Dear Fellow Patriots,
In his first ad, which ran before the primary ended, Ron Klein attacked my personal financial responsibility. You and I have shared the challenges faced in these tough economic times. And like many of you, my family has struggled with financial hardship. And also like many of you, we have honestly resolved every issue, and both my wife and I are working hard every day to honor all of our obligations, while ensuring our daughters' futures.
As I began looking over my own financial records to be sure we were being upstanding, I considered the financial responsibility that a United States Congressman owes to the American people. When one considers that Ron Klein is questioning the roughly $15,000 my family has or is working to repay, I have several questions for Ron Klein: What about the trillions of dollars you have wasted at the taxpayer's expense? As a Member of the House Financial Services Committee, why did you allow American taxpayer-funded TARP money to be provided to foreign banks and financial institutions? Why did you allow your office to exceed its allocated operating budget? Why do you refuse to take accountability for the failure of stimulus money to actually stimulate the economy? While you sat on the House Financial Services Committee, South Florida has seen itsunemployment rate more than triple from 4% to nearly 13%.
On Tuesday evening, Klein's ally, Keith Olbermann, again named me the "worst person in the world" - for the 3rd time...truly one person's misguided opinion. But there is no debate that - in the terms of fiscal responsibility, Ron Klein is one of the worstMembers of Congress in the United States House of Representatives. The teachable moment for Klein is that inept, incompetent and dishonorable trial lawyers should never pick a fight with professional intellectual warriors. My House is in order. But the same cannot be said about the people's House.
Steadfast and Loyal,
LTC(R) Allen B. West
