Want to See Rep. Allen West Rip 'Think Progress'?

While giving a President’s Day speech in Boca Raton, FL, Rep. Allen West (R-FL) took the opportunity to dress down writers at both Think Progress and the Huffington Post.

The Congressman related a story to his audience about the time one of his staff members introduced him to a Think Progress article titled "Rep. Allen West’s 15 Most Outrageous Statements."

“So, I go around and there’s a website she has up,” Rep. West explains, “And it was hilarious!”

Why is it "hilarious"? Rep. West explains:

There are people out there on the other side that are actually tracking every little single thing I say. And they had the top ten things that Allen West is saying. And you know? It really started to look like a bunch of whiners: "He said nuts!" "He said he doesn’t want a liberal message in America!" "He said…"

You know?

What I can’t understand for the life of me is how people on the other side can certainly dish it out, but when you stand up on principle, when you tell them what you believe in, they can’t take it! They act offended and they act hurt.

Rep. West’s remarks were met with cheers and applause.

“So, I know that whatever I say tonight is going to show up somewhere,” the Congressman said with a smirk, “and I know that the Huffington Post will be going, you know, apoplectic tomorrow from whatever comes out of my mouth.”

Watch Rep. West poke a little fun via Shark Tank:

"It’s vintage Allen West delivering another funny dressing down of his adversaries in the press," writes Javier Manjarres of the Shark Tank.

Of course, writers at Think Progress weren't amused and they responded predictably enough to the Congressman's remarks.

"Ironically, while calling us 'whiners,' it’s West who seems to be overly sensitive about a story that simply presents 15 of his own quotes," writes Zachary Bernstein.

"The fact remains that West has a habit of making divisive and irresponsible statements about his political opponents and/or minority groups. Among quotes that we didn’t include in our original list, West has called Obama 'a low-level socialist agitator,' has called prominent black leaders the 'overseers of a 21st century plantation,' and said that advocates for the DREAM Act are 'almost treasonous,'" Berstein adds.

The Think Progress article concludes by vowing to "track every little single thing" Rep. West says so long as he continues "to campaign on this record of hate."

Well, then. If being "divisive" and "irresponsible" are what prompts Think Progress to "track" politicians, they might want to take a look at some others.

How about the guy who called on voters to "punish our enemies?" That was "divisive," wasn't it? Or how about the guy who publicly insulted, say, the Cambridge police without actually knowing the full story? That was "irresponsible," wasn't it? Or maybe -- just maybe -- Think Progress could roundly criticize the person who called GOP leaders "demons." That's "divisive," right?

Right?