Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) released a tough ad on Friday, going after Democratic opponent Patrick Murphy's 2003 arrest for disorderly intoxication and possessing a fake driver's license, and including his nine-year-old mugshot next to a picture of West in a suit.

The ad says on Feb. 16, 2003, West "had just received deployment orders and prepares his men to go to war." It then goes to a map of Florida, where Murphy was attending college at the University of Miami.

“That night, South Beach, Miami: Patrick Murphy is thrown out of a club for fighting, covered in alcohol and unable to stand," a voiceover says. "Murphy then confronts and verbally assaults a police officer.”

Murphy, who is challenging West in the 18th District, was 19 at the time of his arrest. He has called the incident "the biggest mistake of my life."

The Murphy campaign quickly pointed out in a statement to Roll Call that West was fined $5,000 in December 2003 for an incident earlier that year involving the interrogation of an Iraqi policeman who he thought was planning his assassination. West threatened to kill the policemen and fired a gun near his head as an interrogation tactic. Then he was forced to retire.

“Allen West is now opening up what his military record was in 2003," said Eric Johnson, a senior adviser to Murphy’s campaign. "In 2003, he was criminally charged by the military with assault and for violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice and was subsequently kicked out of the military. I find it odd that he’s trying to brag about that particular year of service. And he’s attacking Patrick Murphy for drinking as a teenager, which I think is a silly attack."

West campaign manager Tim Edson refuted that statement to Roll Call, saying West "fought and defended his country honorably for 22 years" and "while Patrick Murphy was getting drunk and getting arrested, Allen West was shipping off to war. The ad speaks for itself."

UPDATE: 2 p.m. -- The Murphy campaign is now fundraising off of West's ad with an email calling it "outrageous."

"Allen West is attacking Patrick with his most despicable ad yet," Murphy campaign manager Anthony Kusich wrote in the email to supporters Friday afternoon. "We have got him on the ropes -- and he is desperately turning to vicious personal attacks."

The West campaign, meanwhile, put up a website "Patrick Murphy's Law" prominently featuring the mug shot and explaining his "night out," including a link to the police report from 2003.

UPDATE: 11:57 a.m. -- Also on Friday, House Majority PAC, a super PAC devoted to helping Democrats get elected to the House, began airing its second ad against West.

The new spot highlights some of his extreme comments: accusing the majority of the Democratic lawmakers of being "members of the Communist Party," saying that the government should be "censoring the American news agencies" and calling Social Security a form of "modern, 21st century slavery." It also highlights the fact that the IRS filed a lien against West.

Watch:



The ad will air for a week in West Palm Beach.

Last week, House Majority PAC released its first ad against West, going after his record on women's rights.

The group originally planned to spend $1 million against West, but it announced on Friday that it had increased that amount to $1.5 million.

Amanda Terkel contributed reporting.

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  • The Republic Will Collapse

    "It's much the same as Alexis de Tocqueville talked about in 'Democracy In America' -- that this American republic will collapse once Congress and obviously our president realizes they can bribe the public by using the public's treasury," Allen West <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/16/allen-west-obama-republic-will-collapse_n_1428851.html" target="_hplink">told a Florida Tea Party group</a>.

  • Communists

    "I believe there's about 78 to 81 members of the Democrat Party who are members of the Communist Party," Allen West <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/11/allen-west-democrats-communist-party_n_1417279.html" target="_hplink">said at a town hall</a>. "It's called the Congressional Progressive Caucus."

  • 'Racist' Tax

    "You want to talk about something that's really racist?" West <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/06/allen-west-tanning-salon-tax-racist-_n_1408454.html" target="_hplink">said at a Florida retirement home</a>, referring to a 10 percent tax on tanning salons. "They have a tanning tax. I'm not tanning."

  • Clothing Choices

    Mocking Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) for wearing a hoodie on the House floor, West <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/29/allen-west-bobby-rush-hoodie_n_1389170.html" target="_hplink">said</a>, "I'm thinking about a University of Tennessee big orange colored hoodie-footie, and, you know, see if I can sneak by the security and get in there."

  • Handicapped-Accessible Pools

    "This is another example of the bureaucratic nanny-state not considering the economic ramifications of its insidious regulatory policies," West <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/28/allen-west-handicapped-access_n_1385186.html" target="_hplink">said of a proposed regulation</a> to make all public pools handicapped-accessible. "I have talked with and received letters from several South Florida hotels saying this is a wasteful exercise that will cost Florida businesses a lot of money and accomplish nothing."

  • Suicide Mission

    "Anyone challenging me on my support to this visionary plan to restore our economic security will be signing up for a suicide mission," West <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/22/allen-west-paul-ryan-budget_n_1372386.html" target="_hplink">wrote on his Facebook</a> about the Ryan budget. "My recommendation to any detractors, read Proverbs 17:28 and heed its advice. It is time for those who understand how to govern, not demagogue."

  • Stock Markets

    West credited the possibility of a Republican winning the 2012 election for helping improve the stock market. "I would think maybe the markets are looking five to six months down the road when we have a change in leadership in this country," <a href="http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2012/03/allen_west_says_stock_market_i.php" target="_hplink">he said on Fox</a>.

  • Osama Bin Laden

    West <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/02/allen-west-obama-osama-bin-laden_n_1316160.html" target="_hplink">wrote on his Facebook</a> that Barack Obama should stop talking about the killing of Osama Bin Laden. "Please stop with the Osama Bin Laden line, U.S. Navy SEALS double-tapped that rascal," he wrote.

  • 'Second Holocaust'

    West <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/27/allen-west-second-holocaust-israel-iran_n_1304297.html" target="_hplink">warned</a> that the U.S. might not be doing enough to protect Israel against Iran: <blockquote>"You're looking at a second Holocaust" if Israel doesn't "know they can trust and depend upon the stars and stripes ... to provide them support," West told attendees of a town hall meeting last week at First Baptist Church in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to the Palm Beach Post.</blockquote>

  • 'Insidious Form Of Slavery'

    "The Democratic appetite for ever-increasing redistributionary handouts is in fact the most insidious form of slavery remaining in the world today, and it does not promote economic freedom," West <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/16/allen-west-slavery-democratic-handouts_n_1281570.html" target="_hplink">said in a speech</a>.

  • 'Get The Hell Out'

    "Take your message of equality of achievement, take your message of economic dependency, take your message of enslaving the entrepreneurial will and spirit of the American people somewhere else," West <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/28/allen-west-liberals-get-out-florida-primary-2012_n_1239247.html" target="_hplink">said, referring to Democratic leaders</a>. "You can take it to Europe, you can take it to the bottom of the sea, you can take it to the North Pole, but get the hell out of the United States of America."

  • Nazi Comparison

    "If Joseph Goebbels was around, he'd be very proud of the Democrat Party, because they have an incredible propaganda machine," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/15/allen-west-joseph-goebbels-democrats-propaganda_n_1152365.html" target="_hplink">West said in a speech</a>.

  • Harriet Tubman

    "I'm here as the modern day Harriet Tubman to kind of lead people on the Underground Railroad away from that plantation into a sense of sensibility," West said while <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/18/allen-west-harriet-tubman_n_930052.html" target="_hplink">making an analogy</a> in which he also compared black leaders like Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) to a "plantation boss."

  • Debbie Wasserman Schultz

    In an email to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/19/allen-west-debbie-wasserman-schultz_n_904047.html" target="_hplink">West wrote</a>, "You are the most vile, unprofessional and despicable member of the US House of Representatives. If you have something to say to me, stop being a coward and say it to my face, otherwise, shut the heck up."