Allen West=Joe McCarthy

[Mr Bean]

Sixty two years ago McCarthy claims to have a list of known communists in government but won't name names

On Tuesday Allan West Florida Representative says
"he's heard" up to 80 U.S. House Democrats are Communist Party members, but wouldn't name names.

U.S. Rep. Allen West told about 90 largely supportive Palm City voters Tuesday that locally prioritized federal projects — such as the St. Lucie Inlet dredging — aren't going to matter if Washington officials don't address a mounting deficit.

Later Tuesday evening, a Jensen Beach crowd of 100 with more than 15 protesters greeted the congressman with mixed support, cheers and jeers.

The conservative tea party icon also got in shots at Democrats and President Obama, who spoke Tuesday at Florida Atlantic University. West said Obama was "scared" to have a discussion with him. He later said "he's heard" up to 80 U.S. House Democrats are Communist Party members, but wouldn't name names.

At the first of two campaign town-hall events in Martin County on Tuesday, the Plantation Republican told a New Hope Fellowship Church crowd it'd be disingenuous to pretend he knows everything about the area, but said he supports local projects like inlet dredging. But he contended that big national issues, such as gas prices, turn out to be the most important locally.

"I understand everything about the (St. Lucie) Inlet. I already represent 70 to 75 miles of coastline. Plenty of inlets, plenty of ports. I got it," West said. "I understand about the (St. Lucie) river situation. I understand about (Lake) Okeechobee. But it won't mean a hill of beans if the United States of America goes from $15.6 trillion in debt to $26 trillion in debt."

West then addressed a riled-up crowd of 100 at the Jensen Beach Community Center in his bid for a St. Lucie-Martin-northern Palm Beach congressional district. Occupy Martin County, an anti-tea party group named Credo Super PAC and another anti-West group named Stand Up Florida picketed outside, and shouted out questions and remarks during the event. Supporters responded out loud to naysayers' remarks about divisive topics, from women's abortion rights to proposed Medicare cost-cutting measures.

West and Democrat Patrick Murphy — both fundraisers in the millions — left Broward County to run for the seat. Martin County Sheriff Robert Crowder will take on West in a GOP primary as the local candidate, and Democrats Jim Horn of Palm City and Jerry Buechler of Port St. Lucie also are in the running.

Addressing the debt is overwhelmingly important, Crowder said, but there are huge impacts on safety and the economy when the inlet isn't dredged and local projects go unaddressed by the feds.

"We can't be expanding the debt, but you're going to have to have a balance," Crowder said.

West reiterated many conservative stances he recited last week in front of St. Lucie County voters — against leeway for food stamp users, pro-domestic drilling and pro-tax cuts for high earners, for example. He also berated Obama, who spoke in Boca Raton to FAU students about ending millionaire tax breaks.

"I really wish that, standing here before you, was Allen West and President Obama," West said. "We could have a simple discussion. But that ain't ever gonna happen."

"Why not?" an audience member asked.

"Cuz he was too scared!" West responded in a mocking voice.

West said he's met the president once very briefly at a White House holiday party.

Murphy, who just announced his campaign will be headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, said the West statement is just more grandstanding.

"The bottom line is, Allen West is trying to make it in the press with comments that don't even make sense," Murphy said. "He's trying to make headlines, get a rise out of people and not get anything done."

Well done sir... well done, now your going to not be Vice President for sure AND we get a brand new news cycle and something to ask Romney the next time the press manages to trap him for a few minutes to do that pesky "ask him questions" things he hates so much.

[Dalton]

His communications director Angela Melvin said that he was referring to the members of the Progressive Caucus, whom they claim the Communist Party list as allies.

[Mr Bean]

Crooks and Liars has video
So this is going to get better because Video makes everything better.

[Skgoa]

Wait, so he claims he "heard" ~80 dems are members of the progressive caucus? Shpcking revelation! I just hope the balck helicopters won't come to take him away for spilling that secret.

But really, what's the problem with being a member of the Communist Party? I thought the big issue back then was the fear of soviet spies? How damaging could a communist even be to america nowadays, when the Reds aren't poised to conquer europe? Or am I stupidly getting my logic all over his cheap trolling?

[The Cooler King]

Wait, so he claims he "heard" ~80 dems are members of the progressive caucus? Shpcking revelation! I just hope the balck helicopters won't come to take him away for spilling that secret.

But really, what's the problem with being a member of the Communist Party? I thought the big issue back then was the fear of soviet spies? How damaging could a communist even be to america nowadays, when the Reds aren't poised to conquer europe? Or am I stupidly getting my logic all over his cheap trolling?

It's because most older Americans have been ingrained by decades of the Cold War to think communism=evil and un-American. They've instilled that same mindset into their children, in many cases.

[Simon_Jester]

There remains the widespread conviction that communism is simply and utterly wrong. This is seen as being vindicated by the fall of the Soviet Union, and in my opinion isn't unreasonable- just because we've got our own problems with global capitalism now doesn't mean global communism would have been a better idea.

If the US actually ranged that far left, I'd be a little reluctant to vote for a coalition of political leaders that were 20% Marxists myself. Of course, the US doesn't range that far left, but that's just because West is lying.

[Crossroads Inc.]

It's because most older Americans have been ingrained by decades of the Cold War to think communism=evil and un-American. They've instilled that same mindset into their children, in many cases.

Most OLDER Americans yes. These days calling someone a Commie is in the same vein as calling someone a Liberal.
Those on the left really don't care. And for those on the right, well it's not like they liked them to begin with.

The main thing is there is not really the institutionalized FEAR in America about Commies in the way there used to be. Most people under the age of 40 see Communism as something of a joke and care little about it.
A friend at work yesterday at lunch, upon hearing about this said: "Commies? I thought they had all gone extinct?" which got a surprsing amount of laughs from others.