Allen West asked wife to be his "Porn Star", demanded "Non-Negotiable" Sex Acts

[Mehmentum]

While I shudder at the thought of defending Allen West, of all people, I feel that these quotations would certainly be more reasonable in context. They'd been married for four years and the guy was suddenly half the world away from his wife, it's entirely natural that he'd try to keep their relationship's sexual intimacy alive even if the only available method of communication was this awkward and ham-fisted attempt at snail-mail handwritten sexting. The "porn star" line just sounds to me like typical mid-coitus dirty talk that plenty of healthy couples do, it only seems weird because it's written down. Hell, I know I'd be ashamed to read a transcript of things I've said during sex; West was probably just trying hard there and didn't realize how weird it probably sounded.

Also, the "non-negotiable" line and the bit about the two piece bathing suits sound like they were probably just attempts at flirtateous jokes. Really, I think things like this are going to sound much worse if someone just cherry-picks out a handful of lines to share. The only thing I find truly weird, personally, is the bit about God juxtaposed with sexual desire, but I feel even that's probably not too strange for a devoutly religious married couple (E.g., see Song of Solomon for the Bible's God-approved sexual content!).

But really, I don't think you can assume much about this couple's relationship based on a handful of lines from a letter. I kinda feel bad for them that something that was so obviously intended to be private somehow ends up on the Internet. It's also creepy that a south Florida gossip blogger somehow got his hands on a letter that was written a decade ago, but I suppose that's a different argument entirely.

Ultimately, while I really don't like Allen West at all- he's easily one of the country's worst sitting Congressmen and the very definition of a HP- I don't feel that this scandal is nearly as bad as it seems. And yeah, he's incredibly anti-women, but it's a stretch to relate this letter to his political beliefs.

Now, if you'll excuse me, the fact that I just typed something in support of Rep. West is giving me the overwhelming urge to curl up into the fetal position and shake uncontrollably.  I feel that I might have to donate my savings to Alan Grayson's campaign or something so I can even out my partisan karma.
         

I agree with you 110%.

[opebo]

While I shudder at the thought of defending Allen West, of all people, I feel that these quotations would certainly be more reasonable in context.

Ultimately, while I really don't like Allen West at all- he's easily one of the country's worst sitting Congressmen and the very definition of a HP- I don't feel that this scandal is nearly as bad as it seems. And yeah, he's incredibly anti-women, but it's a stretch to relate this letter to his political beliefs.

I think we can all agree this is totally unfair and a cheap shot, but the underline means - we should certainly make it.

[Gustaf]

How much you want to bet Gustaf would still vote for West over opebo?

Certainly less than I had been willing to bet on BRTD making a flimsy connection to Opebo in a thread about something else.

Anyway, I think this is over the top. Anyone who has been in a sexual relationship knows that breaking taboos (especially verbally) is often a part of that. Unless there is evidence that he actually treated his wife abusively I think the main thing here is that it's kind of sleazy to publish such private letters.