Allen West Questions Tammy Duckworth’s Loyalty To This Country

Allen West speaking at the 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference. (courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
Allen West speaking at the 2011 Conservative Political Action Conference. (courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Allen West has said a lot of outrageous things over the years. But if it were possible, yesterday he went too far–several times over. He actually had the gall to suggest that Tammy Duckworth’s decision to accept one of the Democratic slots on the House select committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi attacks is reason to question whether she is loyal to this country.

West paid a visit to popular Christian talk show host Janet Mefferd yesterday, and the discussion turned to #Benghazi. West engaged in several juvenile attacks on the five Democrats Nancy Pelosi tapped yesterday to serve on the latest #Benghazi committee–Elijah Cummings, Adam Smith, Adam Schiff, Linda Sanchez and Duckworth. But he reserved his most disgusting attack for Duckworth, who had both of her legs blown off and her right arm nearly torn apart while serving in Iraq. West’s comments on Duckworth have to be reproduced in full to be believed.

Tammy Duckworth, you know, I just don’t know where her loyalties lie. You know, for her to have been a veteran and a wounded warrior for the United States Army, she should know that this is not the right thing. And hopefully she will remember the oath of office that she took as an Army officer and not the allegiance I guess she believes she has to the liberal progressives of the Democrat Party.

People for the American Way got a clip of West’s comments; listen here. Mefferd’s response is telling–all she says in response to this ugly rant on Duckworth is “Yeah, we’ll see what comes of it.”

If I heard this right, West is saying that by agreeing to serve on this committee, Duckworth has agreed to engage in delaying tactics rather than actually work to get to the bottom of what happened in Benghazi–and in so doing, is putting her party above her country. Such a suggestion is almost too obscene for words. He offered no evidence whatsoever that Duckworth or any of the other Democrats have entered any kind of corrupt bargain with Pelosi and the Democratic House leadership to delay the committee’s work.

Moreover, West is one of the last people to question anyone’s patriotism. For those who don’t remember, back in 2003 a unit West commanded in Iraq captured an Iraqi police officer who was reportedly in on a plot to ambush them. They then gave the Iraqi a severe beating–in West’s presence–before taking him outside and shoving his head into a barrel. West then fired a pistol near the Iraqi’s head. For this, West was deservedly forced out of the Army in disgrace. So we have a guy who thought it was even remotely acceptable to mistreat a detainee questioning the patriotism of a woman who was nearly blown up fighting for her country. What’s wrong with this picture?

If West has even an iota of decency, he should apologize to Duckworth, and apologize right now–and none of this “sorry if anyone was offended” nonsense either.

Edited/Published by: SB


Darrell Lucus.jpg Darrell Lucus is a radical-lefty Jesus-lover who has been blogging for change for a decade. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook.

Darrell is a 30-something graduate of the University of North Carolina who considers himself a journalist of the old school. An attempt to turn him into a member of the religious right in college only succeeded in turning him into the religious right's worst nightmare--a charismatic Christian who is an unapologetic liberal. His desire to stand up for those who have been scared into silence only increased when he survived an abusive three-year marriage. You may know him on Daily Kos as Christian Dem in NC. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook. Click here to buy Darrell a Mello Yello.