Text of U.S. Rep. Ron Klein's campaign e-mail

Subject: Apologize to BP?!

Dear Friends,

Apologize to BP?!? Allen West must be joking.

BP causes America’s worst environmental disaster in our history... a crisis that will hurt FL’s economy for years - from the beaches of the Panhandle to the seafood restaurants of Boca - and we’re supposed to apologize?!

Unfortunately, my opponent Allen West seems to feel differently. He now has a problem with asking BP to set up an escrow account to fund the cleanup.

"...when you have an executive branch that goes to a private sector business and takes their private equity funds and demands that they put it into an escrow account, something is upside down in this country," West said.

In short, while sheets of oil are washing up today on Pensacola Beach, he’s more concerned with BP’s profits than the livelihood of fishermen, restaurateurs, or those that depend on FL tourism. How offensive and out-of-touch for West to defend a multi-billion dollar oil company and saddle Florida taxpayers with the burden of paying for the damage caused because of Big Oil's

There are only days left in this quarter. Please help me defeat the pro-drilling, incredibly irresponsible Allen West.

Furthermore, West took $1,000 from BP-apologist Joe Barton’s Texas Freedom Fund.

Barton called the Obama administration’s push for BP to set up a $20 billion account - a fund that would ultimately help pay for clean up and damages and wages for those who are losing their livelihood - a "shakedown."

Most Republicans have made it very clear that Barton’s actions were unacceptable. Not Allen West. A continuing supporter of offshore drilling, West’s campaign is now aligned with those who would apparently give BP a pass.

Thus far, the most radical Tea Partiers have taken a liking to West and what he stands for. They also haven’t been shy in contributing to his cause. West has raised $2 million from those that would leave our beaches in ruins, end Social Security and Medicare, and give corporations free reign.

I have less than a week to hit our goals. Please donate today to keep West and other BP-apologists from gaining more traction.

I thank you all for your continued support and look forward to the coming months!

With kind regards,

Congressman Ron Klein