Allen West, No George Washington Maybe, But Still Out There Slinging It

In Politico's "Open Mike, Thanksgiving Weekend Edition," Democratic media consultant Peter Fenn takes after Congressman-elect Allen West of Florida with something of a passive-aggressive flourish.

What, you ask, has the controversial Broward County Republican and tea-party darling done now?

Apparently on Wednesday he told the Washington Post that after his election to Congress he is "even more focused that this liberal, progressive, socialist agenda, this left-wing, vile, vicious, despicable machine that's out there is soundly brought to its knees."

Absurdly over the top, in Fenn's estimation.

Another politician -- again, in Fenn's estimation -- who preys on many Americans' failure to get the Constitution right, who prefers inciting hatred and violence to fighting "wrong" ideas with civility, respect and better ideas.

Fenn even quoted from George Washington's book, "Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior." Our first president wrote down these 110 rules when he was 15 years old. Many of them came from French Jesuits two centuries earlier. The point, Fenn said, is this: "These (rules) were not just about manners and decency and mutual respect, they were a code of conduct to ensure ... 'the good of all and the sake of living together.'

Said Fenn, "Let us hope that the lessons learned from our history, our Founding Fathers and our Constitution are tolerance and civility, not anger and disgust and calls to violence and mob rule."