The Hollywood Liberal

UPDATED: Allen West Ditches Right-Wing Radio Host Who May Have Triggered Violent Threat For Chief Of Staff
On Tuesday, ThinkProgress reported that Rep.-elect Allen West (R-FL) — who received unusually strong backing from national Republicans — had hired Joyce Kaufman, a Florida right-wing radio host to be his congressional chief of staff. Kaufman has a long history of making offensive and inflammatory comments, and a House of Representatives standards official told ThinkProgress […]

On Tuesday, ThinkProgress reported that Rep.-elect Allen West (R-FL) — who received unusually strong backing from national Republicans — had hired Joyce Kaufman, a Florida right-wing radio host to be his congressional chief of staff. Kaufman has a long history of making offensive and inflammatory comments, and a House of Representatives standards official told ThinkProgress that hiring Kaufman, who said she would continue to do work for her radio station, was “potentially problematic.” “There may be potential confidentiality issues” in her duel roles, the official said. But today on her radio show, Kaufman said she will be not be taking the job because she does not want to be subject to an “electronic lynching”:

“I will not be used in an electronic lynching by proxy,” radio talk show host Joyce Kaufman just said, announcing why she won’t come to Washington to serve as the Broward Republican’s chief of staff. The conservative host’s appointment earlier this week touched off an uproar on the Internet — and TV — and Kaufman said she doesn’t want it to tarnish West, calling him a “distinguished, monumental man.”

“You guys can do all the things you want to me, but I will not participate in you trying to destroy him,” she said on her radio show, apparently referring to the press — whom she is now calling “vermin.”

West confirmed the news in a statement, saying, “It is with deep regret that this congressional office and the people of CD 22 will not have Joyce Kaufman as my chief of staff.” However, he said he will still rely on Kaufman for “counsel.” Following ThinkProgress’ report, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow highlighted a statement from Kaufman promoting violent insurrection, saying that “if ballots don’t work, bullets will.” Watch it:

Obama, weakened after midterms, reveals limited leverage in failed S. Korea deal
SEOUL – President Obama’s inability to secure a free-trade agreement with South Korea reveals in sharp relief the limits of his leverage overseas after a devastating midterm election.

Deficit panel leaders propose curbs on Social Security, major cuts in spending, tax breaks
The chairmen of President Obama’s bipartisan deficit commission on Wednesday offered an aggressive plan to rebalance the federal budget by curbing increases in Social Security benefits, slashing spending at the Pentagon and other agencies, and wiping out more than $100 billion a year in popular t…

The Fix: Which self-funder shelled out the most per vote?
Self funding Republican candidates Meg Whitman, Linda McMahon and Rick Scott spent nearly $300 million of their own money on their 2010 campaigns, but they got very different bangs for their bucks.

After Setback, Democrats Must Not Retreat
E.J. Dionne, New Republic
WASHINGTON — In 2008, the largest number of voters in American history gave the Democrats their largest share of the presidential vote in 44 years and big majorities in the House and Senate.How did Republicans react? They held their ideological ground, refused to give an inch to the new president, and insisted that persistent opposition would eventually yield them victory. And on Nov. 2, it did. Receive news alertsYet now that Democrats have suffered a setback — in an election, it should be said, involving many fewer voters than the big battle two years ago — they are being counseled to do…

Repealing Health Law Will Backfire on GOP
Joe Conason, NY Observer
Overstating the importance of a midterm election is understandably tempting for politicians and pundits, especially when the partisan turnover reaches historic proportions, as it indisputably did on Nov. 2. It is a temptation to which Republicans and conservatives seem particularly vulnerable.When their party won the first George W. Bush midterm in 2002, Karl Rove crowed that his political team had made history, which was true enough — and then went on to claim a partisan realignment that would put Republicans in charge for decades if not centuries. They lost control of Congress and…

The True Liberty to Forget
Joe Carter, First Things Magazine
Spend a day with your local military recruiter, and you'll be encouraged by the number of people who go out of their way to say how much they support our troops and how much they appreciate the service of these young veterans. Then watch as the recruiters casually ask when they'll be bringing their son or daughter to the recruiting station to learn more about serving their country.Their spines stiffen, they smile blankly, and a coldness comes over them. If they are quick-witted, they will find a joking way to dismiss the question. More often, though, they will simply blurt…

Many Deficit Commission Staffers Paid By Ideological Groups