On Wednesday, long-simmering tensions between West and the party’s vice chair, Cat Parks, boiled over in public as he called her a “cancer” and “delusional and apparently deranged” amid a dispute over a party committee project. Parks is a cancer survivor.
He unloaded on her in an email early Wednesday morning, charging her with long using her position to advance herself. Parks shot back at West, accusing him of hypocrisy.
"Allen,... if anyone has used their position at the Republican Party of Texas in an attempt to advance themselves,... it has not been me,” Parks concluded, punctuating the sentence with a laughing-face emoji.
West responded to Parks, a cancer survivor:
"You Ma’am are a cancer, do not EVER email me again,” West said, adding that Parks does "nothing but create chaos and confusion."
"You Ma’am are a cancer, do not EVER email me again,” West said, adding that Parks does "nothing but create chaos and confusion."
Email screenshot below: (click to enlarge.)
The email, which was sent to numerous other people by West using the BCC function, entered the realm of discussion on the internet. He said he was sending it out to others "for wider dissemination." by Wednesday night the dispute was being played out on multiple media news sites and many commented on Twitter and Facebook about the exchange.
Conservative commentator Erik Erikson was critical of West's comments.
"Allen West referring to a cancer survivor as a cancer is what we can expect from him," he tweeted.
Former Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen was also blunt.
"GOP Chair @AllenWest’s verbal assault on VC @CatParksTX is nothing but a tirade of misogyny & disrespect by a man pitifully floundering to be right when he is so blatantly wrong. (And signing it with “God’s Blessings”…I’d say that’s an affront to the Big Guy) @TexasGOP #txlege"
The Maverick County Republican Party's Twitter account praised Parks' work as a vice chair.
"Nobody has done more to help the Republican Party of Texas Grow than Vice Chair @CatParksTX! Vice chair parks goes to other counties to grow the party and invite people into this party. Vice chair Parks was instrumental in helping build our local party. Thank you VC Parks!"
State Republican Party Executive Committee woman Summer Wise wrote of her reaction to West's comments.
"Vice-chair @CatParksTX is a cancer survivor who triumphed in an arduous, and at times, uncertain recovery. What kind of person tells someone grateful to God for each & every day they are alive, free of cancer - that they are a cancer?"
Austin City council woman Mackenzie Kelly - the council's only elected Republican - was equally blunt.
"As a cancer survivor, @CatParksTX is the ultimate fighter, and has continued to live a life of service and leadership.
It is clear that @AllenWest has disqualified himself for any elected office by resorting to a life of smears and lies."
(Full story here.)
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