Former Congressman Allen West continued his attacks against President Barack Obamas handling of foreign affairs and offered a sneak peek on his role in the 2014 election cycle on Wednesday.
We're in grave danger of sacrificing our liberty in the name of safety, West wrote in an email to supporters send out on Wednesday. The president and his security advisers have prioritized intruding on the privacy of patriotic Americans, like you and me, over monitoring the actions of known and suspected terrorists. But they aren't succeeding at keeping us safe!
After September 11, 2011, we did not have a single terror attack on U.S. soil again until Barack Obama entered the White House, West continued. Under President Obama, we've been attacked twice. On November 5, 2009, Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire on Fort Hood, killing 13 and wounding 30. On April 15, 2013, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev used two bombs to blow up the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing 3 and wounding 254. That's 16 dead and 285 injured at the hands of Islamic extremists on American soil on Obama's watch.
West continued to thrash the Obama administration for allowing the National Security Administration to survey Americans phone records and emails while dropping the ball on the Fort Hood massacre and the Boston Marathon bombing.
This isn't national security, West added. It's a national circus. And it's unacceptable. We can't allow the Obama administration to carpet bomb Americans to cover our cowardice in confronting Islamic extremism.
West also offered a preview of his role in the 2014 election cycle on Wednesday. While West has closed the door to running again for his old congressional seat or challenging Gov. Rick Scott in the Republican primaries in 2014, he has not ruled out a political comeback in 2016. In recent days, West has even left the door open to a presidential bid.
On Wednesday, West insisted his Allen West Guardian Fund PAC will play a major role in the 2014 election cycle, revealing that his group has already vetted 14 candidates who are planning to run for office.
We must elect hard-charging conservatives, preferably with military experience, to hold the White House accountable and ensure their decisions preserve our national security and constitutional rights, West wrote. We need to go head-to-head with them to combat their radical agenda.
West gave a hint on the kind of candidate he will back in 2014 late earlier this week, praising fellow African-American Republican and tea party leader Mike Hill who won a Florida House seat after a special election in the Panhandle on Tuesday. West took to Twitter and Facebook late on Tuesday to praise Hill.
Congratulations to USAF (ret) Rep. Mike Hill on his very solid victory in the Florida House District 2 special election! West wrote. Exactly the kind of leader this state and country needs.
Sources close to West told Sunshine State News on Wednesday that the PAC would continue vetting candidates in the election cycle and they expected their organization to play a significant role in the 2014 election cycle.
In the meantime, West continues to raise his profile. In his new role as a contributor to Fox News, West has already made two national television appearances this week. West appeared on Greta Van Sustrens show on Monday to discuss why Americans are distrustful of government and on Sean Hannitys show on Tuesday where he continued to bash entertainer Bill Cosbys recent positive comments about Muslims.
Reach Kevin Derby atkderby@sunshinestatenews.comor at (904) 521-3722.Tallahassee political writer Jeff Henderson helped write this piece exclusively for Sunshine State News.
