The National Jewish Democratic Council has asked Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, to apologize for comments he made Thursday likening the messaging of the Democratic Party to the propaganda machine of Hitler's Germany.
“If Joseph Goebbels was around, he’d be very proud of the Democrat Party, because they have an incredible propaganda machine," West told reporters Thursday afternoon. "Let’s be honest, you know, some of the people in the media are complicit with this and enabling them to get that type of message out."
The NJDC asked West to "apologize sincerely and immediately. As we have said repeatedly, invoking the Holocaust to make a political point is never acceptable and should be condemned by all for the sake of the memory of those who were lost."
West's comments elicited a handwritten rebuke from Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich. In the letter, obtained by Politico, Conyers notes Goebbels was a "vicious and notorious anti-Semite" and calls on West to "help raise the level of congressional discourse in vigorous debate" without resorting to personal attacks.
West, a freshman Republican from a heavily Jewish district in South Florida, was being asked about why the GOP was doing so poorly in polls -- a new Pew poll finds people blame Republicans more than Democrats for Washington's gridlock, the Washington Post reported.
West told reporters that Republicans needed to get better at messaging.
And then, apparently realizing the impact of his remarks (see here for previous West coverage), he said this, according to Politico:
"I'm talking about propaganda, OK," he said. "Don't start taking my words and twisting it around. I'm talking about propaganda. And I think that's a very important thing. When you tell me that everyone thinks that the only people on Capitol Hill are House Republicans, it's because that's what's being portrayed, is that there's nobody else up here."
"Once again, you guys will take whatever I say and you will spin it to try to demonize me or demagogue me,” West added. “What I'm talking about is a person that was the minister of propaganda. And I'm talking about propaganda. So please. I'll be prepared to wake up tomorrow and you guys make up some crazy story. Whatever."
“If Joseph Goebbels was around, he’d be very proud of the Democrat Party, because they have an incredible propaganda machine," West told reporters Thursday afternoon. "Let’s be honest, you know, some of the people in the media are complicit with this and enabling them to get that type of message out."
The NJDC asked West to "apologize sincerely and immediately. As we have said repeatedly, invoking the Holocaust to make a political point is never acceptable and should be condemned by all for the sake of the memory of those who were lost."
West's comments elicited a handwritten rebuke from Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich. In the letter, obtained by Politico, Conyers notes Goebbels was a "vicious and notorious anti-Semite" and calls on West to "help raise the level of congressional discourse in vigorous debate" without resorting to personal attacks.
West, a freshman Republican from a heavily Jewish district in South Florida, was being asked about why the GOP was doing so poorly in polls -- a new Pew poll finds people blame Republicans more than Democrats for Washington's gridlock, the Washington Post reported.
West told reporters that Republicans needed to get better at messaging.
And then, apparently realizing the impact of his remarks (see here for previous West coverage), he said this, according to Politico:
"I'm talking about propaganda, OK," he said. "Don't start taking my words and twisting it around. I'm talking about propaganda. And I think that's a very important thing. When you tell me that everyone thinks that the only people on Capitol Hill are House Republicans, it's because that's what's being portrayed, is that there's nobody else up here."
"Once again, you guys will take whatever I say and you will spin it to try to demonize me or demagogue me,” West added. “What I'm talking about is a person that was the minister of propaganda. And I'm talking about propaganda. So please. I'll be prepared to wake up tomorrow and you guys make up some crazy story. Whatever."
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