Eric Kleefeld January 6, 2011, 4:01 PM

Newly sworn-in Rep. Allen West (R-FL), an Iraq War veteran whose military career ended after a torture-related incident, is standing by his criticism that President Obama should fly directly out to the theaters of combat when he visits troops. And what’s more, the new conservative star might also be getting just a bit ahead of himself on his political career.

West appeared last night on Lawrence O’Donnell’s MSNBC show, and stood by his comments in a colorful way:

“Lawrence, I’m not going to retract that statement, because I will tell you this — if I was sitting at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, I would fly into a combat theater and I would get out there and visit those troops wherever they are. That’s just the type of leader that I am, and that’s what I believe in. And that’s the type of leadership that was instilled in me, and my father who, when I was commissioned as a second lieutenant back in 1982, he said that the number one job for you, Lieutenant West, is to take care of your man — especially when you go into combat.”

Hmm, could this be a sneak preview of a running-mate convention speech in 2012?

The key line happens at about the 9:10 mark below:

In an interview in December with the New York Times, this exchange occurred:

Deborah Solomon: Do you consider President Obama a good leader?

Allen West: Not really.

Solomon: Do you think those in the military respect him?

West: I don’t know, you gotta ask guys in the military, but I will tell you this: I think that going in in the middle of the night doesn’t show leadership.

Solomon: Are you referring to that recent three-hour trip to a base in Afghanistan? He needs to consider his own safety, doesn’t he?

West: Leaders lead by example, and if I’m asking my young men and women to go out there and put their lives on the line, I should be willing and able to do the exact same thing. As I told my soldiers when I was commander in Iraq in 2003, the most expendable person in our battalion was me.

Solomon: Didn’t George W. Bush go in for a surprise visit to Iraq under similar circumstances? Remember the platter-of-turkey photo op on Thanksgiving Day?

West: I’m not saying that’s right, either. I’m saying that my understanding of leadership is a little bit different. Leadership is about being a servant first.

Allen West, FL-22, Lawrence O'Donnell