Priebus Stands by Rep. West After Comments That Obama Creates Economic ‘Slaves’
Florida Rep. Allen West has found himself in controversy once again following unorthodox political remarks during a campaign speech in Fort Saint Lucie Tuesday.
ABC News reports that Rep. West slammed President Obama using the word “slave” while emphasizing the importance of lowering taxes, minimizing regulations on business and bringing jobs back to the region.
“Self-esteem comes from doing esteemable things. Sitting at home and getting a check from the government is not going to help your self-esteem. What it will do is make you an economic slave to people living in a far, far, distant place,” West said on Sunday.
“He does not want you to have the self-esteem of getting up and earning and having that title of ‘American,’” the congressman said of the president. “He’d rather you be his slave and be economically dependent upon him.”
When pressed by Wolf Blitzer on CNN to account for the Congressman’s remarks, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus pushed back, pointing out that he is not the “police officer” of the GOP and said he would not ”throw Allen West in a ditch.” POLITICO reports on the exchange:
“Barack Obama’s the one that put out this ‘Life of Julia’ website. I think we all know what that is. It’s a life of a girl from preschool to, I think, death or near death showing how every step of her life — “
“Is she a slave?” Blitzer interrupted.
Priebus shot back, “You know what? Listen, it’s semantics.”
But before he could finish, Blitzer once again cut in, saying, “I deplore that kind of language when a Democrat says it or a Republican. We shouldn’t be talking like this. It’s bad enough, the lack of civility in our politics.”
Still, the RNC chairman continued to defend West.
“One, Allen West is one of the most dynamic new Republican stars in our party. … He’s got a bright future,” he said. “What I’m more embarrassed about is the president that can’t keep a promise, that has an American economy that’s in the ditch, that somehow is trying to perpetrate some myth to the American people that he’s not to blame or has no role in where we are in the American economy.”
Rep.West has previously described the President of the United States as a “coddler-in-chief,” and once called Democratic colleague from Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz “vile, despicable and cowardly,”
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