Rep. Allen West Compares Himself To Abraham Lincoln [Audio]

GOP House Representative Allen West is on his way out, but vowed that his political career isn’t yet over, comparing himself to Abraham Lincoln and saying that the 16th president also only served one term in Congress.

The controversial politician told NPR on Friday said that his recent defeat hasn’t turned him sour on politics, saying “Abraham Lincoln only served one term in Congress, too.”

You’ll recall that West contested Florida election results on the 2012 election, demanding a recount in several counties. Though it seemed pretty clear that he had lost his re-election bid to Democratic challenger Patrick Murphy, he recently conceded defeat to his opponent two weeks after the election. Beforehand, he told his supporters that he may run for office again in the future.

His immediate plans for the future were vague. In the interview, he said that he’ll continue to “stand up and fight for this country.” He also brought up his daughters, saying that he wants “to make sure that they grow up in a great America that provides them all the opportunities that it provided to their mother and father.”

“I think the most important thing that has to happen up here in Washington D.C. is to restore honor, integrity, and character to the political system and process that we have. And also, we have to make sure that people are here for, not their self-interest or special interests, but for the American interest.”

Guess who else only served one term in Congress? President Barack Obama. But we’d guess that West wouldn’t be caught dead comparing himself to him.

Here’s an audio clip of West’s interview with NPR, via Mediaite: