In the annals of disreputable political attacks, Allen West is going to have a place of honor reserved. His latest ad is a pathetic and desperate assault that avoids any discussion of substantive policy matters, but goes directly for jugular with an absurdly irrelevant personal smear.
For the record, Patrick Murphy was a nineteen year old college student in 2003. His arrest is surely not a moment of great pride, but anyone who is surprised that a teenager in college drank alcohol and got into a fight at a bar doesn’t know many teenagers in college. The charges were dropped and Murphy went on to graduate and become a successful businessman.
In 2003 Allen West was in Iraq where he submitted an innocent Iraqi police officer to torture. For that abusive and illegal behavior West was relieved of his command and only escaped a court-martial due to the intervention of a couple of powerful GOP torture supporters in congress. He was allowed to “resign” from the service but not without paying a fine and having his record sullied by his having disobeyed the law and ignoring orders.
West’s ad concludes by saying “Two men, a country in crisis — you decide.” That’s a good question. Who is the better man to represent the 18th district of Florida? A man who was thrown out of a bar as a teenager, or a man who was thrown out of the Army for torture and insubordination. And we might also ask whether one would prefer a Murphy, a man who has demonstrated his competence and diplomacy, or West, a maniacal extremist who thinks that 70-80 of Democratic members of congress are communists and calls anyone with whom he disagrees a Nazi. That’s the caliber of man who Mitt Romney chose to chair his Black Leadership Council.
You can help Murphy defeat West here: Patrick Murphy for Congress
[Update] Murphy just released an ad responding to West’s attack. The ad goes straight at West’s military misconduct and unlawful acts.
His last name is Murphy for god’s sake! What Irishman hasn’t been thrown out of a bar in their youth? I really don’t see how this is going to hurt him in any way, in fact, it might help him. West is a mentally unstable extremist, which he has demosntrated time and again, and Murphy is a young energetic optimistic stable person. I know which one I would vote for.
West is a desperate, no real issues, loud mouth with lots of divisive rhetoric but absolutely no substance whatsoever. He has been a lousy Congressman who doesn’t even bother to respond to his constituents correspondence much less introduce any meaningful legislation. Apparently to please the right-wingers all he needs is a big mouth making unsubstantiated commentary that serves no useful purpose. They don’t want any accomplishments just right-wing jingoism that stirs up the media but does nothing for the people that he is supposed to represent!
One should keep in mind that the Tea Party will without question vote for him.
Murphy is at a disadvantage in that he is a democrat and must rely upon people who think for themselves to cast their vote for him.