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Firebrand Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., said Tuesday he had conceded in his bid for re-election to Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy.
Fourteen days after Election Day, West, a favorite of Tea Party conservatives who had sought a recount and raised the prospect of inaccuracies in the results, said in a statement that his legal team "does not believe there are enough over-counted, undercounted or fraudulent votes to change the outcome of the election."
"While many questions remain unanswered, today I am announcing that I will take no further action to contest the outcome of this election," West said.
Joe Skipper / Reuters
Republican Rep. Allen West speaks at a campaign stop with guests at SCORE South Palm Beach, a resource partner to the Small Business Administration, in Boca Raton, Fla. Oct. 18, 2012.
Murphy led by about 1,900 votes following a partial recount in the district.
He added a bit later on Fox News: "We're going to move ahead and we wish Congressman-elect Murphy very well, but I think that now is not the time to draw the process out."
West was a lieutenant colonel in the Army, during which time he served in the Iraq war. He successfully ran for Congress in 2010, aided by the Republican headwinds that year in his challenge to Democrat Ron Klein in a swing district. He sought re-election in a slightly more favorable district following the redrawing of congressional district boundaries prompted every decade by the Census.
The victory for Murphy adds to Democrats' pickup in the House, and disarms conservatives of one of their most brash voices in Congress. He, for instance, equated economic dependence upon government — through programs like Social Security — to slavery, and West called Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a fellow Florida lawmaker, "vile" and "not a lady."
West's departure from Capitol Hill also means that that Congress will lose one of its two black Republicans. West and South Carolina Rep. TIm Scott, R, are the only two African American members of the GOP conference; West was the only Republican member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
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Although I am a liberal it is not being a liberal that I am glad he has not returned to Congress. I am glad because the US has always been a centrist government. Sometimes on the left and sometimes on the right but always centrist. We do not need firebrands from either spectrum in Congress. We need people who have priciples but are willing to compromise not their principles but certainly not their allegience to anyone or anything else but keeping it for the US and its people.
LL
Living proof that ANYONE can make it here. Hope they were smart enough to get cash up front for him paying for the recall. Good ridance. One at a time thats how the elephant house of cards falls.
What recall are you talking about???? I bet you vote.
Not surprising that a right winger is stuck in the past...about time you got up to speed Mr. "I was thrown out of the army for dishonorable conduct" West.
Hey....Westie baby....booballa.....don't let the door hit you on the a$$ on your way out.
Not surprising that a right winger is stuck in the past...about time you got up to speed Mr. "I was thrown out of the army for dishonorable conduct" West.
Justice Stevens to the Democrats in 2001 still protesting the 2000 Supreme Court vote, "Get over it!"
MasterQ to the supporters of West, "Get over it!"
LL
No more of West drinking the government tea, and complaining how bad it taste.
noncoms
When you get banned, you have to sign up from a different location. Not your house. Have one of your friends or family member who lives in another locality sign you up, or do it yourself when you are a few hundred miles from home.
Fox have noted your home IP address, they will not let you back in under any circumstance.
Yep the ole hate guard really have blinders on many R , led by satan who hates?
Slick Cheney and Mittens and others have coffers of$$$ to worship and have the warmth of the R party and a rattlesnake?
This handsome black fellow should have been a Preacher of righteousness not a perverter of left, to spin dry, all alone.
Uhmmmmmmmm, Mitt Romney EARNED $200 million John Kerry MARRIED $750 million....
Hailey - And neither was voted in as President. What does that tell you? It isn't about who has money any more. It also isn't about hating someone who has money, but, if their love of money takes precedent, we don't want them! Understand?
I don't care who the Republicans run - they are all extremists - religious zealots - don't care - don't want them running the country.
Yeah I'm sure those racist conservatives in the South is going to Vote for Jindal an Rubio. Doesn't matter anyway, different face, same policies. As long as idiots like Rush, Hannity, Beck, and Fox news keep on insulting minorities in this country you will LOSE again.
I'm surprised and relieved that there were enough rational voters in his Florida district to oust Mr. West. Too bad there were not enough of them to defeat Mr. Scott, an indicted person for major Medicare fraud.
Good riddance. Wonder how he managed to rank so well in the military? He's totally unfit for public office. What a sore loser? More like "Mitt the Twit" !!
Good riddance.
141% voter turnout in St. Lucie County....I think even DEMOCRATS should be smart enough to figure that one out...but then again, they never let the truth get in their way, do they?
...
Good riddance !!!
He is an embarassment to his race siding with the repugs .
.
Joe Biden in 2016.
...
Joe won't even know what country he is campaigning in by 2016
Yea, how dare him to leave the democratic plantation, the nerve of arrogant vet.
"He is an embarassment to his race siding with the repugs ."
Not doing so just by perpetual habit has been to the long-term and possibly irreversible detriment of the African-American community.
No21012 - Of course Joe will know what country he is campaigning in because he is moving forward with the country, rather than against it. The Republicans are living in the past. America needs to move forward, not backward.
AllPeopleRights - I'm not saying he won't know what "kind of country" he will be in. I'm saying given his geographical amnesia the past couple of years, he won't know that he is actually in the United States;)
No 2012 -
LOL...then he won't be a good candidate for sure! :-)
Not sure who would be a good candidate in 2016. Hilliary Clinton would be good...but age is creeping in on some of these people.
Rubio/Jindhal LMAO you really like losers huh?
Trouble counting votes in Florida, AGAIN! At least there was no problem with hanging chads! But why are they still having problems counting votes? Inquiring minds want to know!
Once again the looters have cheated their way to victory.
Your "sour grapes" are unattractive, headhoncho. Join the new majority which is ridding the country of the whacko extremists on both sides of the aisle!
I guess this proves Florida Democrats are racist;)
You just don't get it, do you? It is anti-extremists. It has nothing to do with race. Duh!
No, I get it. If you voted against Obama it was because you are a racist, not because he was a left extremist.
If you voted against West, it was because he was a right extremist, not because you are a racist.
Does that about sum it up?;)
Well, that's silly, isn't it? Obama is far more centrist than the far right, religious zealot, Mitt! There isn't a perfect candidate, but at least Obama is inclusive of all races, and all people. And, at least Obama is working to solve national problems with talk rather than "John Wayne kill 'em all" tactics like the Republicans.
If you think Obama has shown any sign of working together to solve problems the past 4 years, or has shown any inclination to do so going forward, you haven't been paying very close attention.
His bipartisanship/compromise swagger is all talk. His victory speech 2 weeks ago could have been lifted straight off the teleprompter from 2012. He has not backed it up with actions. (Boehner had actually reached across with a compromise during the "debt ceiling" crisis, but that was axed on the Democratic side).
Mitt got things done and passed with an 87% Democratic Mass. legislature. Again, actions....not words. But I don't care about Mitt anymore....he's done. My concern is what will happen, not what has happened. You can live in the past....like Biden, who also occasionally forgets what year he's in;)
No2012 - Let's look at it this way: In Lyndon Johnson's 4 years in office, Republicans pulled 1 filibuster. In Obama's 4 years, Republicans pulled 204 filibusters. Can you say, "Obstructionists?"
Well, I know at least one good thing comes out of today. He did it, of course, with no hint of grace or intelligence. How could you expect anything else?
Well it's about time you face the music. I have no sympathy for "teabaggers."
Time to clean up the state level government starting with the governor. He blocked voters from executing a core freedom participation in democracy. Democrats have a great opportunity to highlight this elections gerrymandering. The people choose by voting for their voice in government no one else. Sadly, Florida was not alone Wisconsin, Michigan, Virginia and Ohio did the same. Hope new voter laws are realized nationally post this election.
Yay! Another extremist bites the dust! Good riddance!
The man proves: you don't have to be Mitt Romney to be an idiot.
This West man was an uncontrolled kook. Good riddance.
BTW. Leave the list of the 88 Democrats behind as you are shown the door. You gave your word, and there is no list. That makes you, among other things, a vile human being.
Wow, sounds like a lot of liberal racism. You libs are just upset that he wants his freedom from the democratic plantation.
Well, that's silly, isn't it? Obama is far more centrist than the far right, religious zealot, Mitt! There isn't a perfect candidate, but at least Obama is inclusive of all races, and all people. And, at least Obama is working to solve national problems with talk rather than "John Wayne kill 'em all" tactics like the Republicans.
Obama centrist? Government health care and wealth redistribution centrist? Maybe according to Karl Marx's but not the founding fathers.
Our Founding Fathers weren't in a time where the 1% were hoarding all the money. Millionaires being made while the workers who are making the money for them are being turned into slave labor. We have never been in a time like this where the middle class and the poor are being pounded into the ground. America was built on people building companies and sharing the wealth with those they employed. That is no more. Americans used to share the wealth with American workers.
Now, they outsource to make more money for the 1% and screw the rest of Americans. That may be OK with you, but not with me!
Hi 1987,
Um,
"Obama Care" was based on ideas originally put forward by the Republican Party.
Just should ask Mit Romney, who also based his health care plan (when he was governor) on
those same concepts.
No one called this "wealth redistribution" until President Obama
picked up the torch.
Ironically, Using Republican ideas in this way should have been seen as reaching across the aisle.
His eyes are lifeless. It's like looking into the eyes of a dead person. I like the white lab coat comment. If only.
Dat dude dumb