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Controversial Radio Host Won't Be Congressional Staffer After All

1 year ago
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Joyce Kaufman's controversial statements have afforded her a radio career, but now they appear to have cost her a job on Capitol Hill.

Just days after being hired as chief of staff for incoming Congressman Allen West (R-Fla.), the conservative talk show host has dropped out because of remarks she made at a tea party rally during the campaign, Politico reported Thursday.

Her comments had made their way around the Internet in the days since she was tapped for the congressional position. "I am convinced that the most important thing the founding fathers did to ensure me my First Amendment rights was they gave me a Second Amendment. And if ballots don't work, bullets will," she said at the event earlier this year, adding that some things were "worth dying for."

West, a tea party favorite, said in a statement Thursday it was with "deep regret" that he was announcing that Kaufman would not be joining his staff after all.

"Joyce is a good friend, and will remain loyal to South Floridians and to me," said West, who unseated Democrat Ron Klein in the South Florida 22nd Congressional District. "I will always seek Joyce's counsel for being a good representative of this congressional district."

Joyce Kaufman at a West rally.Politico said after West's statement was released, Kaufman took to the airwaves on South Florida's WFTL-AM to slam her critics.

"You may think that because you made me change my mind, that you got the win, but I believe that God always gets the win, and he wanted me right here where I am, where I've been very successful," she said Thursday afternoon. "It's not like I left because I didn't have a great job. I was gonna take a pay cut, a dramatic pay cut. So the only regret I have is that after all that hard work, and after watching this great American hero get elected in CD 22, that you people won't accept that there's gonna be a conservative voice from South Florida."

Kaufman has taken heat for a number of controversial statements over the years, including saying that illegal immigrants who commit crimes in the U.S. should be hanged.
Filed Under: 2010 Elections

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37 Comments

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smtrahdco1

So, let me get this straight. We don't like our duly elected government, so we have the right to remove it by force. Surely, whatever the 2nd ammendment means does not include Anne Get your Gun?!!! If so, I'm for heatlhcare, I'm for not extending Bush Tax cuts. I'm against the 2 unpaid wars. I'm for immigration reform but not to the extent of "marching everybody down to Texas". So, I guess I can pick and choose who I use my 2nd ammendment right on. We are a Repubic build on democractic principles. The elected government is allowed in office until such time as there is an election. Then and only then do we have the power to change the government. This is the catch, you may not get the government you personally want. What a load of nonsense.

November 12 2010 at 9:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Hi Roger!

Congressman-elect West has done the right thing in deciding not to include Kaufman on his staff. I cannot believe Kaufman expresses the views of most Floridians; if so, I'll not be visiting Florida anytime soon, the Everglades and Disney notwithstanding.

November 12 2010 at 3:44 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
diegolonestar

The greatest test of the Second Amendment will be if they ever try to take it away. - Thomas Jefferson

November 12 2010 at 1:05 PM Report abuse +10 rate up rate down Reply
LFunchesTSC

All great empires rotted and fell from within before they were conquered from without. The posts on this article show that this nation is pointed in the same direction. The signs are prominent; a moral climate that can best be described as "the lower parts of a sewer", public officials lying through their teeth to gain power; the rich buying power and influence with money, another group using tax money to buy votes; the division between the "haves" and the "have-nots" is reaching Grand Canyon proportions; deep-seated racial hatred, a growing class hatred, these are just a few of the signs of the growing weakness that will ultimately lead to national collapse. Self-serving interests are tearing this nation apart; hatred and violence will in the end destroy this nation as effectively as bombs from an outside enemy. And for the record, God is neither a Republican or a Democrat, He is not white, black, brown or yellow. If you are going to quote His word then do it right: He said, "God is no respecter of person, but in EVERY NATION He will accept those who love Him and obey Him." Kaufmann is not a problem but she is an open symptom of the terminal disease that is growing within this nation.

November 12 2010 at 12:10 PM Report abuse +22 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to LFunchesTSC's comment
linmarco

Amen!

November 12 2010 at 1:15 PM Report abuse +6 rate up rate down Reply
Tom

What Is needed is to Vote Out All Of The Seanators congressmen and president and replace Them all With a totaly non Partisan government That Actually listens To The People. Then get rid of all of The Lobbyist Because They are Out for only The special Interest They represent and The big bucks. And Then make It a treasones Crime punishable By death For all goverment Officials That Do Not Listen To The Will Of The people But of special Interest Groups And Big Buisness. It Is Like the old addage " when The Sh..! Hits The fan the First People To be Shot Will Be The goverment Officials & Lawyers"

November 12 2010 at 12:05 PM Report abuse +6 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Tom's comment
linmarco

Non partisan? You must be kidding. These people love the Democrats and Republicans. Read these posts. The elected members of both parties know they do a lousy job governing. But they also know their constituents have faith in them. A true genuine independent or third party candidate has about as much chance of winning a congressional seat as a piece of ice has of not melting while left out in the August sun. Tea party is a Republican with front bumpers. Green party is a Democrat with no bumpers. Independents? They go either way. The problem is any person getting elected wants to stay elected. The press plays up what the polls show and the people respond. Losing an election isn't the end of the world. But try telling some people posting here that.

November 12 2010 at 1:26 PM Report abuse +4 rate up rate down Reply
Hippie

Joyce Kaufman is definitely my kind of woman - conservative, outspoken, and shoots from the hip with real bullets.

November 12 2010 at 12:04 PM Report abuse -9 rate up rate down Reply
Susan

People who encourage others to use bullets to get their way and want public hangings should stop using God's name as some sort of 'cover'. This is taking the Lord's name in vain of the WORST sort! I am so sick of people trying to make thier hateful, outrageous and UnAmerican utterances legitimate by trying to convince folks that God is on their side. They should read or reread the bible because they obviously didn't get the message contained therein!!

November 12 2010 at 11:34 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Lawrence

' ..and I'm so glad these lovely children were here to witness this great patriot express her views of hate, violence and mass murder..not only was it authentic frontier gibberish but expressed a view seldom heard since the dark ages..'

November 12 2010 at 11:33 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
shalhoubalbert

I met Ron Kline about 3 years ago at a meeting of the people in CD 22, that was when he would actuality have people who would ask him questions in person, not like he did in his second term when he only took questions by phone so they could be screened. He ran a campain of not telling the people how he helped them,or what he did for the country, but of constant mud slinging because he did nothing in 4 years. He could not defend his 4 years in congress. Joyce Kaufmann called him out on this, but his backers could not see that he was a do nothing congressman. He was a Democrat so he could do no wrong they had blinders on as usual. Joyce told it as it was. She is a light at the end of the tunnel and she will be proven right. She now gets to stay in South Florida, no snow , no wind and no crummie weather only sun shine and a great job to go to and people who love her. If people would listen to her they would know the truth about her.

November 12 2010 at 11:31 AM Report abuse -2 rate up rate down Reply
donna

she's right! although bullets are a little extreme and i would disagree that bullets solve anything. i don't believe however, that such a remark should cost her a job but that's what America's become because of political correctness, founded by the liberals. we used to have freedom of speech but now and unpopular remark might put you in prison which is unbelievable. slowly, our freedoms are eroding and if Americans don't wise up and protest, we will indeed end up behind the 8 ball.

November 12 2010 at 11:21 AM Report abuse -6 rate up rate down Reply

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