Joe Kaufman: Constituents hate Debbie Wasserman Schultz's rhetoric, lies

Joe Kaufman says constituents in Florida's 20th Congressional District are tired of Debbie Wasserman Schultz's over-the-top rhetoric and lies.

Who is Joe Kaufman?

Kaufman is running for the GOP nomination in that district and hopes to unseat Wasserman Schultz in November's election.

Examiner caught up with Mr. Kaufman as he was making his way to the CPAC 2012 conference in Washington, D.C. earlier this week.

He disagrees with Wasserman Schultz on practically everything - from her steadfast support of abortion and Obamacare, to her admiration of the Occupy Wall Street protests that have been endorsed by David Duke, Communists and Islamists worldwide.

In July, Rep. Allen West (R-FL) called Wasserman Schultz the "most vile, unprofessional and despicable member of the US House of Representatives."  While Kaufman says he wouldn't use those exact words, he says that he hears the same thing from many of her constituents.

"People hate her rhetoric, and they distrust her," he said, adding that if given the choice between standing with West or Wasserman Schultz, he would choose the former, calling him a "strong leader."

"Debbie Wasserman Schultz tries to tell the public things that aren't true," he said.  "It's a major problem with her - people know she's lying."

"For example," he said, "she goes around the country making false claims, like Obama has created 2.4 million jobs, but Obama lost 800,000 manufacturing jobs."

"In her own district, the rate of unemployment is 10 percent, and store owners have had to lay off workers," he added, saying that many shopping centers in the area "look like ghost towns."

He says he would like to ask her: "Where are the jobs?"

Moreover, he adds, "people take offense at her rhetoric."

As for Wasserman Schultz's admiration of the anti-capitalist Occupy movement, Kaufman says he would like her to answer "if there is anything positive about socialism and communism."

Kaufman, a Jewish Republican, says he is appalled at her position on the state of Israel, and says that he heard the DNC boss say "there are parts of Israel that are not important" the day after Obama called on Israel to adopt its pre-1967 borders.

"People in the audience were stunned when she said that," he said, noting that the district is "one of the heaviest Jewish districts in the country."  Many of those present, he said, were Jewish seniors.

In an interview with jewishjournal.com, Kaufman highlighted some of Wasserman Schultz's negatives:

She hurt seniors by voting to cut $500 billion out of Medicare. She supports a plan to pressure Israel to go back to indefensible pre-1967 borders and to do business with Hamas. And she falsely claims that the Obama Administration has created millions of new jobs, while unemployment numbers are skyrocketing and so many small businesses throughout the district are laying off workers and shutting down completely.

These are all significant issues, especially the Israel one. When my wife, Emily, and I go into the district’s synagogues for Shabbos, we are embraced. Debbie’s stance on Israel’s borders has certainly had an effect, and because of it Jewish Democrats will vote for this nice Jewish Republican, come Election Day.

Kaufman's campaign website highlights his long service in the area, having lived in in the area for over 17 years:

As an investigative journalist for FrontPage Magazine and the Hudson Institute and a lecturer for the David Horowitz Freedom Center, Joe earned national acclaim for his fight to expose the activities of hate groups that operate under the radar in communities throughout the United States. He has courageously fought to shut down charities that raise funds in South Florida and elsewhere in support of terrorist organizations that conspire to kill Americans overseas.

Joe’s work led to numerous arrests and deportations and has been widely featured in the national media, including Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, C-SPAN and elsewhere. He has also served as a guest lecturer at many prominent universities, including the University of Miami, UCLA and Washington University in Saint Louis. Joe formerly worked as Assistant Producer for the G. Gordon Liddy radio program and, up until a few years ago, had his own radio show. Joe was also the editor of a newspaper and a writer for Jeb Bush’s publication, Impact.

In 1998, Joe established Americans Against Hate (“AAH”), a non-profit 501(c)3, with the mission of combating bigotry and exposing the activities of radical extremist organizations and individuals operating within America. As chairman of AAH, Joe has provided expert testimony to law enforcement and government officials through presentations at a number of hearings and conferences.

Kaufman says he was approached by leaders of the local Tea Party and announced his campaign six months ago at a Tea Party meeting.

"I would be proud to hold the Gadsden flag" in Washington, D.C., he said, adding that he would be an outspoken supporter of the military in the House of Representatives.

Joe Kaufman's campaign website can be found here.