BOCA RATON – Just a few months into his first term, U.S. Rep. Allen West has had to deal with a variety of problems.
Most prevalent seems to be his mixed reception at recent public meetings. The mix of cheers, jeers, boos and shouts seem to be related to his vote in Congress to change the way Medicare is funded starting in the early 2020s.
The mixed reaction has been pretty serious at some sessions, including one last week at the Mae Volen Center in Boca Raton, where he entered to a chorus of cheers and boos from the crowd.
As he got into his address, which covered a variety of topics, hecklers began to rise when he talked about the Republican budget plan and what it could mean for Medicare and other programs popular with senior citizens. He said he was sticking to his guns on the Medicare issue.
That caused hecklers to rise and yell, resulting in some being ejected from the meeting.
But they didn’t stray far from the Volen Center. They joined others outside who lined Palmetto Park Road holding signs and continuing to protest.
Inside the hall, West made it clear that he supports the Republican budget plan to cut spending on Medicare for people younger than 55. He also said he wouldn’t support any tax increases on the wealthy as a means of propping up the medical plan.
“I’ve got to tell you something. If you support Medicare the way it is now, then kiss the United States of America good-bye,” West said.
As to the behavior of the crowd, he said that “sideshow antics don’t bother me at all.”
In the meantime, the Democratic National Committee has been calling residents of West’s district, and also sending out emails intended to discredit the incumbent. The Boca Raton Tribune has received several of them.
With less than a half year in Congress under his belt, West already has two potential opponents who say they will run against him in 2012.
Also, in mid-April, someone sent an envelope containing a white powder to West’s campaign office in Boca Raton. Police and fire officials determined the material was not hazardous, but Boca Raton is particularly sensitive to such tactics since the first incident of mailed anthrax powder in 2001 took place in Boca, and one person was killed.