GOP Challenger Denies Involvement With Biker Gang
Republican congressional challenger Allen West -- the latest Republican House candidate to be embroiled in a personal scandal -- denied on Saturday that he has ever been affiliated with a controversial motorcycle club that has ties to criminal activity.
In an interview with Hotline On Call West said flatly that the issue is a nonstarter because the club does "not accept blacks, Jews or gays" in their membership. (West is black.) He has, however, written a column for a magazine that appears to endorse -- if not promote -- the Outlaws biker club.
West also said he will not be attending a rally for the magazine Saturday evening despite being listed on advertisements as a featured speaker.
The Republican is challenging Rep. Ron Klein (D) in FL 22 for the second time and is a favorite of the Tea Party. He has been a fundraising dynamo, outraising Klein in the third quarter by a $1.7M to $783K margin. He also has $1.6M in the bank to Klein's $270K, a difference that is particularly worrisome for Democrats.
But this latest scandal could seriously hurt his chances. On Friday, NBC news reported that West was tied to The Outlaws, a motorcycle club associated with criminal activity. NBC produced an email from West supporter that warned him that a "criminal organization members in leather riding up [I]-95 is not the picture Allen wants."
West, NBC reported, replied by emailing: "Please no more references to 'criminal'. I was never more amazed at how members of the Outlaws guarded me during an interview."
In an interview Saturday, West denounced the report as a "liberal character assassination attack."
"This most recent desperate insidious attack where Lisa Myers [of NBC News] did her piece where they are trying to associate me as a member of the Outlaw motorcycle club," he said. "If she did her research, she'd know that the Outlaws do not accept blacks, Jews or gays."
The DCCC has cried foul because West has written a column for "Wheels On The Road," a South Florida biker magazine that includes demeaning photos of women. The magazine also appears to endorse the Outlaws; the publisher, "Miami Mike," wrote about going to an Outlaw party in the September issue this year.
"There is no connection between the Outlaws motorcycle club and the magazine," West said. "There certainly is no connection with myself and the club."
With regard to his column, West said it goes out to other blogs and magazines in addition to "Wheels On The Road."
"I was asked to do that [column] by the editor because he wanted the South Florida biker community to learn more about politics," West said.
West is skipping a rally for the magazine Saturday night. He was listed as a speaker on fliers for the event.
"I'm not going because it's been a long day and I'm just going to be here with my wife and kids," he said.
West is the latest Republican challenger to face a personal scandal. In the past few weeks, Tom Ganley (R) has seen his chances against Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) fade because of allegations of sexual misconduct. Similarly, Rich Iott (R), who is challenging Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D), is struggling to recover from pictures of him in a Nazi uniform.
This is seriously character assassination to Mr. West. Another day and more baseless charges against Republicans, this is outrageous. If any liberal media outlet had ever bothered to vet Rep. Charlie Wilson in Ohio they would have realized the man is a wifebeater and totally unfit for office. But he's a democrat so no one cares to check anyone's background. West will win in November and prove all you clown liberal writers wrong.
La-a-a-a-a-me. [yawn] Mr. Klein and friends had better hope they have more than that to overcome Mr. West's incredible fundraising advantage.
Democrat incumbents assaulting reporters isn't news, either, apparently. A Dem can beat his wife or a reporter, and nothing gets reported. Yet Republicans' weekend activities are national news.
http://hotair.com/archives/2010/10/16/newspaper-hinchey-teams-lying-about-assault-on-reporter/
What's West involved with these types of people for? Makes me wonder about his judgement...
A black gentleman is a Tea Party favorite? Who knew?
Why is this a surprise? West is a thug who threatened his opponent that he and his followers would make him scared to leave his own home, that he despises even 'coexistence' with those who disagree with him and pals around with radio bully and bigot Joyce Kaufman. He is Florida's answer to Carl Palladino. They both would feel completely at home with other thuggish characters.
Mr. West will prove useful if he's elected to the Outlaws on down the line. West likes how they keep quiet and support the "brotherhood". Wonder how the Hells Angels feel about this.
Is this a satire site like the Onion?
The West Defense:
1) because he can't become a *prospect* due his black skin, his public admiration for an outlaw motorcycle gang's personal protection skills should be acceptable and commonplace and seen as an example of faultless judgment.
Synopsis: West wants his cake and eat it too.
He wants the bad-boy power and status of Floridian chapters of outlaw motorcycle gang culture and is willing to praise them and defend them as noncriminal, but doesn't think he should be publicly associated as a friend or hang on or supporter.
Maybe West should he be seen as an innocent doe-eyed guy who admires their power and willingness to back him up in a political rally where Blacks aren't regularly welcome? I mean, why exactly did a gang decide giving protection to West was important? Fear of violent liberal motorcycle rally goers? Why a "show of force"?
What exactly draws together a (disgraced?) former Army LTC and a motorcycle gang at a rally? Republican politics? The US Constitution? What- a fear and hatred of federal government? Who could imagine such cooperation and admiration and support, certainly not law enforcement- regardless if federal, state, or local.
This is just another beatdown on the risings of black gop, by the liberal hacks like Lisa Myers. its not going to work. the liberals will do all they can 2 keep blacks in the democrat colunm.
allen west will get elected ... no ifs ..ands..& buts about it. Yes, West will win on November 2, 2010.
Give West credit: he isn't you're typical limp dick glibertarian TPer. At least he's out there manning up (Sharon Angle just came) with some one percenters from a stone cold MC.
He is the begining of the last column he wrote for Wheels on the Road magazine, which is a magazine for bikers, not a criminal organization:
“The Politics of Character Assassination”
“If you push a negative hard and deep
enough it will break
through into its
counterside”... Eleventh
Rule of Tactics
“Pick the target, freeze it,
personalize it, and polarize
it”... Thirteenth Rule of
Tactics
Greetings my fellow
riders, South Floridians, and
all Americans, it is time for
our monthly political
assessment. First, I just
want to thank you all for
your support during the
August primary election...
as well thanks for coming
up and telling me how you
appreciate this column.
The two quotes from above did not come
from any brilliant military strategist. They
come from the book written by Saul Alinsky
entitled, “Rules for Radicals; A Pragmatic
Primer for Realistic Radicals”. This book was
written in 1971 by Mr Alinsky, a Chicago
native, and has been referred to by many
members of the Democrat party, some rather
senior. The book’s tone is set right from the
beginning with its author’s ackowledgement to
“the first radical known to man”, Lucifer....
He called the attacks against himself before they happened!