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Top 10 Ways the Congressional Black Caucus Should be More Like Allen West

Posted: 09/01/11 08:05 PM ET

I doubt that any members of the Congressional Black Caucus got any sleep last night. I'm sure they were tossing and turning, sick with worry and regret, trembling in fear over Allen West's threat to leave the caucus. What could possible make West want to break ranks with colleagues he respectfully and lovingly likens to overseers? Apparently, West was disturbed by comments by CBC members like Andre Carson, who said "Some of them in Congress right now of this Tea Party movement would love to see you and me... hanging on a tree." Chairman Emanuel Cleaver must have had the fear of death in him when he read West's ultimatum. West urged Cleaver to "condemn" and "disassociate the Congressional Black Caucus" from the "hate filled comments." "Otherwise" wrote West "I will have to seriously reconsider my membership within the organization." Grounding his decision in the wise words of President Obama, whom he respectfully and lovingly calls "the dumbest person walking around in America right now." West explained "We heard the president talk about some of this over-the-top rhetoric and we should move away from that." I seriously hope the CBC changes its oh so hateful tune and adopts, instead, the rational, moderate and not at all over the top voice spoken by Allen West. Here are the 10 of the countless Allen Westisms the CBC should emulate.

1) On Obama: West calls Obama "the dumbest person walking around in America right now," and says "I can't stand the guy. I absolutely can't stand him." Referring to a speech by Obama, West said "What you continue to see is a third world dictator-like arrogance... I'm starting to believe that a community organizer is nothing but a low-level socialist agitator."

2) On fellow Representative Keith Ellison: West said the Minnesota Congressman, who is Muslim, represents the "antithesis of the principles upon which this country was established."

3) On Debbie Wasserman Shulz: West emailed his fellow Florida Representative, "You are the most vile, unprofessional and despicable member of the U.S. 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." He added that she was "not a lady" and "shall not be afforded due respect from me!" West CC'd House Leaders on the email so they would be aware of the Congresswoman's "heinous characterless behavior."

4) On Obama supporters: "I must confess, when I see anyone with an Obama 2012 bumper sticker, I recognize them as a threat to the gene pool."

5) On Islam: West said: "A nation goes to war against an ideology.... we are against something that is a totalitarian theocratic political ideology and it is called Islam."

6) On his critics: after the Florida newspaper the New Times criticized West for violating violating U.S. federal law by flying an American flag underwater, he called the newspaper "idiot Liberals," "delusional dummies," and "a bunch of losers."

7) On women: " The women in our campaign printed up t-shirts that said "Women for West."... to let these other women know, on the other side, these Planned Parenthood women, the Code Pink women, and all of these women who have been neutering American men and bringing us to the point of this incredible weakness, to let them know that we are not going to have our men become subservient." West also called Code Pink "losers" and "Code Yellow, as in cowards, for you are nothing more than a group of misguided partisan sycophants devoid of principle, integrity, and character."

8) On Black Democrat leaders: West called black Democrats including CBC member Maxine Waters: "overseers of this 21st-century plantation," meant to "pacify and keep the black community firmly behind [white liberals]..."

9) On himself: Allen West showed some love towards himself with this totally not
over the top statement: "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." It turns out West sent his own unemployed brother to a jobs fair held by the very overseers he criticizes, which means he sent his own brother to find work on a "plantation." I guess his underground railroad goes in reverse. In all fairness, it must be confusing for Allen given that he calls "Plantation" home. He literally lives in the town of "Plantation", Florida, whose motto is "The Grass is Always Greener."

10) On Yehiya Hamoodi, the Iraqi detainee West had beaten, tortured, and shot at: "In my anger, I couldn't remember how many shots were fired." Also, West joked, "It wasn't torture. Seeing Rosie O'Donnell naked would be torture." West was fined for his treatment of the prisoner, and even admits "It's possible I was wrong about Mr. Hamoodi" but he would do it again!

 

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I doubt that any members of the Congressional Black Caucus got any sleep last night. I'm sure they were tossing and turning, sick with worry and regret, trembling in fear over Allen West's threat to l...
I doubt that any members of the Congressional Black Caucus got any sleep last night. I'm sure they were tossing and turning, sick with worry and regret, trembling in fear over Allen West's threat to l...
 
 
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Change Is Now
07:37 PM on 09/05/2011
Like one post already stated on hear, that there are some who are just plain ignorant. People, you have to realize this, negative people see only your stuff but they can never see that log in their own eye. Change, is never in a negative persons (Vocabulary), saying awful things like he said is because he is into anything thats against negative. President Obama, can't please the (Mass), i don't care what he does there will be those who will always oppose him, you can bake some people their favorite chocalate chip cookies & they will eat them & still hate you, so, what do you do? "keep moving foward" in whats right for the people.
06:25 AM on 09/03/2011
While I was in college, I worked for a state agency as a dispatcherfor law enforcement. We had a very small office – only 5 employeescould work at a time. One of my coworkers there was a very heavysmoker, and seemed to have questionable hygeine. She never reallybothered me, though, because we all had our own work stations anddidn’t ever have to share space.
However, evidently her odor began to bother some of my othercoworkers and a complaint was filed. I suppose my boss was trying tobe gentle when she asked this employee to take more showers. When theemployee responded that she felt she took plenty of showers, and itmust just be that her water smelled bad, the boss kept pressing. Hersuggestion?
“Why don’t you start bringing gallon jugs to work and fill them upwith our water that doesn’t stink. Then you can bathe in that.” LMAO
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
O K Ali
Wash your hands, seriously.
05:38 PM on 09/02/2011
I can do without either side.
12:46 PM on 09/02/2011
I don't know how the CBC works but they need to summarily kick him out. Such nasty behavior and crude speech has no place in modern politics.
08:38 AM on 09/02/2011
What I dislike about the Tea Party is that West thinks that being Harriet is the answer. Black people do not need to be led anywhere, we need jobs and economic parity. Most black people would consider him a Judas and would not follow him across the street. Can he give one policy stance that would help anyone black or white achieve the American dream. What job has the GOP created in the last 10 months. Who is going to lead those white people out of Appalachia the Tea Party? Right after they blow up the last mountain top.
03:54 AM on 09/02/2011
Rep Alan West is the future and the liberal black caucus is the past.
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BlackJAC
It's better to be a black king than a white knight
08:26 AM on 09/02/2011
The future depicted in the upcoming show TERRA NOVA, perhaps.
Viper
Former repub, still repenting
03:11 AM on 09/02/2011
And this is what constitutes as the Cream in the Repub Party today. There are any number who are as crazy or close to it as he is...

Eh Gads... the world is laughing at us...


Regards.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
kyeshinka
12:10 AM on 09/02/2011
You can't do anything about a person like congressman West. He's a bully, has few accomplishments in life, jealous of others and has a hate complex that tries to compensate for his many personal shortcomings. Just be thankful that most people are decent.
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Passenger57
Keeping Calm And Carrying On...
11:20 PM on 09/01/2011
Watch out, Katie- Westicle can't handle the truth- especially from a WOMAN...
11:15 PM on 09/01/2011
The CBC's credibility has been on a constant slide...It appears they've decided that they're all in this time and are willing to blunt their future for the immediate, albeit tenuous, short term gain.
11:12 PM on 09/01/2011
I am black and I zero respect for West. He complains he want to leave the CBC because he does not want to be part of a organization that is dividing the public. But on the other hand, he says nothing about the Tea Party that has for the last 2 1/2 years, been calling Obama nothing but vile names while wearing signs depicting Obama as all sorts of derogatory things. I hope the CBC shows him the door while telling him where to get off !
12:20 AM on 09/02/2011
Hasnt West been calling him the same thing?
06:47 AM on 09/02/2011
There is no proof of what the CBC claims of specific racist things. Sure there were some sings, much like the signs liberals wore about Bush which I am "sure" that you were upset over..:). If you want to talk racism then you can explainm the existence of the CBC. Isn't it a racist organization?
11:20 AM on 09/02/2011
West complains about one side 'dividing' the nation, but please, re-read his comments there and explain to us how those comments are meant to BRING US ALL TOGETHER.
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Dan Same
03:49 AM on 09/04/2011
"A nation goes to war against an ideology.... we are against something that is a totalitarian theocratic political ideology and it is called Islam."

How about that for proof?
09:24 PM on 09/01/2011
What's to disagree with here? I'd vote for this guy in a heartbeat! Where do I sign up? His honesty & clarity are refreshing...........no kowtowing to the CBC. The man thinks for himself.
12:22 AM on 09/02/2011
Yeah!. I like him too.
11:22 AM on 09/02/2011
Based on those quotes, he doesn't think much at all. I know that some people get a woody when others said completely over the top things, because, hey, they aren't "pc"! But the reality is that, ADULTS understand TACT, and respect for others.

I stopped thinking comments like that (and Carson's "hanging from a tree" comments the other day) were cool when I hit puberty.
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Timothy2700
Voice Talent
09:21 PM on 09/01/2011
Why Florida....WHY!
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
PJ Parker
DC is Wall St's Customer Service Department
02:07 AM on 09/02/2011
Please help us here in Florida. We don't elect these people, they are positioned into power by the GOP.
09:21 PM on 09/01/2011
He may have been wrong on Hamoodi, but he wasn't wrong on Rosie O'Donnell.
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StillIRise
The past, present and future are one
09:16 PM on 09/01/2011
In other words, except for the color of his skin, West is a typical tea party Republican. He has no respect for the President or the office that the President occupies; no respect for the American people who support the President; no respect for women; no respect for Muslims or even Muslim-Americans; no respect for the Constitution; no respect for his congressional colleagues on the other side of the aisle; no respect for the media; no respect for truth ... and no respect for history. Typical tea party Republican!
06:49 AM on 09/02/2011
How do define " respect"? Do you mean that we can't say anything unless we are paying homage to this president? You paint with a rather large brush!
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StillIRise
The past, present and future are one
11:09 AM on 09/02/2011
Let me give you an example of the lack of "respect," as I define it: For the first time in the 200+ year history of our country, the President of the United States is denied his request for a joint congressional session! Or, for the first time in the 200+ year history of our country, the President of the United States is told that he will not be acknowledged as a U.S. citizen unless he can produce the original long form of his birth certificate, and after producing this document, he is then told that he will not be acknowledged as a Harvard scholar unless he can produce his transcripts ... or told that he will not be acknowledged as a Christian, unless he can prove that he's not a Muslim, etc.! Or for the first time in the 200+ year history of our country, the President of the United States is publicly called a liar by a congressional colleague ... need I go on? This has nothing to do with "paying homage" to this President. This is about basic respect!
11:25 AM on 09/02/2011
You know that's not what she means.

You can not like what the President is doing WITHOUT being disrespectful in your dissent. It's called being an ADULT.

He wants to "condemn" the CBC (and I agree with him on Carson's "hanging from a tree" statement), yet he has all of these incendiary comments of his OWN, that he thinks are perfectly acceptable...it's hypocrisy in it's most classic form.