If you want to know just how extreme Republicans in Jackson, Michigan are, the fact that they chose Allen B. West as the keynote speaker for Lincoln Day fundraising dinner last week tells you pretty much everything you need to know. Besides being one of the most intentionally outrageous tea partiers in the country, West recently attacked the patriotism of Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth who has been selected to be one of several Democrats on the House Select Committee to rehash Benghazi yet again.
Duckworth is a decorated war veteran who lost both legs and the partial use of one of her arms while serving in Iraq. She was one of the first women to fly combat missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom. An RPG brought down a helicopter she was in and the resulting explosion caused her injuries for which she was awarded a Purple Heart.
Here’s what West had to say about this living American hero last week:
I just don’t know where her loyalties lie. You know, for her to have been a veteran, a wounded warrior for the United States Army, she should know that this is not the right thing. And hopefully, you know, 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.
It takes a particular brand of slimeball to smear a military hero simply because you disagree with her about something.
During the dinner in Jackson, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley introduced West. In his remarks, he disparaged President Obama, suggesting that he does not support our men and women in the military:
“He’s (West) now a contributor for MSNBC … just kidding, how’s your heart congressman?” Calley joked. “This man would go through hell with a gasoline tank for his soldiers, if only our current commander in chief held this same mentality.”
Just for the record, Calley is a former banker who has served exactly zero days in the military.
In other words, he’s not fit to carry President Obama’s umbrella much less judge his patriotism or dedication to our men and women in uniform.
I guess some of Allen West’s slime rubbed off on him before he made his remarks.
BONUS FUN FACT: I used to live two blocks from the stone monument that the city of Jackson claims is the birth place of the Republican Party and played on and around it regularly. It’s one of several places around the country that make that claim. Of course, when the Republican Party was formed, it looked a lot like today’s Democratic Party and vice versa. All you have to do is watch the movie Lincoln with Daniel Day Lewis to know that.
UPDATE: Calley’s comments are bitterly ironic given that Michigan is 45th in the nation in best states for retiring veterans based on the economic environment, quality of life and in health care. We also have the dubious distinction of having the second highest unemployment rate for veterans in the country.
[CC photo credit: Michigan Municipal League | Flickr]
