Celebrate Patrick Murphy's victory: A Westrospective

Buh-bye. In this Thanksgiving week, we can all be thankful for a pretty darned good election. We can also be thankful that, for Patrick Murphy, the election is finally over. That's good for him, for Florida's 18th congressional district voters, and for the country. In case you missed it, he has his own message of gratitude to the Daily Kos community. Let me reiterate his thanks: Your help and support, particularly in the last two weeks, helped secure this win. A strong showing of grassroots support, and yes, ability to fundraise, strengthened Murphy's hand as West considered his options. So, from the whole Daily Kos team, thank you.

I'm not sure if this is an appropriate thank you gift, but it might be kind of a fun one: a trip down memory lane with some of Allen West's greatest hits. Like this one:

From: Z112 West, Allen
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 04:48 PM
To: Wasserman Schultz, Debbie
Cc: McCarthy, Kevin; Blyth, Jonathan; Pelosi, Nancy; Cantor, Eric
Subject: Unprofessional and Inappropriate Sophomoric Behavior from Wasserman-Schultz
Look, Debbie, I understand that after I departed the House floor you directed your floor speech comments directly towards me. Let me make myself perfectly clear, you want a personal fight, I am happy to oblige. 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. Focus on your own congressional district! [...]

You have proven repeatedly that you are not a Lady, therefore, shall not be afforded due respect from me!

Steadfast and Loyal

Congressman Allen B West (R-FL)

And then he lied about apologizing to Debbie Wasserman-Schultz for sending that email. Class act, that one. That's almost not the worst in his attitude toward his Democratic colleagues in the House. Remember this?

"If Joseph Goebbels was around, he'd be very proud of the Democrat Party because they have an incredible propaganda machine," West told reporters in the Capitol. "I think that you have, and let's be honest, you know, some of the people in the media are complicit in this, in enabling them to get that type of message out."

But that didn't mean he was calling Democrats Nazis. No, not at all. But when he called them Communists, yeah he meant to call them Communists. Hunter interprets:

Short version: He "does not regret" that crap he said, doesn't know the damn difference between Woodrow Wilson and communism (because the communists renamed themselves progressives way back in 19-dickety-two, therefore all progressives are communists, and we all wore onions on our belts because that was the style at the time), and, oh, claims birth control is a plot to destroy religious institutions. He says this all in a calm, matter-of-fact style that makes you think that none of these wacky things is at all controversial, or misleading, or entirely batshit crazy.

Oh, and remember how student loans are communist? Yeah, he said that, too.

Here's another one, from the House floor, after Rep. Bobby Rush appeared on the floor to speak, was recognized by the chair, went to the podium and pulled off his suit coat, revealing the hoodie he was wearing underneath as a tribute to Trayvon Martin. Rush was escorted from the floor by Capitol police for the display. And West explained to radio host Laura Ingraham that he was removed because, well, it's West:

WEST: They're watching us real close now. ' Right now, the security folks there on the House floor are laughing about it, but initially, they did not know who it was. And hey were concerned that someone had just walked off the street, or you know, wondered off a tour group.

Yes, at one moment he was Rep. Bobby Rush, then he took off the jacket and, poof! no one knew who he was! For that, Hunter declared him America's Dumbest Congressman, on these grounds: "For lacking goddamned object permanence, Mr. West, you are now the official holder of the title."

Is that all? Oh, by no means is that all. Remember when he told America that President Obama wanted to make us all his slaves? Yeah, he said that. More than once. But then he said he didn't say it, or anyway, yelled at the media for saying that he said it.

Nazis, Communists, slave-holders, vile, unprofessional, and despicable not-ladies. Well, here's the good news for Mr. West. He doesn't have to serve with any of those people any more.

Thanks, Patrick Murphy!