Warning to Rep. Allen West…there ain’t NOTHIN’ lady-like about this here Blue Collar Mamma’s blog.
Let’s start from the sort of beginning. The house was debating the “cut, cap and balance” bill. According to NPR, the bill
bars any increase in the debt ceiling unless Congress first sends a balanced budget amendment to the states for ratification,[and] calls for a $1.5 trillion cut in this year’s deficit and caps federal spending to 24 percent of the gross domestic product.
Basically, the GOP/Right is saying that they won’t support raising the debt ceiling – which will be necessary in order to pay things like soldiers’ salaries and Medicare/Social Security benefits – unless there is a balanced budget amendment in the works. So instead of raising taxes on the motherfuckers who got us into our current economic mess, we should cut benefits. Not cut benefits to the rich. Nonono, we should STEAL the money that people have paid into these “social programs”, money that is THEIRS and that they will need to fucking FEED themselves when they retire.
Anyway, there are these 2 Congresspersons from Florida. Rep. Allen West, who supports the bill because he’s a hypocritical teabagger Republican and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who opposes the bill because most of her constituents are old fogies and are on Medicare/SS she’s a Democrat. This is what Wasserman Schultz had to say during the debate:
What she basically said about West, without naming names, was that she’s shocked that he’d have the balls to support a bill that so blatantly goes against the interests of his constituents. So, how does he react? Like any rational, professional, adult person would. He took it personally, sent her a nasty email, and tattled on her. Here’s the email, courtesy of The Palm Beach Post:
From: Z112 West, Allen
Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 04:48 PM
To: Wasserman Schultz, Debbie
Cc: McCarthy, Kevin; Blyth, Jonathan; Pelosi, Nancy; Cantor, Eric
Subject: Unprofessional and Inappropriate Sophomoric Behavior from Wasserman-Schultz
Look, Debbie, I understand that after I departed the House floor you directed your floor speech comments directly towards me. Let me make myself perfectly clear, you want a personal fight, I am happy to oblige. You are the most vile, unprofessional ,and despicable member of the US House of Representatives. If you have something to say to me, stop being a coward and say it to my face, otherwise, shut the heck up. Focus on your own congressional district!
I am bringing your actions today to our Majority Leader and Majority Whip and from this time forward, understand that I shall defend myself forthright against your heinous characterless behavior……which dates back to the disgusting protest you ordered at my campaign hqs, October 2010 in Deerfield Beach.
You have proven repeatedly that you are not a Lady, therefore, shall not be afforded due respect from me!
Steadfast and Loyal
Congressman Allen B West (R-FL)
This reminds me of letters sent back and forth between dumb HS kids between classes. Really, West? THIS is what you do with your time? How ’bout instead of spending your time responding to FACTUAL STATEMENTS with personal attacks, you analyze whether or not your actions in supporting this and other bills is really in the best interest of your constituents? How ’bout instead of judging whether or not this GROWN ASS WOMAN is acting “lady-like”, you do a little self-reflection and ask yourself whether or not YOUR actions are, not “gentlemanly”, but HUMANE?
I know this is all a ruse to distract from the real issue of the bill itself. I understand that. It’s just the whole “act like a lady” bullshit that bothers me. Maybe calling other people on their lies, hypocrisy and inhumanity isn’t lady-like. If that’s the case, then I hope I’m never accused of being a lady.
Blue Collar Mamma 
What a misogynist pig. Oh, us women are supposed to act a “certain way”. Fuck him.
Guess I’m not that lady like either. He can bite my non lady like ass.
I’m also bothered that we’re electing grown ass politicos who can’t handle punctuation and capitalization. People, English is not that difficult. Study it.
I can’t believe he’s actually proud of that and using it to fundraise. What the hell is wrong with people?
I’m a lady and a “WOMAN,” and I think it’s ridiculous that people are turning this non-issue into something it isn’t. This wasn’t about her gender, and I’d say it’s equally likely that all of this hullabaloo is really about the fact that he’s a conservative black man.
“I know this is all a ruse to distract from the real issue of the bill itself.” That was the first sentence of the last paragraph, in case you missed it. You’re right, it’s not that big a deal. But it still irked me, so I wrote about it.
No one else here mentioned his race but you. If it’d been a woman, a white man, another democrat or a purple alien from the planet Fomalhaut b, I still would’ve had a problem with it. The ‘hullaballoo’ is about anyone using this archaic idea of accusing a woman of not acting like a ‘lady’ when she’s said something they don’t like. What I’d like to know is how this is NOT about gender. If she were a man, would he have said “you’re not acting like a gentleman” or something to that affect? Who cares what color he is? He said a douchey thing, people found out about it and were mildly pissed off.
Either way, the bill passed and I hope the people in his district remember that he voted for it. He voted against the best interests of his constituents. THAT’S what really matters.