Liberals across the country and here in South Florida have been using a specific line of attack on conservative candidates as the home stretch of the 2010 midterms kicks into high gear. Issue ads are not the choice of Democrats such as local Congressman Ron Klein. He has once again chosen to align himself with his party and run numerous negative commercials against his opponent, Allen West, while eschewing any ads that would tout his own accomplishments and voting record in DC. Comparing his preferred line of attack on West against his own voting record and you may find it peculiar how Klein views someone’s principles. Today a light gets shone on his record vs. his preferred definition of Col. West.
Extremist is the term that so many liberals like Ron Klein have latched onto as their main campaign theme. Since candidates like he and other fellow Florida Democrats like Allen Boyd and Orlando’s Alan Grayson can’t run on their support for the stimulus bill, cap and trade or the massive Obamacare, they all have found their tag line for this election. Each of them are attempting to label conservatives as “extremists”. The major problem for officeholders such as Klein is that there is a definable voting record that people can look to and analyze. This poses a problem when attempting to label someone an extremist.
If someone drank alcohol 98% of the time, this would be considered “extreme”. If someone gambled 98% of their money all the time, this would most certainly be looked at as extreme. If an elected representative voted 98% of the time in support of his party’s liberal agenda, this could also be considered extreme. Bucking your party only 2% of the time while attempting to claim the mantle of a moderate? That is Ron Klein, his voting record seen here http://www.opencongress.org/person/show/412198_Ron_Klein . He is the extremist in a moderate district, voting 98% of the time with his party to harm Medicare via the universally disliked Obamacare or with his support of the reckless stimulus. An "extremist" might be someone who votes to spend $1 trillion of money the government doesn't have, putting multiple generations of Americans in debt. Perhaps Congressman Klein needs an update on the meaning of a few simple words.
Here is what Klein claims Allen West is, per the definition of “extremist” on Dictionary.com: “of, relating to, or characterized by immoderate or excessive actions, opinions, etc”. That sounds precisely like Klein’s voting record, immoderate and excessive. Now look at this definition of “moderate”: “not extreme or excessive; within due or reasonable limits”. That doesn’t sound like his voting record. So the conservative in the race, Allen West, is characterized by an attempted smear of “extremist” because he possesses principles such as limited government and less of government intrusion and his promises of sticking with those principles are extreme. But Ron Klein doesn’t moderate his views at all and continues to do the same thing 98% and he isn’t the extreme candidate? Sounds like a case of the media playing along with the label game to assist Mr. Klein.
Conservatives such as Allen West frequently are forced to defend their beliefs to not just opponents but the media as well. When Mr. West and other conservative proponents assure voters that their principles will remain with them when they reach office they are called extreme and not open to bipartisan efforts. But liberals such as Ron Klein escape similar smears by obfuscation of their true voting record and methods. In South Florida and the nation, conservatives have witnessed enough of the game and are fighting back by standing true to their values and allowing the voters to decide. If only Ron Klein and his fellow Democrats would do the same.
Comments
I am happy to see this article. I have watched the West family go through HELL for the last two months and now I feel that it is time someone spoke up in their behalf. Both parents have colunteered at the school and support their childrn and churches. They do not ask nor expect accolades. They are good American people. They have been smeered by both the print media and Klein's campaign. Let me share with you some experiences. A flier depicting Allen West as a deadbeat father was mailed to over 60,000 people, this includes every family at their children's schools. Although this would be considered a crime in most cases, the backhanded apology offered recommended that "Well he should pay his bills on time then." ------ Let me also mention that it included Allen West's social security number ---- in full. I also attended the debate at Lynn University, where my niece is in her third year. The crowd was decidedly pro West and I don't believe this was by design. Mr. Klein, aided by the moderators attempted to berate this man. At one time there was a very southern accent asking him if he was an ANGRY BLACK MAN. Then one of the moderators asked Congressman Klein if Allen was "fit" or had the "demeanor" to be a congressman. Why did this moderator not go and check his (Allen West's) teeth also? What type of question in the year 2010 is that???? Then, instead of telling the truth about his voting record, Klein lied. Baldface lied, and with the help of the Palm Beach Post he tried to explain it away. This is the real Mr. Klein. He is what his name means ----- Small. Small ideas, Small vision, Small man.
South Florida, do yourself and your future a favor. Vote for ideas and integrity. As the president said there is no such thing as a "shovel ready project" --- we need to shovel this crew out of office.
Great article! we'd like to hear from the sources themselves... maybe the Klein campaign or the DCCC would like to give you a comment for this article on their definition of "extreme" and extremist"
I need to let everyone out there who gives a damn about the truth know that IT IS ALLEN WEST WHO FIRST PROUDLY LABELED HIMSELF AN EXTREMIST. Here is the video proof: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOMApaf8DeY. Missing that FACT, or just deciding not to report on it, destroys any credibility you might ever have had as a columnist. To base your whole argument and your title on such a ridiculous, out-of-touch error or omission, well that just labels you as a slacker not to be trusted, or an only half the truth-teller, not to be trusted. Tells you something about the caliber of West's supporters...
I think your comment misses the point. No one is trying to hide the tongue-in-cheek reference made by Allen West himself about being an "extremist". However, it is liberals across the country, not just Ron Klein, who are making the effort to attach the term in a negative fashion to all of their opponents. They are doing this in a concerted effort to hide their own record because they know they can't tout their support for legislation that is so hated by the American public. If you so choose to blindly ignore the tenor of the article and focus in on something entirely different for your comments in an effort to divert attention from the topic covered then you have something in common with Ron Klein, in fact, maybe your are a party of his staff? That would explain the inability to understand the article as well as the GOP wave coming your way.....
Allen West labeled himself a right wing extremist. They are his own words. This article is not based on fact and it is clear this writer sees reality as optional. Extremist is a negative word and to pretend otherwise demonstrates that.
Is it extreme to call for a flat tax? - Yes
Is it extreme to call for the dismantling of the Department of Energy and Education? -Yes
Is it Extreme to call for Oil Rigs to be placed off Palm Beach shores? - Yes
Is it Extreme to threaten your political opponents and detractors with violent rhetoric? -Yes
Is it extreme to denounce the religious beliefs of billions of people ? -Yes
Is it extreme to accuse Democrats of racism when Republicans have fought civil rights legislation over the last 40 years tooth and nail? -Yes
Is it extreme to oppose nuclear disarmament? -Yes
Is it extreme to oppose sensible health care reform? -Yes
Is it extreme to war monger as West has? -Yes
Is it extreme to hold on to an ideology so strongly that you refuse to bend on any issue? -Yes
Is it extreme to debase and scoff at views of the majority of the electorate of which you seek to represent? -Yes
So "Extremist", basically what you are saying is that anyone who disagrees with a liberal agenda is an "extremest. That's odd because you indicate that refusing to bend on any issue makes a person an extremist so I guess you are true to your nom de guerre. I, for one, agree with Allen West that a different tax structure would be better for the country. You obviously enjoy paying higher taxes so if and when taxes are lowered or changed, I'm sure you will continue to pay at a higher rate out of kindness and also to remain a non-extremist. The Dept of Energy and Dept of Education are giant bureaucracies that don't achieve anything except their own perpetual existence and the waste of federal tax dollars. If they were gone tomorrow, would you miss them? Would you cry at night weeping that schools would no longer exist and electricity would stop flowing? When more Democrats in the 1960's voted against the Civil Rights Acts, did you take a count of those "liberals" who opposed civil rights? If you did, you would have noticed people like Al Gore's father, Robert Byrd and William Fulbright, all Democrats. None of us were around but if I remember my history correctly it was the Republican Party that was founded on the idea of ending slavery while the Democrats fought so hard to maintain it. Is it so extreme to disagree with such a large expansion of the federal government into our health care that it encroaches our privacy, makes us subject to further record keeping and penalty by the IRS and also spends trillions of dollars we don't have? Is it really extreme to live in the world of reality where bad guys exist and America needs nuclear weapons as a part of our defense strategies? When you drive to work or store foods in plastic containers, I guess you ignore the petroleum that is needed to make the car function or to manufacture plastic products. We need the oil somewhere and I'd prefer to get it here and produce good blue collar jobs. I guess this also makes Allen West an extremist. Basically, in Candyland where you exist, everyone gets puppies and a pony from the government and it doesn't cost anything while mean Republicans talk about reality. I hope the poll watchers make you remove the tin foil from your head before you vote, maybe then the reception from Al Gore's mind rays will be disrupted and you will awake from your fantasyland slumber.
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