Donald Rumsfeld Raising Money For Rep. Allen West

WASHINGTON -- Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld will be a "special guest" at a fundraiser for Tea Party-backed Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) next week in Washington, D.C.

A flyer distributed by West's reelection campaign prominently displays Rumsfeld's name -- in font larger than even West's name -- as the feature guest at a $500-per-plate breakfast on Oct. 27 at Capitol Decisions Inc, on Capitol Hill.

In addition to forking over $500 to attend, Rumsfeld is also offering West supporters an incentive to pay the host-level price of $2,500: Anyone who does so will get a free, signed copy of Rumsfeld's latest book, "Known and Unknown."

The event is being hosted by Buzz Hefti, vice president of Van Scoyoc Associates.

Carolyn Machado, a fundraiser for West whose name appears on the flyer as a contact person, said Hefti told her Rumsfeld and West know each other from their days in the military. West's 20-plus years of active duty service in the Army overlapped with Rumsfeld's time in the Pentagon during his years under former President George W. Bush.

"I heard from our campaign people that he wanted to help," Machado said.

The freshman lawmaker has landed in hot water several times in recent months for his harsh rhetoric against Democrats, most notably Democratic National Committee Chairwoman and fellow Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

In July, he called her "vile" and "not a lady" in a vitriolic email sent to her and party leaders. He unloaded on her again in September during a radio interview in which he was asked to say the first thing that came to mind at the mention of her name. "I need a bucket," he said.

West has also referred to himself as "the modern day Harriet Tubman" and compared being gay to liking chocolate chip ice cream.

Comments

[whitakerpoc1]

01:51 AM on 11/11/2011

you could not pay me $500 to be in the same room with Rummy.
this should sure make a lose for allen west
Rummy when are you going to check yourself into GITMO ??

[webbandit]

03:03 PM on 10/23/2011

One war criminal raising funds for another war criminal.

[floridaviolinist]

11:18 AM on 10/19/2011

geeze, was George Bush not available? I think West wants to lose. I would rather have an endorsement from Satan than Rumsfeld.

[OurPrezRocks]

02:07 AM on 10/19/2011

Anyone who does so will get a free, signed copy of Rumsfeld's latest book, "Known and Unknown."

The OFFICAL guide we've been waiting for to explain his landmark word cloud:

"Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know."

[OurPrezRocks]

01:58 AM on 10/19/2011

Wasn't he in Dr. Strangelove?

[aznurse]

01:52 AM on 10/19/2011

Rumsfield??
that bang you heard was the last nail in the coffin for Mr. West.

[Fattonecat]

01:10 AM on 10/19/2011

who?

[Don Glenn]

12:23 AM on 10/19/2011

You have to know that your day's are numbered when Rummy comes to your rescue.

[andromadextra]

12:20 AM on 10/19/2011

Now Rumsfeld is someone you really want for a backer. He could euthanize the Democrats and call it a fight against weapons of mass destruction

[OldGent]

12:19 AM on 10/19/2011

I'm sorry for going off topic a little here, but this is my mission. PROSECUTE DONALD RUMSFELD, ALONG WITH DICK CHENEY AND G.W. BUSH, FOR WAR CRIMES-----NOW!! Now on topic, just the mere endorsement of Allen West for anything speaks 1) of West's character, and 2) that like dogs run in packs. Has anybody frisked West before he enters Congressional Buildings? He has the look about him, and character traits, of a pending disaster. Only going by his past actions and spoken words. Shouldn't that count for keeping him under surveillance? Close surveillance !!

[Raiderthree]

12:07 AM on 10/19/2011

Good for you Mr. Rumsfeld. We need more guys like West.

[CMinSF]

11:53 PM on 10/18/2011

Now, THERE'S a match made in Heaven...or heavin'.

[aznurse]

01:53 AM on 10/19/2011

they make me feel like heavin. blagh

[JessWonderin]

11:42 PM on 10/18/2011

West was tossed out of the military for torture . . . .One advocate of torture endorses ANOTHER advocate of torture . . . . no surprise here.

[Raiderthree]

12:10 AM on 10/19/2011

West received an honorable discharge and retired as a LTC. You have no clue as to how many people O allowed to be tortured by the Pakistani Government and the CIA.

[JessWonderin]

10:10 AM on 10/19/2011

What DOES "O" have to do with this??

"West was charged with violating articles 128 (assault) and 134 (general article) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. During a hearing held as part of an Article 32 investigation in November 2003, West stated, "I know the method I used was not right, but I wanted to take care of my soldiers."[11] The charges were ultimately referred to an Article 15 proceeding rather than court-martial, at which West was fined $5,000.[10] LTC West accepted the judgment and retired" . . . .

[vietveter]

10:26 PM on 10/18/2011

ANYONE backed by an unknown, unknown is OUT.

[Wholly Guacamole]

10:21 PM on 10/18/2011

Well, that's good enough for me -- if Donald Rumsfeld likes Allen West, then I DON'T like Allen West.

[floridaviolinist]

11:19 AM on 10/19/2011

I don't think Ft. Lauderdale likes him anymore either. Hopefully they'll do away w/ him next year

[rhdsma]

07:50 PM on 10/22/2011

Shame on you Fort lauderdale! What were you thinking? By the look of the larger picture, what was Florida thinking!