Fox News was just jam-packed with fail yesterday, but here's one for the record book. Wingnut Allen West using the most vitriolic language ever while slamming the President's speech last week. To quote John Cole, it sounds like someone got his little fee-fees hurt.
Allen West's meteoric rise in a predominantly Democratic district is one of those things that disturbs me on a near-daily basis. His military background, his insanity, and the amazing amount of money put into his campaign makes it feel like a steal, not a win. Is it just me, or is it bizarro to slam another's 'statesmanship' while calling them pinko commie bastids?
Watch Greta try and rehabilitate some of the worst of what he said:
VAN SUSTEREN: Did you hear what Congressman Allen West said? Well, hold onto your seat. He compared President Obama to a dictator. The Congressman made those remarks during a recent appearance on the Laura Ingraham Show. And to be specific, Congressman West said President Obama showed "third-world dictator-like arrogance" during his budget speech. So, what did he mean? Let's ask him. Congressman Allen West of Florida joins us. Good evening Congressman, those are pretty tough words for the president. I know you have a lot of passion about your views, but the words. Any - uh - You want to do a do-over on that or you stand by those words?
WEST: Oh, good evening and Happy Easter, Greta. And I do stand by those words. Perhaps one of the things that many people need to understand is that the truth needs to be said. When I go around and I talk to people down near my district and we get phone calls -- That speech that was given Wednesday was absolutely beneath the statesmanship or the atmosphere or the aura or the personality that the president should show.
I am sick and tired of this class warfare, this Marxist demagogue-ic rhetoric that is coming from the President of the United States of America. It is not helpful for this country and it's not going to move the ball forward as far as rectifying the economic situation in our country. And I'm not going to back away from telling what the truth is.
Let's just stop right there. Is there some exemption that says members of the United States Congress have the absolute right to sling around meaningless loaded slanderous terms with abandon while setting a different standard for the President?
While I'm at it, I'd like to add that Allen West's authoritarian military "listen to me and STFU" attitude does nothing to make him look even a little bit authoritative. He just looks like a swaggering bully with a very small man-part that he's compensating for.
Picking it up, Greta is desperately working the rehabilitation angle. (Not really, but it provides contrast, I suppose)
VAN SUSTEREN: I understand your passion, I understand your politics. You've certainly -- you've been a passionate --
WEST: Greta, it's not about passion. But it's not about passion. It's about time people stop--
[crosstalk]
-- playing the games.
VAN SUSTEREN: And I'm in total agreement. I'm just curious as to whether calling him a 'low-level socialist agitator' or to compare him -- to use a reference to Reverend Jeremiah Wright that the 'chickens are coming home to roost' -- if that really is helpful to advance your, your -- the great depth of your conviction.
WEST: There's a great depth to my conviction. Part of my conviction is telling the truth. I don't think it's very presidential when Barack Hussein Obama refers to my colleague Paul Ryan as a simple little accountant either.
Breaking in here to point out the use of the President's full name with emphasis on the middle name while using Ryan's first and last names only. More "statesmanship"? Back to the action...
WEST: So I think that when you look what at a community organizer is turning out to be it does seem to be like a low-level socialist agitator. When you look at the economic situation that we have to have a gentleman in the White House who never has really run any type of business or organization -- I myself as a company commander, as a battalion executive officer and as a battalion commander have many time [sic] had to balance budgets and uh, take care of units and operate a budget. So I think it does come back to experience.
And when I talk about the chickens coming home to roost, when we continue to play this election cycle American Idol in the United States of America this is what we end up with -- with someone who is really not in tune with the American people.
Look, Greta, the bottom line is this. The people of North Carolina who have suffered all of these tornadoes are suffering. This President is out campaigning and raising money out there in California. This is not how we're going to turn the ship around in our country.
VAN SUSTEREN: And you know, I think those are fair, uh, fair criticisms of the President vis a vis North Carolina. And also whether he has the experience, you know, you make the lemonade stand reference, whether he has the experience to run. I think that's fair. It was the more sort of ratcheted-up rhetoric...
It goes on about Jeremiah Wright and lemonade stands, but you get the flavor from this.
There is something really cynical about Republicans using Allen West to flog the president. The message is "See, we're not racists. Even black guys criticize him. It really IS about policy."
To which I will leave the retorts in the hands of my African-American friends out there.
After this small dose of Allen West, I'm inclined to agree with those who think the wingnut bubble may be about to burst.