Congressman Allen West: “If Joseph Goebbels was around, he’d be very proud of the Democrat Party”
Congressman Allen West told reporters yesterday, “If Joseph Goebbels was around, he’d be very proud of the Democrat Party, because they have an incredible propaganda machine.” West was irked about a new Pew poll that shows the American people mostly blame Congressional Republicans — not Democrats — for a total lack of substantive accomplishment. The poll also found a all-time high number of people want not only most Congressmen to be kicked out of Congress, but in a new twist, a large number no longer even support their own representatives.
“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,” West added.
West has distinguished himself as a freshman Tea Party member of the House of Representatives by telling lies and attacking minority groups regularly, has now created a bipartisan firestorm in the last few moments of this Congressional session.
Tanya Somanader at Think Progress reports:
Reps. Steve Israel (D-NY) and Gary Ackerman (D-NY) were also outraged by West’s comment. “Shame on him,†tweeted Israel. “Rep. West needs to apologize now for insulting the memories of the millions who lost their lives during the Holocaust.†Ackerman said, “This is exactly the type of rhetoric that turns people off to Washington…I call on Republicans and Democrats alike to join me in demanding an apology.â€
Somanader adds:
Goebbels was Adolf Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 1945 and was known for openly exploiting “the lowest instincts of the German people†like racism, xenophobia, and economic insecurity to engender a zealous anti-Semitism.
The National Jewish Democratic Council asked West to “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.†Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) also blasted West in a personal letter, demanding that he “help raise the level of congressional discourse in a vigorous debate.â€
West, as if realizing the extremity of his words, then peremptorily blamed reporters for “taking my words and twisting it around.†“What I’m talking about is a person that was the minister of propaganda. And I’m talking about propaganda,†he said. “Once again, you guys will take whatever I say and you will spin it to try to demonize me or demagogue me.†After all, he’s the victim here.
The Washington Post notes:
Thursday’s Pew poll showed that 40 percent of Americans who believe the 112th Congress has accomplished less than other congresses blame Republicans for the deadlock on Capitol Hill. Fifty-three percent of those surveyed said that they believed Republicans held “more extreme†policy positions than Democrats, and respondents viewed Democrats as more willing than Republicans to work with the other side.
Asked whether he was concerned about those results, West responded, “I’m not concerned about it, because I know what I’m doing in my lane.â€
Of course, West doesn’t see the obvious.
Last week, West stated that he was very concerned that Obama is using “divisive rhetoric,†like the words, “equality and fairness,†because they have nothing to do with the pursuit of happiness in our Constitution. West also suggested that equality and fairness get in the way of “the right type†of monetary and fiscal policy.
In an October interview, West also repeated the Daily Caller/​Fox News lie that the EPA is going to hire 230,000 regulators that will cost the taxpayer $21 billion.
Recently, West has associated homosexuality to ice cream, opposed gays in the military, said, “you cannot compare me and my race to a behavior. Sexuality is a behavior,†called an LGBT group “intolerable,†called Obama supporters “a threat to the gene pool,â€Â attacked fellow Congressman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and more.
Congressman West has also said of homosexuality, “Unless I’m Michael Jackson I can’t change my color. But people can change behavior.â€

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