Republican Rep. Allen West on Thursday decried as "classless" and
"reprehensible" a new campaign ad that depicts him repeatedly punching
women in the face.
The Florida congressman put out the statement as the ad, from a political group financed by his potential Democratic opponent's father, began to draw national attention beyond his South Florida district.
The startling ad
opens by showing a cartoonish version of West in a boxing ring. It then
shows his boxing gloves punching first an elderly woman -- showing a
freeze frame of spit flying out of her mouth, punctuated by a loud
"thwack" -- and then a younger woman.
The punches land as the narrator lists the groups of people West has supposedly wronged.
"Allen West fancies himself a fighter, maybe so," the narrator says. "West has socked it to seniors, voting to end Medicare as we know it."
It continues: "He's whacked women with his votes for huge cuts in women's health care funding and he's mauled middle-class families."
West said the ad reflects a "sad state of politics" in the country.
The Florida congressman put out the statement as the ad, from a political group financed by his potential Democratic opponent's father, began to draw national attention beyond his South Florida district.
The startling ad
opens by showing a cartoonish version of West in a boxing ring. It then
shows his boxing gloves punching first an elderly woman -- showing a
freeze frame of spit flying out of her mouth, punctuated by a loud
"thwack" -- and then a younger woman.The punches land as the narrator lists the groups of people West has supposedly wronged.
"Allen West fancies himself a fighter, maybe so," the narrator says. "West has socked it to seniors, voting to end Medicare as we know it."
It continues: "He's whacked women with his votes for huge cuts in women's health care funding and he's mauled middle-class families."
West said the ad reflects a "sad state of politics" in the country.
The ad, called "Fighter" and released by American Sunrise PAC, shows a cartoon version of West punching out an elderly woman in a boxing ring as a narrator says West "socked it to seniors" by pushing to get rid of Medicare. It also shows West punching a younger woman as the narrator criticizes West's support for cuts to women's health care funding.
"Allen West fancies himself a fighter. Maybe so," a female narrator says with a chuckle. "West has socked it to seniors, voting to end Medicare as we know it. He's whacked women with his votes for huge cuts in women's health care funding. And he's mauled middle-class families by supporting a budget plan that would have cut taxes on the rich while eliminating our tax breaks for college tuition and mortgages."
Throughout the ad, shouts and boos emanate from the boxing match crowd. "Allen West is a fighter, alright," the narrator says. "But it's time for us to fight back and knock him out of Congress once and for all."