Allen West Asks: 'Is it Open Season on a Principled Black Conservative?'

Rep. Allen West, who received a derogatory letter with mysterious white powder in it last week, has some stern words for his menacing critics.

From The Hill:

Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) used an email to constituents to respond to a threat against his Florida office last week and to warn critics to "be careful of whom you are choosing to employ these tactics against."

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West, a retired Army colonel, has become a national figure among Tea Party activists since defeating Democrat Ron Klein last November. The Florida Republican will be a top target of national Democrats seeking to regain the majority in the House in 2012.

In that letter, West wrote, "This incident, is just another in several incidents that have occurred over the last couple of years and, have put me in quite a bad mood."

He offered the example of a "liberal blogger publicly stating that he wanted to 'skin me alive,' " and a protest outside his office led by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) "castigating me as a 'misogynist.' "

"I find it interesting that in all of these instances, the media simply dismissed the incidents," West said. "One might wonder — is it open season on a principled black conservative?"

He ended his letter on a bit of a macho note: "Let me be very clear to all reading this missive, but mostly to liberals who subscribe to this behavior, be careful of whom you are choosing to employ these tactics against...I consider myself an easy-going fella who will always engage in intense intellectual exchange. However, if you choose this path of personal attacks, intimidation, and threats you will encounter a very different Congressman (LTC. Ret) Allen B. West."