Florida Rep. Allen West Says “Get The Hell Out”… and the response?

From Real Clear Politics:

“Take your message of equality of achievement, take your message of economic dependency, take your message of enslaving the entrepreneurial will and spirit of the American people somewhere else. You can take it to Europe, you can take it to the bottom of the sea, you can take it to the North Pole, but get the hell out of the United States of America,” Rep. Allen West (R-FL) said at the Palm Beach County Republican Party Lincoln Day dinner. West represents the district in the U.S. Congress.

And now today, from Newser:

GOP Erasing District of Tea Party Star

Strong conservative, Tea Party favorite, and rising star Allen West could find his congressional seat gerrymandered Democrat—by none other than the Republican Party. West’s “sacrifice” at the hands of his own party smells like the latest example of the establishment fighting back against the Tea Party, according to Legal Insurrection. One Florida legislator, who happens to be working for the Mitt Romney campaign, “tried to hide behind a need to comply with [state and] federal law, but that’s obviously a dodge since there could have been many ways to comply yet not sacrifice West,” writes William Jacobson.

And more from CBS:

it’s becoming increasingly likely that West will have to take his message somewhere other than Congress. That’s because under a redistricting plan put forth by the GOP-controlled Florida legislature, West could have a hard time winning a second term – a situation that has some conservatives suggesting a conspiracy by establishment Republicans, including GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Allahpundit’s big question at Hotair:

Why hand over a congressional seat held by a guy who’s capable of raising boatloads of money for the party and of reconciling tea partiers to a party apparatus from which they feel disaffected?

Seems pretty stupid.  But so is a choice between Mitt and Newt.

Or for another take on it, the Palm Beach Post:

Does Democrat-dominated Palm Beach County still have enough red precincts to help two Republican congressmen?

Although Democrats hold a 45.3-to-28.9 percent registration advantage countywide, GOP-leaning areas in the county’s north end and along the coast help form the backbone of Republican U.S. Rep. Allen West’s District 22, which also extends into Broward County. And northern Palm Beach County Republican strongholds are a smaller but important piece of Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney’s eight-county District 16.

When the Republican-controlled Florida legislature draws new political boundaries next year, lawmakers’ traditional reflex will be to try to protect rising GOP stars West and Rooney. But a new law and old-fashioned math could bring headaches for Republicans.

The voter-approved “Fair Districts” law forbids drawing districts to favor incumbents or political parties. Even if opponents succeed in getting the law tossed, or if lawmakers figure a creative way around it, it’ll be tough to find enough Republicans in Palm Beach County to help both West and Rooney.

These may just be the breaks.  And it isn’t as if Allen West isn’t popular enough to go for a higher office.