Broward's U.S. Rep. Wasserman Schultz tells "Meet the Press'' she has security at constituent meetings; singles out Joyce Kaufman for political rhetoric that needs to be "toned down''

By Brittany Wallman January 9, 2011 10:31 AM

Broward's U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, spoke this morning on MSNBC's "Meet the Press'' about the shooting in Arizona that wounded her close friend and colleague, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona. She said in the segment that she always has a law enforcement presence at her big constituent meetings.

"I think it needs to be a wake-up call for members who have treated their personal security in a cavalier way,'' Wasserman Schultz said.

She said "there are always officers present'' when she holds meetings in the district, to protect her staff, as well as herself and "the people in the room.''

Here are two clips from the show including her. At the end of the first clip, where the group talked about inflammatory political rhetoric, Wasserman Schultz said it needed to be "toned down.'' She referenced local radio personality Joyce Kaufman's comment that "we'll use bullets, if ballots don't work.''

Wasserman Schultz also mentioned, without ever saying Kaufman's name, that Kaufman nearly became a chief of staff. That was of course a reference to new U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Plantation, who selected Kaufman, but after a huge controversy, she changed her mind and gave the job back. Click here for a memory refresher on that, and West's subsequent promise that he would "bring this liberal, progressive, socialist agenda, this left-wing, vile, vicious despicable machine ... to its knees'' on the "battlefield'' in Washington, D.C.

http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/po ... _schu.html