Florida Republican Congressman Allen West said in a national interview Wednesday that he is kicking himself over leaving the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) after comments made by U.S. Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., attacking the tea party movement for being racists.
During an appearance on Fox News Wednesday, West, a member of both the CBC and the Tea Party Caucus, took aim at remarks Carson made in Miami at a CBC event Aug. 22.
This is the effort that we are seeing of Jim Crow. Some of these folks in Congress right now would love to see us as second-class citizens. Some of them in Congress right now with this tea party movement would love to see you and me hanging on a tree, said Carson.
Some of them in Congress are comfortable with where we were 50 and 60 years ago, continued Carson. But this is a new day with a black president and the Congressional Black Caucus.
West, who was elected to Congress, fired back on Wednesday.
When you start using words such as lynching thats a very reprehensible word and I think we should move away from using that type of language, said West in the Fox News interview. One of the things I'm starting to think about is reconsidering my membership in the Congressional Black Caucus, because I don't think they're moving toward the right manner in which we are going to solve the problems, not just in the black community but all across the United States of America.
West followed up with a letter on Wednesday to U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., the chairman of the CBC, taking aim at the comments Carson made as well as U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., who said the tea party can go straight to hell earlier in the month.
In order to cover for the failure of the Obama administration and the economic policies which have led to unemployment of more than 15 percent in the black community, the CBC strategy is to demonize the tea party, West wrote.
West called Carsons comments unconscionable and Waters statement appalling and called for Cleaver to condemn them.
The South Florida congressman informed Cleaver that the tea party movement supported fiscal responsibility from the federal government and did not stand for racism.
"Tea party leaders have condemned the few racist statements made by those who claim to be tea party activists in the past, and tea party leaders will continue to condemn those rare acts in the future, added West.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
