Speaking of family, she reminded the crowd of her and her husband’s (also in attendance) foster care efforts over the years (23 teenage girls mostly with eating disorders) as well as the raising of their own five children. Setting herself up for the big laugh, she mentioned that her youngest biological was off to college.
“After 29 years of parenting, an empty nest feels pretty good … So we thought, what the heck, run for President of the United States,” she punchlined. The crowd ate it up.
Bachmann delivered her speech on a darkened stage
She did delve into politics occasionally – in between establishing (and re-establishing) herself as a Christian and as a die-hard conservative, that is – by railing against “devastating high taxes” and calling Gov. Rick Scott an “absolutely wonderful governor,” which was greeted with warm-ish applause (not sure everyone is on board with him yet).
Bachmann does have some shortcomings as a speaker, most of which don’t come across through sound bites. Her delivery is quite monotone and often falls into repeating patterns of emphasis. She also talks very fast at times causing some of her points to lose a bit of their punch. [LISTEN TO A SAMPLE (MP3)]
She does pepper her material with just the right amount of that aforementioned humor to keep the crowd engaged and scored many big laughs throughout her 30-minute workout.
The event was an annual fundraiser for the Florida Family Policy Council, a multi-pronged attack dog of a Christian ministry that wields a mighty sword in Sunshine State politics. It was part of a three-day swing through Florida for Bachmann, who is to shoring up some much-needed support for her campaign in the Sunshine State.
On Friday, Bachmann was at a sub shop in Jacksonville Beach. On Saturday morning, it was a private event in Poinciana before heading to the Rosen in Orlando. On Sunday (the day of this post), she was due in Lutz (near Tampa), to attend a morning church service at Idlewild Baptist and, later, an evening GOP rally in Sarasota.
While Bachmann’s campaign got a huge boost topping the Ames Straw Poll more than a week ago, recent polls in Florida show the Congresswoman from Minnesota lagging behind frontrunner Mitt Romney by 15 points and Rick Perry by nearly as much.
Even pizza empire CEO Herman Cain has a point or two on Bachmann. Clearly, she has a lot of work to do. Expect to see lots of her in Florida before the primary.
The crowd was noticeably white, like 95% – in stark contrast to Orange County’s racial demographics which shows Hispanics alone at 35% of the population. And everyone was wearing their Sunday best. This was a play to reach out to her Judeo-conservative base, after all. (In fact, when I pulled into the parking lot with my photographer, we were asked if we were protestors, which made no sense for a variety of reasons, but we were asked).
Bachmann was introduced by John Stemberger, the ever-present TV talking head and leader of the Florida Family Policy Council, who was almost giddy with excitement for scoring Bachmann for his fundraiser. We’ll take a moment and wait for you to fill out those credit card forms on the table.
A nice surprise was Bachmann’s U.S. House-mate, Congressman Daniel Webster, who took to the stage early in the evening to recognize military veterans and introduce the pledge of allegiance. He said very little about the evening’s guest of honor before he walked off, somewhat abruptly.
This is Webster’s home turf, inhabited by the Tea Party types who carried him into office on their glorious shoulders past hated liberal icon Alan Grayson in 2010. Need proof? They gave out the “Daniel Webster Award” to the couple responsible for the “choose life” license plates. It was the sixth such Webbie, an annual distinction.
Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos was another conservative Republican who was paraded across the stage like show pony to receive his due – in the form of a plaque – for tireless efforts in furthering the Council’s cause. Haridopolos was joined by a host of other former and current State Reps, Senate members and a sitting circuit court judge, all who were either plaqued or name-dropped and thanked for their service.
The Miami Herald has a great story on U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s immigration problem, that is, reformers on one side, Tea Party activists on the other:
Conservative activists — still raw over what they say was his role in blocking illegal immigration legislation while speaker of the Florida House — say the burgeoning Republican star needs to deliver on campaign rhetoric for tougher enforcement.
“We’ve been waiting for him to come up with something and to be a leader on this issue,” said Danita Kilcullen, founder of Tea Party Fort Lauderdale.
The immigration debate — comprehensive immigration reform versus just immigration enforcement — is a difficult one, even for Miami Republican and US Sen. Marco Rubio. …
Maria Law School, where Marco Rubio delivered a commencement address on May 15th, was founded in 1999 by the Catholic fanatic Tom Monaghan and a few fellow papists from Michigan. …
By Marcos Restrepo | 05.31.11 | 12:50 pm The immigration debate — comprehensive immigration reform versus just immigration enforcement — is a difficult one, even for Miami Republican and US Sen. Marco Rubio. # A crack is forming in US Sen. …
Rubio is like any politician and will do whatever his big donors want him to do. It is obvious Rubio will side with the GOP establishment and against the tea party on immigration. The establishment wants to “soft-pedal” immigration enforcement because …
