Via Dan Riehl at Big Government, Allen West is escaping the bad redistricting and will be running in another district, in a game of musical chairs with a couple of others:
In a deal with several moving parts, Conservative favorite Rep. Allen West will move over and run in Rep. Tom Rooney’s old district, as Rooney moves on to run in a newly created district. Additionally, Adam Hasner will drop his Senate bid, leaving a somewhat clearer path for Rep. Connie Mack to run for the Senate nomination:
U.S. Senate candidate Adam Hasner will likely leave the race and run for Allen West’s soon-to-be-vacated Congressional seat, a source tells us. West’s seat looks a lot like Hasner’s old legislative Delray Beach-based district.
Meanwhile, to avoid a bloody primary, leadership in the U.S. House asked Hasner to run for West’s seat. But first, West had to announce he’d leave his seat and run for Tom Rooney’s seat. And before that happened, Rooney had to announce he’d leave his district and run for a new district.
A press release at West’s website reads:
“After much prayer, reflection and discussion with my close friends and family, I am announcing today my decision to seek reelection in Florida’s proposed 18th Congressional district. I have always believed the state of Florida would be best served by having both Congressman Tom Rooney and myself in the House of Representatives working to solve our nation’s most pressing problems. I have never waivered from my vision; to work to create jobs, restrain federal government spending, reduce America’s ever increasing national debt, and provide for a strong national defense to ensure a safer and more prosperous future for our children and grandchildren.
Congressman Rooney is a statesman and has been an honorable public servant to the constituents of Florida’s 16th Congressional district. It is my goal to continue the success Congressman Rooney has had in Florida’s 16th Congressional district in the newly proposed 18th district. I welcome the challenges and excitement that lie ahead.
As a 22-year United States Army veteran who commanded troops in combat, one should never underestimate my ability to be a strategic thinker. My voice for the restoration of constitutional principles for our Republic shall continue to resonate through Florida and on Capitol Hill.”
Related: Dem SuperPAC targeting “Tea Party 10″, Allen West at the Revolution
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Comments
Good. We cannot lose this man.
Good. I’d like to see him re-elected a few times, and then see if he can move up to either governor or senator.
The only good political news of the day.
Just about the only encouraging news, especially today, that I’ve seen in months.
.
This is the result of the scorched earth war policy that the GOP RINO establishment are waging against, not the Obama Democrats, but the Tea Party conservative Reagan Republicans, especially against Rep Col Allen West. They are spending money like Obama, to absoltely destroy the Tea Party and Romney is at the epicenter of this war, with Allen West and the rest of the Tea Party conservative politicians in Congress in their target sites, by whatever means necessary.
Make no mistake about, this is an all out consolidated coordinated war of attack, which they are pouring millions of dollars into, from their corporate coffers, into the GOP establishment apparatus machinery, onto the airwaves, straight into the voting booths.
I hope and pray that we deliver the support and votes needed to Allen West, as well as Newt all the way to the Convention, to beat these corrupt establishment RINO’s, back to their hole in the ground.
If anyone can out-maneuver them, that person is LTC West.
TP4F, from various published news reports, the new Florida rules about redistricting have as much to do with the new boundaries for FL-22 as any animosity towards the good Mr. West.
I’m not saying Mr. West lacks for opponents within the Pub establishment, but it isn’t always a ‘consolidated coordinated war of attack’. It’s a simple case of redistricting, and it happens in every state that gains or loses a district or where the population shifts itself around.
Mr. West moving to FL-18 is a good thing: he gets into a district he should win, and thus we’ll have him around.
I reside in Mr. West’s district and I’ve got a bridge I want to sell you.
I’m a big supporter of Col. West and agree with the Tea Party guiding principles, but as for your claim that Newt somehow will back the Tea Party and be our savior, all I can say is “Wow. Just Wow.”
Don’t drink the Kool-Aid he’s offering.
I’m sorry, I don’t understand this…. can someone please explain?
So, his district will no longer exist, so the other representative, Rooney, will run somewhere else? and West will run in his district? Why is this? Are both still running?
Thank you in advance for the explanations. I don’t understand the significance of this.
“Allen West has a one-of-a-kind grizzly bear rug. The bear is alive; it’s just afraid to move.”
Gratuitously lifted from a comment at Hot Air..
As George Patton once said: “A man that eloquent has to be saved.”
The Romney supporters who did this to him still suck.
“Alan West switching districts”
You did it again. In the first sentence as well as the title this time. 🙂
This is GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!
Not to me it isn’t. He was my congressman. Now I’m am going to get stuck with a establishment Republican machine troll who they told to stand down from the senate race to make way for career establishment Republican machine troll, Connie Mack.
The corruption is rampant.
Sorry you’re losing a good representative, but take one for the team, eh? It’s better than West being redistricted out of Congress altogether.
Allen West is a student of Sun Tzu. Outmaneuvered the enemy easily. BWAHAHAHAHA!
Well, imagine that!
The omnipotent, freedom-strangling, TeaParty-hatin’, “Republican Establishment” GOP political machine foiled again!
We need this man’s voice in the mix, I am very happy to hear this! I think if we put more veteran’s like him in office we would both be better informed about our overall foreign policy situation and receive more straight talk such as his. GOOD. NEWS.
“…put more veterans* like him in office…” (I really need to proof at bit more before I hit that Submit.)
West could have won in his redrawn district, but the newer one is definitely easier. Up to him. At least some of the conspiracy nuts will shut up for a while now.
It should be noted you do not have to live in a district to represent it, only residence in the state is required. Expect the Democrat to raise the carpetbagger issue in the general, though, it always comes up in these situations.
Good job Congressman West. If you can’t go over something, go around it. We need you to stay in the healing of our country.
In the words of Sean Hannity, “LTC Allen West is a great American.” He is a rising star. What has happened to Alan Grayson’s district? Does anyone know? He should be flushed while holding on to Obama’s coattails.
Too bad West doesn’t have the guts to run in the district he lives in. But if he did that he’d have to run against Debbie Wasserman Shultz and he’s already proven he’s too afraid to run against her.
I just hope he doesn’t use his military service as a smoke screen to obscure the fact that he’s running in a district he doesn’t live in. That’s what he did when he ran last time in 22 and I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. I felt like a damn fool when I found out his military service had nothing to do with it. Every time I see Debbie Downer’s ugly face I get pissed off at West all over again.
It’s not a question of fear.
Politicians make this calculation all the time. They are really, really, really good at counting, particularly to 50% plus 1.
Mr. West is no different. If his critical review of the district that he can’t beat Ms. Shultz, that’s a shame because I’d love to see her go down and love it even more if Mr. West was the one who defeated her. But if he thinks it can’t happen, that the 50% plus one simply isn’t there in the district as drawn for the fall election, then moving to a district where he can win is a plus. The downside of the move, of course, is that his Dem opponent will certainly throw the move in his face.
I’d rather see him represent the Tea Party…It’s time to toss the GOP on the dusbin of history. They have shown in the past 2 years that they don’t have what it takes to fix what ails this country…
http://thevailspot.blogspot.com/2012/02/romney-wins-fla-primarybut-kills-party.html
I don’t like West. I think he’s a big talker and insulter. Likes to shut down his opposition with sayings like “if you don’t like it, leave the country” or “if you weren’t in the service, shut up”. Respect is earned. He has not earned mine. And, no, I don’t respect him because of his service.