Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Allen West will try to redefine long-distance campaigning if he launches a Republican congressional bid for the nationally coveted Palm Beach-Broward seat of freshman Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein.
West says he'll announce his plans next week, then take off for a final five-month stint in Afghanistan, where he has been working for two years as a contractor advising the Afghan military.
So, our first Florida target, Congressman Klein (FL-22) might face a retired military officer who is contracting in Afghanistan. On the face of it, this seems like a good recruitment on the part of the GOP. Retired military, novel long-distance campaign angle.
But that's only the first take. There's this:
West, 46, drew national attention in 2003 after he fired a pistol near the head of an Iraqi detainee to try to scare him into divulging time-sensitive information about a planned ambush of U.S. forces. The Army relieved West of his command and fined him $5,000. He retired after 20 years of service and received an honorable discharge.Now, the wingnuts may love the torture aspect but FL-22 is not that red. A lot of Repubs down there think that Bush is a disaster and this probably won't play well. But, of course, that's not all.
There's this:
As a candidate, he hopes the 2003 controversy translates into a national fund-raising base. West, who is black, also hopes his rare status as a GOP candidate of color generates national interest - and money - for his campaign.
He's probably right about national success from the wingnuts but I wonder if the Harold Ford phenomena will kick in. This area is also very white, WASP-ish and this is Florida, after all. Although it's only slightly red, it remains to be seen whether the GOP can support a black candidate in that district.
Alcee Hastings (FL-23) is black. While his district is adjacent to 22, it's one the poorest districts in the state while 22 is one of the richest (not just in Florida but the entire nation).
Interesting times down there.
