Rep. Allen West, Florida Republican, locked in a tight re-election battle to keep his seat, has launched a new TV ad attacking his Democratic opponent for a 2003 bar fight that lead to his arrest.
The ad, which also highlights Mr. West’s Army career, is the latest in a series of attack ads by Mr. West against challenger Patrick Murphy in what has become one of the most competitive, negative and expensive House races in the country.
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“Feb. 16, 2003, Fort Hood, Texas: Lt. Col. Allen West had just received deployment orders, and prepares his men to go to war,” the voice-over announcer says. “That night, South Beach, Miami: Patrick Murphy is thrown out of a club for fighting, covered in alcohol, and unable to stand. Murphy then confronts and verbally assaults a police officer. Patrick Murphy was arrested and taken to jail. Two men, a country in crisis — you decide.”
Mr. West’s 21-year military career ended in 2004 after the Army investigated his handling of a detainee while serving in Taji, Iraq, the previous year. Mr. West, a lieutenant colonel at the time, acknowledged firing a pistol near the detainee’s head to elicit information to protect his troops. After the investigation, he paid a $5,000 fine for his conduct and was allowed to retire with full benefits.
Click here to see the ad: http://youtu.be/R-lDL9_qDDs
