"I believe there’s about 78 to 81 members of the Democratic Party that are members of the Communist Party,” West said. (Photo by Gage Skidmore.)
By Howard Goodman
Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
Congressman Allen West is saying he “has heard” that some 80 Democratic members of the House of Representatives are Communist Party members.
The Palm Beach Post reported that West made the McCarthy-esque remarks at a town hall meeting in Jensen Beach on Tuesday night.
In a video clip of the event posted Wednesday, West was responding to a question from a constituent asking “What percentage of the American legislature do you think are card-carrying Marxists?”
“That’s a fair question. I believe there’s about 78 to 81 members of the Democratic Party that are members of the Communist Party,” West said.
West added: “It’s called the Congressional Progressive Caucus.”
Post columnist Frank Cerabino commented: “West is a bit of an authority when it comes to masquerading. He still wears his Army medals on his civilian clothes nine years after being drummed out of the service.”
West is the first-term, tea party-backed celebrity congressman whom Sarah Palin and Herman Cain have promoted in recent days for the GOP vice presidential nomination.
One Florida Democratic House member, Ted Deutch, made light of West’s accusation in an interview with Cerabino. “It makes you wonder how many Democrats there really are in Congress,” said Deutch, D-Boca Raton. “Because it wasn’t that long ago when West was comparing us to the Nazis. And now we’re Communists.”
For the record, the Communist Party USA took offense. “I just think it’s an absurd way to cast a shadow over his colleagues. It’s kind of a sad ploy,” said Libero Della Piana, a vice-chairman of the national Communist Paƒrty, according to Politico.“It’s just guilt by association taken to an extreme,” he said. He also said there are no members of Congress who are members of the Communist Party – not even avowed socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, an Independent, from Vermont.
“I think it’s just absurd,” Della Piana told Politico.