Allen West: Obama campaign has 'Soviet Union, Marxist-Socialist theme'

Tea party favorite Rep. Allen West (R-FL) is slamming President Barack Obama for using the word "Forward" as his campaign slogan, insisting that it is an "old Soviet Union, Marxist-Socialist theme."

"This is about whether we continue to be a republic governed by the Constitution," West told a Republican Jewish Coalition rally in Boca Raton, Florida on Sunday. "Or will we become a liberal-progressive, bureaucratic, welfare nanny state, which is exactly what the other side wants?"

He continued: "They want to bring out an old Soviet Union, Marxist-Socialist theme for their campaign called 'Forward'. I have to ask you one simple question. Where is the Soviet Union today?"

After the Obama campaign unveiled its campaign slogan in April, conservative outlets like The Washington Times and Breitbart.com warned that the word had a ties to Marxism.

"The Obama campaign apparently didn’t look backwards into history when selecting its new campaign slogan — or maybe they did," Fox Business host Lou Dobbs said at the time. “That’s because ‘Forward’ has a very long history with Marxists and socialists and communists.”

"Forward" is also the motto of Wisconsin, where Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan serves as a congressman.

Watch this video from Shark Tank, broadcast Sept. 9, 2012.

(h/t: Think Progress)