CITIZEN JOURNALISM: As a candidate, West touts his military leadership

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By Aaron Marcus SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

For the second time in four years, retired Lt. Col. Allen West will attempt to become a U.S. congressman from Florida's 22nd District. For the 2010 election, however, he will be running with the full support of the National Republican Congressional Committee.

"We really surprised a lot of people at the federal level," Col. West said in an exclusive interview with The Washington Times.

With limited funding, the NRCC was focused on congressional races in 2008 that were close and probable victories for the Republican Party, but not in Col. West's campaign. "When it comes to NRCC and party structure, they probably saw me as a risk, because they thought I was new to the scene and we were putting together an eight-month campaign," said Col. West. "I received no funding or endorsement [from the NRCC] in 2008 and nothing to this point."

Col. West declared his candidacy for Congress in May 2008, eight months before the general election and while on deployment in Afghanistan. He used blogs, radio interviews and Web videos to get his name and message to the public. Yet 2008 proved to be the year of Democratic victories for the Senate, the House and the presidency: Col. West lost his bid to unseat Rep. Ron Klein, a Democrat.

Col. West has a master's degree in political science from Kansas State University and a master's degree in military arts and science in political theory and military operations from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. He is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Desert Storm.

He will be touting his military experience in his campaign. "The military teaches the five C's of leadership: courage, competence, conviction, commitment and character. ... This has not been coming out of Washington," Col. West said.

He said he derived managerial capabilities in the armed forces, particularly by leading more than 600 troops into battle at a given time. "Congress needs to focus on principles and values," he said.

The conservative Republican, who is black, said the electorate will judge him on his character and merits, not his race. Yet he said he thinks he has a chance to reach out to a minority audience that voted almost entirely for Democrats in the 2008 election. "The black community is probably the most conservative community in America on Sunday," said Col. West. "But from Monday to Saturday it is a different story."

Col. West said his parents raised him to believe that every American has the opportunity to succeed.

With the help of a strong grass-roots following, Col. West received 45.3 percent of the vote in an election that was widely dominated by the opposing party. He is now confident that the party leadership will fully support his campaign.