Tea Partier Taps Wingnut Pundit to Lead Staff

The class of 2010 is already shaping up to make the next two years on Capitol Hill some of the most entertaining in recent memory. Floridian Tea Party favorite Allen West, who unseated Democratic Rep. Ron Klein in the midterm elections, has named conservative radio commentator Joyce Kaufman as his chief of staff. Kaufman is known for stirring controversy with incendiary statements, like saying illegal immigrants who commit crimes should be hanged and shipped to their country of origin at their family’s expense. West’s campaign manager defended the choice, saying, “What’s been working in Washington has not been working.” Lacking legislative experience, Kaufman will be a rare rookie chief of staff on Capitol Hill.