Allen West: Joseph Goebbels Would Be 'Very Proud' Of Democrats' 'Incredible Propaganda Machine'

Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) on Thursday invoked a prominent figure from Nazi Germany while answering a question about America's dissatisfaction with Congress.

The Washington Post reported that when asked about the fact that more Americans blame Republicans than Democrats for Congress' inaction, West said, "If Joseph Goebbels was around, he'd be very proud of the Democrat Party, because they have an incredible propaganda machine," said West during Thursday's House votes. "Let's be honest, you know, some of the people in the media are complicit with this and enabling them to get that type of message out."

Goebbels, who served as Hitler's Propaganda Minister, was known for his promotion of rabidly anti-Semitic media, which helped turn Germany against Jews. Politico notes that West's district in South Florida is home to a significant Jewish population. When pressed on the Nazi link, West dismissed the question.

"I'm talking about propaganda, OK," he said. "Don't start taking my words and twisting it around. I'm talking about propaganda. And I think that's a very important thing."

The National Jewish Democratic Council had a different view, releasing a statement decrying West's rhetoric. President and CEO David A. Harris said:

"The National Jewish Democratic Council condemns this most recent use of Holocaust imagery from Representative Allen West and demands that he apologize sincerely and immediately. As we have said repeatedly, invoking the Holocaust to make a political point is never acceptable and should be condemned by all for the sake of the memory of those who were lost."

West had been questioned specifically about a Pew Poll released on Thursday, which found that voters are more likely to blame Republicans (40 percent) for Washington's inaction than Democrats (23 percent). The poll also revealed a burgeoning anti-incumbent mood among voters -- a bad omen for Republicans, who are trying to keep control of the House in 2012.

Comments

[Johnnycu]

04:03 PM on 12/19/2011

West is angry, he knows his days are numbered he Tea Party is on it;s way out. And West a best was just being used by the elite! He forgets that it is a private club that only few are allowed and he is not one them1

[schazz50]

01:03 PM on 12/18/2011

I'm convinced this man is insane he just gotta go...gotta go in the name of rightousness get rid of this guy... I wonder just elected this guy... what kind of people do we live with? We all make mistakes when we elect our officals but this guy takes the cake... I know Recall...

[Alex Fidelibus]

08:53 AM on 12/18/2011

Are Republicans ordered by someone to refer to the "Democratic Party" as the "Democrat Party" - because they all do it. You'd think one of them would get it right at some point...

[lacrosselamore]

05:24 PM on 12/20/2011

Everytime I see or hear one of them say that, I think "wow, how stupid. I learned that it is namend the Democratic Party in 2nd grade".
My Congresstwit had repeatedly refered to us as the "democrat party" in a town hall. I called him on it. I asked him how he got through Law School not knowing the proper name for one of the two major political parties in the Country. He didn't say anything.
This was first started by Senator Joe Mc Carthy to insult the Democrats. Yes THE Joe McCarthy of blac list fame. Todays republicans ar3e going into the same sewer.
Short memory thoes elephants have.

[vidian6]

08:28 AM on 12/18/2011

He's fascinating! Joseph Goebbels would have had Allen West hung on sight. The idea that he would even invoke someone like Goebbels, is nuts. Florida do yourself a favor and get rid of this nut.

[Rooster Coburn]

07:13 PM on 12/18/2011

Hitler was the head of the, A. National Capitalist Businessmen's Party, or, B. Hitler was the head of the National Socialist Workers Party?

[george orwell 1984]

12:08 PM on 12/19/2011

And communist East Germany called itself the "German Democratic Republic". Communist China calls itself a "people's republic". So this means that democracy, republics, and the people are fascist concepts?

[vidian6]

09:19 AM on 12/20/2011

And your point is.

[Keo]

04:00 AM on 12/18/2011

Orange Terrorist Alert.
Orange Terrorist Alert.
Orange Terrorist Alert.
Orange Terrorist Alert.
Orange Terrorist Alert.
Republican propaganda....or should we really be afraid of orange terrorists?
Please, Mr. West, help us make sense out of this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Addction]

02:42 AM on 12/18/2011

So typical of left wing media distortion and propaganda. He was referring specifically to the fact that Obama and his media boys have been distorting facts, and out spinning the issues, such that the truth is hard to discern. And before you say it, I am sure Fox does the same on the other side. But the bigger propaganda machine at present is the left wing media and Obama and his cronies. He was not comparing Obama to any one else, nor implying any other association with Nazi Germany, although the new law allowing US citizens to be detained without proof indefinitely is very scary and reminiscent of those times.

[Keo]

04:01 AM on 12/18/2011

...and for thirty years, the Right has had the more powerful propaganda machine.
So what, exactly, is your point?

[Alex Fidelibus]

08:56 AM on 12/18/2011

Then how come Republicans are typically the most misinformed?
http://www.prwatch.org/node/9822

[floydwhtny]

11:23 PM on 12/17/2011

Most Democrats that are politicians cannot build a propaganda machine as well as the republicans have; because most Democrats that I know believe that each of us has an obligation to our families, to each other, to our neighbors, to our communities, to our country, and to this earth.

[anitaroosevelt]

11:03 PM on 12/17/2011

A national health care system
Strict enviroment­al laws,
large national labor unions,
attacking "internati­onal bankers"
removal of religion from public schools
attacking the"rich elites" of society,
attacking globalizat­ion,
strict gun laws
strict food and farm laws that ban the use of chemcials in food, milk and bread
a national educationa­l system
"work to eliminate the poor and downtroden­"
youths working in poor rural areas to promote literacy, plant trees, help in social relief agencies.
this, plus a lot more were some of the foundation­s of national socialism
sound familiar to anyone in the current white house, national media and college campuses??

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Actually most of your analogies are incorrect.

For "national healthcare­" - they had Eugenics and forced breeding programs

Hitler disbanded national labor unions . He thought they were "socialist­s"

He attacked "internati­onal bankers" because according to him they were all Jews, not because they were bankers

He replaced "religion" in schools with the his own cult of personalit­y and Teutonic pagan myths.

Hitler did not "attack" the "rich elites". He courted them and sought their favor.

He was definitely in favor of globalizat­ion - aka Blitzkrieg and occupation­.

Strict gun laws? Not if you wore a swastika.

"work to eliminate the poor and downtrodde­n" ? Yes, he eliminated a lot of people.

He also started Volkswagen and the Autobahn.

Your point?
Favorite (0)

[Rooster Coburn]

07:20 PM on 12/18/2011

"Nazi" is the German acronym for the, A, National Businessmen's German Capitalist Party or, B, it stands for the National Socialist German Worker's Party?

[anitaroosevelt]

07:55 PM on 12/18/2011

Yes, yes, I know it was the National socialists but only until Hitler took over and remade the party to represent his personal agenda. He wrote about his hatred of trade unions and socialism in "Mein Kampf".

[anitaroosevelt]

09:04 PM on 12/18/2011

I tried to reply to your quote but it was removed. Good job in finding that quote btw.

[BubbaC33]

09:44 PM on 12/17/2011

One can only hope West will pay a significant price for his remarks when he is up for re-election. His remarks were inaccurate, despicable, and insensitive.

[dmgg711]

09:41 PM on 12/17/2011

Congressman Allen West still thinks he is an Army major who demands respect and no back talk to whatever he says or does. His open hostility to Congresswoman Wasserman Shultz is proof of his sexism toward women in politics. They are to be seen but not heard nor does he give women credibility to being leaders in office.

He's beholden to the wealthy and Wall Street and expects his senior constituents in Florida to not complain with how he is representing them in Congress. A true Republican a--hole!

[floydwhtny]

08:59 PM on 12/17/2011

You would have to be someone who votes based on information obtain from other low information voters, rumors, viral emails, and foxhole "News", to not understand that most of the republican politicians will only protect and defend the (1% that only care about profit and power ), and to destroy the Obama’s presidency, the middle class, the unions, the unemployed, the poor and all minorities; Therefore for someone like Mr. Allen Bernard West who retire after an investigation of his conduct during the interrogation of a detainee in Taji, Iraq to use somebody like Joseph Goebbels and the Holocaust to make a political point, is consistent or (SOP).

[anitaroosevelt]

10:13 PM on 12/17/2011

Well said, insightful and fanned.

[jimdavis11]

07:38 PM on 12/17/2011

Allen West's new book: "Political gain through deception and treachery"

[ZaneDavid]

08:24 PM on 12/17/2011

Great book.....points out the lib/progressive socialist democratic agenda,

[jimdavis11]

08:46 PM on 12/17/2011

Some other good books: Hump em and dump em by Herman Cain and Debating your way to social redicule by Rick Perry

[jimdavis11]

09:00 PM on 12/17/2011

Here are some more for your reading pleasure: "Hump em and dump em" by Herman Cain, "Debating your way to social ridicule" by Rick Perry, "Packaging and selling your kids for profit" by Michele Bachmann

[jimdavis11]

07:34 PM on 12/17/2011

Gobbeles can't hold a candle to Rush Limbaugh.

[bigpapapuff425]

08:51 PM on 12/17/2011

That's a fact!!!

[jimdavis11]

09:01 PM on 12/17/2011

I forgot about Hennedy Opps!

[Putty Pants]

07:34 PM on 12/17/2011

OMG...was the holocaust a sacred event? You would think these were the only people on earth who had ever suffered in the history of the world.

[ZaneDavid]

08:25 PM on 12/17/2011

hmmmmm....20 million in Russia and 60 million in China......go figure.,

[buggeroffyou666]

06:40 PM on 12/17/2011

And after he told this little spate of 100% projecting he sat down to get his next talking points from the fox ministry of propaganda. A station that would make Goebbels dry hump the TV if he were still alive.