Rep. Allen West (R-FL) told TPM on Wednesday that unlike Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, he wouldn’t have let Muslim groups pressure him into apologizing for his comments on Islam.
Cain issued an apology to Muslims in July following his meeting with officials at a Virginia mosque for a “discussion about religion and politics.” The meeting came after Cain claimed that American communities had the right to ban mosques in their neighborhoods.
His apology earned him a verbal beating from former supporters on his Facebook page and on anti-Muslim blogs.
Not gonna happen with West, the Tea Party favorite told TPM following a news conference at the Capitol Hill screening he hosted of an anti-“Ground Zero mosque” film.
“He did not frame things in a very good objective and historical assessment, and I think he kind of got himself backed into a very ugly corner,” West told TPM. “I would never give anyone the opportunity to come back and exploit me making some type of gaffe, and I think that’s what happened.”
“I think that when he came out, the thing about not building mosques in communities or whatever, I think that kind of got him off the wrong track,” West said. “You’ve just got to stick to the basics.”
Ryan J. Reilly
Ryan J. Reilly is a D.C.-based reporter for TPM. Prior to joining TPM, he worked for a news website covering the Justice Department and was a researcher for Bloomberg News. His email address is ryan(at)talkingpointsmemo.com.
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