Allen West, Tea Party star, uses Patrick Murphy's mugshot in ad

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Allen West, Tea Party star, uses Patrick Murphy's mugshot in ad
Published: September 29, 2012 8:51 AM
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tea Party star Allen West, in his bid to hold onto his House seat with a little more than a month to go before the election, is using his opponent's bleary mug shot from nine years ago as the focus of a blistering ad.

On a single night in February 2003, the ad released Friday notes, West was on an Army base in Texas, preparing to go to war. College student Patrick Murphy, meanwhile, was being arrested outside a Miami-area nightclub after an alleged drunken brawl, the ad says.

"Two men, a country in crisis. You decide," says a narrator.

The ad from the Florida Republican freshman congressman star uses dramatic music and visuals of a scope's crosshairs to emulate a high-tech spy flick. Murphy's mug shot plays a prominent role in the spot.

Murphy's campaign responded by pointing out that Murphy was just 19 when he was arrested and that West was later reprimanded for his conduct in Iraq and was 42 at the time.


Read more: http://newyork.newsday.com/news/nation/allen-west-tea-party-star-uses-patrick-murphy-s-mugshot-in-ad-1.4054958

[freshwest]

1. Koch money goes a long way. Expect to see tons of these in less prominent races.

[Judi Lynn]

2. So Allen West Wants to Talk About His Military Record...

So Allen West Wants to Talk About His Military Record...
George Zornick on September 28, 2012 - 5:03 PM ET

Tea Party superstar Representative Allen West released one of the toughest attack ads of the campaign season on Friday, contrasting his military career with his Democratic opponent’s arrest as a teenager following a drunken bar night—complete with a mug shot:

&feature=player_embedded

Transcript:

Feb. 16, 2003, Fort Hood, Texas. Lt. Col. Allen West had just received deployment orders, and prepares his men to go to war. That night, South Beach, Miami: Patrick Murphy is thrown out of a club for fighting, covered in alcohol, and unable to stand. Murphy then confronts and verbally assaults a police officer. Patrick Murphy was arrested and taken to jail. Two men, a country in crisis—you decide.

To make the point even more bluntly, the West campaign put out a press release along with the ad saying that Murphy is a “spoiled brat who knows nothing of duty, honor or service.”

The voters of Florida’s 18th District will have to decide if they want to hold Murphy’s run-in with the law against him. But it’s odd that West trumpets “duty, honor and service” in comparison to the transgression, while touting his military career—because his record there is, by almost any measure, more ignominious than an arrest for drunk and disorderly conduct.

More:
http://www.thenation.com/blog/170240/so-allen-west-wants-talk-about-his-military-record#

[Drunken Irishman]

4. This ad shows me Allen West is concerned he's losing...

[TheDebbieDee]

28. I agree, Drunken Irish.........Allen West WAS losing.

But I'm not so sure that that smack-talking POS is still losing now..........

[hrmjustin]

49. +1

[caveat_imperator]

21. “spoiled brat who knows nothing of duty, honor or service.”

That describes west perfectly. Maybe one day it'll register in his head that he's projecting (I think he really does believe the crap he spews, sadly).

[alp227]

31. And you thought the ad juxtaposing Max Cleland and Bin Laden was low enough.

The Saxby Chambliss ad has 42 likes, 102 dislikes on YouTube. Yet West's ad has about 700 likes and only **80** dislikes! Amazing.

[hrmjustin]

50. that ad mad me sick and mad. I hate him for doing that ad.

I can't believe it worked.

[monmouth]

3. You can bet also that if Murphy should win this West will not concede for weeks. That's

just how awful a person he is. Cannot.stand.him...

[caveat_imperator]

20. I'm sure west won't concede at all.

He'll spend the next two years lying that he was robbed of his 'victory' at the polls.

[busterbrown]

5. Theres a ton of shit on West's military record but......

Murphy needs to stay above West's insanity and go after his
message of destruction to all social programs including
Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. Being 19 and drunk
is no big deal. West will use his war record no matter how
horrendous to remind people that war is hell and he was serving
his country. I think most people will feel that West went way
out of bounds by posting a 19 year old's drunk mug shot and will
remind them how bat shit crazy he is.
Stay above West's insanity. Thats what I think.

[Occulus]

7. No, if West uses his military record, Murphy is free to bring it up, too.

We tried "staying above it all" and "not descending to their level" and telling the truth all the time, and there's a time and place for all of that, but their lies travel round the world while our truths are putting on their pants.

If we don't attack right back, we're fighting a defensive war, and you can't 'win' a war from simple defense. Now that a military record is on the table, Murphy should use it to his advantage.

[busterbrown]

10. Obama's whole strategy for 3 years was not

stepping into the mud with the lunatic tea baggers. Look at the results.
West is not lying about Murphy's drunk arrest
but it is showing what an asshole he is.. Others democrats can point to West's
military conduct, however Murphy should stay
clear, stick to the issues and ride Obama's coattails.

[kiranon]

13. Absolutely agree. Put his military record on the record.

[radhika]

33. Murphy needs to fight, but let surrogates do the real nasty stuff...

Murphy should stay clean and strong. Clearly Obama did not have the right strategy, or frankly he just lacked guts.

[busterbrown]

39. Exactly. Murphy leave his Military shit for others. Beat the hell out of him on policies!

[RBInMaine]

8. When will you ever learn that when hit, you HIT HARDER ! You SMASH THEIR EYEBALLS IN.

What is it? Some liberal wimpiness virus? Just what the hell is it? Will you please learn once and for all that when you get hit, you hit back and TWICE as fucking hard ! You address this. You get the fuck on the air and talk not only about how pathetically desperate West is, but you also SMASH HIM HARD over his SHITTY service record and then you SMASH the living shit out of him over what a CRAZY RADICAL BATSHIT NUTJOB he is. Get over the pussy wussy Mr. Nicey Nice shit, and learn that politics is WAR and the only way you respond to a batshit fucking whackjob bully like West is to SMASH the his fucking crazy batshit eyeballs through his skull and out the other side. (Politically speaking, that is.)

Need to learn how to grow some political balls? YouTube FDR, Truman, JFK, and Clinton. They'll teach you how.

[busterbrown]

11. Hey Mr. macho

Are you saying to use the same tactics that the tea baggers used?
That isn't turning out so well for them.
Political strength is doing and saying the right thing at the right time
with patience and intelligence, Obama style!
"Smashing eyeballs and growing balls", sounds great but doesn't
accomplish a thing. Grow up!

[Jack Sprat]

36. Hey busterbrown

Are you putting your 50 plus posts for use on our candidates or our opponents?

[busterbrown]

40. rather new, but my only objective is to be as helpful as possible Barack's Campaign...........

[busterbrown]

48. Say again? You have got to be shitting me....

[heaven05]

14. hey

you can be in my foxhole anytime. You are right. namy pamby just don't make it this time round. I don't see macho here, rather I see truth in these words. Hit em hard and continuously.

[busterbrown]

18. Not smart in this particular incident.

This is not about fighting the battle its about winning the war.

You must have been one of the guys who were really pissed off
when Obama didn't attack back for 3 years. I was pissed off at
him as well. He taught me something about how to fight.
Don't sit there and call me "namy pamby", I have never backed
down from a brawl. "Hit em hard and continuously" sounds like
a phrase from an old pissed off teabagger.
We must stay smart and pick our brawls effectively!
The smart tough guys are the ones I look up to and so does
most of the country.

[heaven05]

19. no problem

yet it takes winning battles to eventually win the war. I wasn't calling you any names, just questioning. Finesse is fine and has it's place yet I've been in war, and while staying smart and finessing your enemy is one tactic that is right, in battle being tougher than your enemy is another tactic and by mixing and confusing your enemy with different tactics you will win. And they will respect you more. Been there, done that. Period. No teabagger, just know how to fight a teabagger, tooth and nail. It's got me this far with the myriad of racist and stupid enemies I have faced over the decades. You're entitled to approach this war in any manner YOU so choose. And if I happen to come upon your battle, I still got your back. Have a good one.

[busterbrown]

22. I've got yours as well!

I can not tell you how those shits have gotten to me over the past 3 plus years.
I have spent many days pissed off at everything and everyone because of these scum.
Allen West might be the worst of all of them. He is an absolute psychopath!
Murphy with his boyish charm, and intelligence should let outside progressive
groups go after his military record while he harps on West's horrible political record.

I can already imagine West"s response. Patrick Murphy was out getting drunk and
getting arrested while I was serving in Iraq as a (bullshit, bullshit,) defending my
country against a Terrorist Govt. who was ready to attack our Homeland with biological
weapons and dirty bombs................... This is the conversation we don't want to have
with this idiot.

You can see by my rambling response how much anger I have towards West.

[SemperEadem]

42. John Kerry did it your way

...notice he wasn't elected the 43rd president of the US.

[CreekDog]

38. Obama didn't attack? Bain Capital? Tax Returns? 47% comments?

didn't attack over Romney's opposition to the auto bailout?

your statement that Obama hasn't attacked is not based in reality.

secondly, the idea that it hasn't worked is also wrong.

[heaven05]

46. hey

you should look at the thread today of repug/robme extremist and what he says should be done with some people in that 47percent underclass of robme's statement. This proves you/me right about hitting hard, fast and in this case first. This guy is representative of a LOT of so- called americans, I call them nazis.

[TheDebbieDee]

29. This sense of fairplay and "taking the high road" on the part of Dems is one

of the reasons this country is in trouble now. If Dems won't fight for themselves during their election campaigns, what makes you think they'll fight for us IF they get to Washington DC.

Weak-kneed, overly-polite Dems that were TOO afraid to piss off anybody or have anybody think badly of them are one of the reasons the neocons were able to drag us into pre-emptively invading Iraq.

[busterbrown]

34. Read replies more closely!

Murphy should attacked West on his political policies not his horrendous military record.
Leave that to outside progressive parties. They can kick his ass.
I'll say it once more. West's reply: I was inIraq serving as an officer protecting our country from a rogue dictator trying to destroy our homeland with dirty bombs and biological weapons. I put my life in harm's way whilePatrick Murphy was getting drunk, fighting with police officers and getting arrested.
This is a conversation Murphy should not be involved with.

[TheDebbieDee]

37. Neither Murphy nor any other candidate can count

on outside progressive voices to say and do for him what he can easily say and do for himself, and that is bring attention to the fact that Cong West may be guilty of war crimes by the improper interrogation of an Iraqi POW.

If Cong West wants to get in the mud and bring up Patrick Murphy's mistakes as a young man then Patrick Murphy should defend himself and call into question the bad decisions made by Cong West while serving in the US military.

Cong West knows he can't beat Murphy on the issues - that's why he's bringing up Murphy's past! After all, Murphy will have plenty of time to discuss the political policies AFTER he is elected - IF he is elected. Murphy would seem weak and stupid to insist on discussing policy while letting Cong West go on smearing his past - this mugshot could be Murphy's "Swift Boat".

Murphy should make sure that the pendulum that Cong West swings is swinging both ways!

[The Wizard]

45. So bragging about the false premises

That killed innocent people is a winning strategy?
"West's reply: I was in Iraq serving as an officer protecting our country from a rogue dictator trying to destroy our homeland with dirty bombs and biological weapons."
Did you forget this?
What percentage of voters believe this? Normal people won't vote for a war criminal.

[busterbrown]

47. I'd like to believe that. We can only hope but....

I'm hoping that the sliver of independents who are undecided in Murphy's
district, will know West"s fucked up military record but might be impressed
at the young Murphy"s decision not to bring it up.

[Jack Sprat]

35. Oh, is that what you think?

Just lay down and allow West's campaign to walk all over him? Maybe you should do campaign consulting for West. I'm sure he'd appreciate those thoughts. That's exactly what Repukes like best. They love to throw everything but the kitchen sink at us. Then they want us to be nice and accept the shit they have just thrown in our faces. No thanks, busterbrown. That's typical Repuke hustling for certain.

[savannah43]

6. Well, that bit him in the ass rather quickly.

It's imperative to get the stupid out of government as soon as possible.

[itssimplestupid]

9. Must Read

The Real Allen West. Was linked to above/below. Read about how he tortured an innocent Iraqi and got a slap on the wrist. And you wonder why there were insurgents. It's because of maggots like West.

http://www.thenation.com/blog/170240/so-allen-west-wants-talk-about-his-military-record#

By the way Allen. I am serving my country by making sure every American possible knows your party, and every Republican politician is a piece of human feces.

http://www.RepublicansAreADisease.com

And West is one of the worst.

I can only imagine the intelligence of the average Republican voter in his district. I bet they are too ignorant to be considered mentally retarded.

[The Wizard]

23. Make West talk about

war crimes. His military career was terminated when he was asked to "retire" because he tortured an innocent Iraqi in American custody. War crimes have no statute of limitations.
The vile son of a bitch should be kidnapped by international law enforcement and dragged off to The Hague for war crimes offenses.
Allen West is a war criminal, wash rinse repeat.

[StevePaulson]

25. Absolutely Right

He could be arrested any day. If he was a Democrat he would have already been arrested.

[24601]

44. Your logic doesn't follow - President Obama ordered the killing of a US Citizen without trial and he

hasn't been arrested. Which crime is worse, scaring a prisoner with a shot near his head or murder? Under Bush, there were roughly 50 targeted murders over 8 years. Obama has had 343 in less than 4 years. (Source: Page 1P, 30 September 2012 Tampa Bay Times)

The political party of individual does not determine whether he/she will be arrested.

[Akoto]

12. I live in the area. West's campaign has been dirty and spiteful.

His ads get personal and vicious. Truly unsavory stuff. It's enough to make me mute the television.

Of course, anything in the ads about him is patriotic sunshine and non-socialist rainbows! There's no need to examine his military record, say!

[JI7]

15. Does anyone Live hear or know the District Well ?

just the fact that Allen West is not doing horribly bad makes me wonder about the people there.

[mrmpa]

16. West claims he was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army..........

I have a hard time believing that. Reason is that he claims he was a Lieutenant Colonel at the age of 42, most men & women I know in the Army at that age of 40-42 were at the rank of Captain readying for promotion to Major and a couple of these men & women I know were graduates of West Point.

[OnlinePoker]

32. I don't know who the people are you know, but...

...the average age of a Lt Col in the army is 40 years and they have 18 years of service. The average of a full Colonel is 44-45.

[elbloggoZY27]

17. Not For Real

The 2012 TEA PARTY is not the TEA PARTY of Boston Massachusetts of so many years ago.

Not even close.

[StevePaulson]

27. Today's Tea Party

Today's tea party (teabaggers) would be working for the British, just like they are working for the billionaires right now.

[StevePaulson]

24. West Avoided Court Marshal

If I remember right, West boasted of his torturing an Iraqi policeman.

A little more about why West was not court marshaled.

http://www.RepublicansAreADisease.com

Wes is a nutcase teabagger.

[brewens]

26. if I had Bush's DUI mugshot in 2000, I would gladly have turned it over to the DNC. n/t

[alp227]

30. The name Patrick Murphy sounds familiar, since a Patrick Murphy represented US House dist. PA-8

(The northeastern suburbs of Philadelphia). Patrick Joseph Murphy served from 2007-2011, preceded and replaced by Mike Fitzpatrick (R). Patrick Erin Murphy is an accountant from Ft. Lauderdale and Allen West's (D) challenger. I looked up the Florida Patrick Murphy on Wikipedia, and he describes himself as a moderate rather than liberal (in his words "ultra&quot Democrat. Allen West's ad was a low blow right there. If that's the best attack he's got against PM, West has NOTHING.

[Gabby Hayes]

41. So, that Ollie North-acting fella is a war criminal, eh?

And a wannabe General James Mattoon Scott too. If ol' Lt. Catch 22 loses this election he's liable to get together with North and pull out that old martial order from Iran/Contra.

[jzodda]

43. That's a tough ad. Probably the most hard hitting I have seen this cycle

Its probably going to be very effective unfortunately. I was really hoping to knock out this West character. This ad will probably have an effect on the outcome.