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Allen West Compares Himself To Abraham Lincoln

Rep. Allen West (R-FL), the controversial and outspoken, one-term Tea Partier, lost his re-election bid to his Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy earlier this month. During his two years in the House of Representatives, West earned a reputation as one of the most brash Republicans as well as a top Islamophobe in Congress.

But West told NPR’s Michel Martin that he has big plans for his political future, likening himself to one of the nation’s greatest presidents:

MARTIN: So what’s next for you?

WEST: Look, you know, God closes a door so that he can open up greater doors. I will continue to, you know, stand up and fight for this country. That’s my goal. I have two daughters, 19 and 16, and I want to make sure that they grow up in a great America that provides them all the opportunities that it provided to their mother and father.

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MARTIN: Congressman Allen West is completing his term in Congress. He was kind enough to join us from a House recording studio on Capitol Hill here in Washington, D.C.

WEST: And always remember, Abraham Lincoln only served one term in Congress, too.

It took West two weeks after the November 6 election to concede to Murphy. He told supporters last week that he hasn’t decided if he will run for office again. “It’s not like my life ends, and my life of service to this country doesn’t,” he said, according to local media reports.