The Palm Beach Post - U.S. Rep. Allen West, this morning criticized “political opportunism” in the wake of Saturday’s shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and said he has no plans to tone down his own “stronger language.”
Within hours of the shooting that killed six and critically injured Giffords, some commentators placed the massacre in the context of the nation’s heated political climate and blamed the tea party movement, Sarah Palin and other conservatives although no public evidence has suggested accused gunman Jared Lee Loughner was associated with or sympathetic to any of them. Some critics pointed to West’s own words — such as saying citizens must be “well-informed and well-armed because this government that we have now is a tyrannical government” — as contributing to that climate.
West has rejected such criticism and accused those making it of trying to score political points.
“One of the concerns I do have is the political opportunism that has come out of this. That’s kind of deplorable and unconscionable what some people are doing. This is not the time to start looking for grandstanding and things of that nature,” West said.
Asked if he had any regrets about his choice of words in the past, West said, “No I don’t, because I think when you look at the president saying don’t bring a knife to a gun fight and the fact that the president talked about if the Republicans were to win in the midterms we’re going to have hand-to-hand combat.”
He also said a blogger in Broward County had once said West should be skinned alive, so “I think there are some things that both sides need to be concerned about.”
West, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, has said his references to “bayonets” and military imagery are metaphorical — and he has no plans to stop using them.
“Now that I’ve been sworn into Congress I’m still the type of person that, if there are means by which I can inspire people, I will use historical references and metaphors, which is what I have done. But my background is, I am a tough guy and in tough times we have to use a little bit of stronger language when you start talking about the future legacy of my country,” West said. - Read entire column > >
Blog author's comments - Most of us know, aside from the Obama followers, that the left is using the shooting in Arizona to take some of the political heat off of themselves by blaming those on the right for the tragedy.
This is what Rep. West said very well. He will not back down from the left or the MSM.The Democrats and the MSM will soon concentrate their efforts on taking down Allen West. I believe he will play a big part with regard to the future of the Republican Party.
This is the 'crisis' Obama and the Dems needed and of course the MSM will help them as much as they can. They hope that this will have an impact on the 2012 election. They were desperate to find anything to cling to after the loss they suffered in the midterm election.
fox news-special report - Brit Hume on the left wing jumping to conclusions (video).
