Hired as the Chief of Staff to Congressman-elect Allen West (Republican Tea Party candidate elected from Florida's 22nd District), Joyce Kaufman has a long history of incendiary remarks. A South Florida radio talk show host, Kaufman did not last long as West's Chief of Staff. She resigned the position within a few days after her show was linked to threats of gun violence against the Broward County School District and government buildings in the county. The threats led to a county-wide school lockdown effecting 300 schools and 230,000 students.
Among Kaufman's irresponsible remarks are these: "if ballots don't work, bullets will." She advocated the formation of militias to take guns and hide in the hills of Kentucky and Vermont to fight an election outcome that didn't please her. "Some things are worth dying for." she said.
Speaking of illegal immigrants, she said, “If you commit a crime while you’re here, we should hang you and send your body back to where you came from.”
These are just a couple of the frequent rants that come from this sick person who, unfortunately, has made a living broadcasting such nonsense in the South Florida radio market. How that qualifies her to be the Chief of Staff to a Congressman, I'm not quite sure, but Allen West sure seems enamored with her: "I was not hiring a talk radio host; I was hiring a very brilliant political mind, someone that has been in South Florida politics for 20 plus years," West said. He went on to say, "Joyce Kaufman is the most honorable, with the most impeccable integrity and character that I have met in my life" Kaufman was one of West's most vocal supporters during the campaign. He appeared as a guest on Kaufman's radio show over 100 times.
Allen West seems to have a couple of screws loose, too. “You must be well-armed because this government that we have right now is a tyrannical government," West said. West is "focused that this liberal, progressive, socialist agenda, this left-wing, vile, vicious, despicable machine that's out there is soundly brought to its knees.” Listen to the way he defended Kaufman, ""I think the American people are sick of the way that they went after Joyce Kaufman." "The fact that they're attacking a woman like this, that shows me something about sexism and misogynist behavior." Really, all the media did was dig up video and audio clips of Kaufman and publish them.
Here's the scoop on Allen West: While serving in Iraq as commander of the 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment of the U.S. Army, Lieutenant Colonel West helped interrogate an Iraqi civilian. When interrogators could not ilicit information from the Iraqi, West walked into the room, drew his gun and fired past the Iraqi's head. The information West received from the Iraqi, after firing his gun close to the detainee's head, turned out to be false. West said later, "It's possible that I was wrong about the detainee." West was charged by the U.S. Army with violating articles 128 and 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. West was found guilty of misconduct and assault and he resigned from the U.S. Army.
Whether West is qualified to serve in Congress or Kaufman was qualified to serve as his Chief of Staff is not for me to say. If the people of Florida's 22nd District want West to represent them, far be it for me to criticize them. But, I will say this: Those Tea Party candidates and their supporters are goofy. It would be funny, except that it's so frightening.
And, that is a view from Missouri.
Note: Sources used for this post were The South Palm Beach Examiner and The Florida Independent.
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