Palm Beach Post - West Tells Jupiter Town Hall Gathering: Washington has 'Spending Problem'

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By George Bennett

One night after dismissing a suggestion he run for president in 2012, freshman U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, said America needs a leader who will "scare the bejesus" out of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadenijad.

West, responding to audience questions from a town hall meeting crowd of about 400 at the northern campus of Florida Atlantic University, declined to state a preference on potential 2012 White House candidates.

At a town hall meeting in Pompano Beach on Monday, a woman drew loud applause when she urged West to run for president. The House rookie said he's not ready.

West also had a heated exchange at Monday's meeting with a Council on American-Islamic Relations executive. While discussing violence by Muslims and whether it is consistent with the Koran, West told the CAIR leader: "Don't try to blow sunshine up my butt."

There were no comparable fireworks tonight as West spent about half an hour going over developments in Washington and nearly 90 minutes fielding audience questions from a mostly supportive crowd.

After voting early Saturday for a spending plan that cuts more than $60 billion in federal spending for the next seven months, West said it's up to the Democrat-controlled Senate and President Obama to avoid a shutdown of the federal government.

Unless the House and Senate agree on a spending plan, the government is scheduled to run out of money for non-essential operations on March 4.

"We're not trying to shut down the federal government. ... But the number one problem in Washington, D.C. is a spending problem, it's not a revenue problem," West said.

"That's why (Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid has to do the right thing. He has to recognize that he has to cut spending. The president has to do the right thing. He has to cut spending," West said.

When asked about 2012 presidential candidates, West said, "Can I plead the Fifth?" He then added: "America has got to get a strong leader that really believes in the essence of what it means to be an American."

When an audience member raised a question about Obama's citizenship. West said such speculation is "the dog chasing its tail. The most important thing is, it's (Obama's) policies."

In response to another audience member, West said he believes House members should not serve more than eight years and Senators shouldn't serve more than 12 years.

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