U.S. Rep. and civil rights icon John Lewis, D-Ga., will join U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, in campaigning for U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, in West Palm Beach on Friday.

It’s part of an effort Hastings described last month to Politico.com to enlist the Congressional Black Caucus to help Klein against black Republican challenger Allen West in a disrict that’s less than 5 percent black.

The rally for Klein will be at Payne Chapel A.M.E. Church in West Palm Beach at 5:30 p.m., with doors opening an hour earlier.

Hundreds of angry veterans have complained to the Veterans of Foreign War about this year’s House and Senate endorsements by the VFW PAC.

The PAC’s endorsement of Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein over Republican challenger and Iraq war vet Allen West has generated some of the most complaints, the Associated Press reports. The other hot button has been the PAC’s endorsement of Democratic California Sen. Barbara Boxer over Carly Fiorina.

The PAC is standing by its endorsements of House and Senate members who have taken the VFW’s position on military and veterans issues.

Read about it here.

U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, voted for Big Labor’s top priority in 2007 — a “card check” bill that would allow unions to bypass secret-ballot elections if a majority of employees in a bargaining unit sign cards requesting a union. That bill passed the House but stalled in the Senate.

The bill was reintroduced in 2009 and Klein — after some hesitation – signed on as one of 231 cosponsors.

During a debate Tuesday with Republican challenger Allen West, Klein said he supports secret ballots and signed on as a cosponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act so he could have “a seat at the table” to influence the legislation as it is hashed out.

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Republican congressional challenger Allen West’s new ad says Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein should “admit his ideas just don’t work” and highlights his votes for the $787 billion stimulus bill and the health care overhaul and the 2008 Troubled Asset Relief Program.

The ad’s claim that the health care bill includes “$500 billion in Medicare cuts” is disputed by Democrats, who say savings and efficiencies won’t result in seniors seeing a reduction in guaranteed benefits (although private Medicare Advantage programs will be reduced). The Post On Politics blog looked into the Medicare numbers here, noting Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf’s assessment when the bill passed that it’s “unclear” whether the savings can be achieved.

President Obama praised U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, at an event that raised $1 million for Klein and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at the Coral Gables home of Alonzo Mourning.

Here’s a story about Obama’s visit for Klein and House Republican Leader John Boehner’s visit for Republican challenger Allen West.

Read the White House transcript of Obama’s fund-raiser remarks after the jump…

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President Obama’s fund-raising visit to Coral Gables today will raise $1 million for U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, organizers said.

The guest list at former Heat star Alonzo Mourning’s house includes current Heat players Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Juwon Howard and retired NBA greats Patrick Ewing and Earvin “Magic” Johnson. A variety of South Florida congressional Dems are also on hand, including Senate nominee Kendrick Meek.

Tickets for the event ranged from $1,000 for the general reception to $17,600 for a couples package that includes dinner and a spot in a “presidential photo line.”

Klein is being challenged by Republican Allen West.

Republican congressional challenger Allen West says House members should serve no more than eight years and Senators no more than 12. And no legislator should serve more than 12 years in combined House and Senate service, West says.

If term limits aren’t made law, West says he’d voluntarily abide by them anyways.

“I do not want to stay up in Washington, D.C., and become part of the culture that I think is corrupting people,” said West, who’s running against two-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein.

West brought up term limits in a discussion of House Minority Leader John Boehner’s visit to West Palm Beach this morning to promote West’s campaign. West said the GOP “Pledge To America” that Boehner and other GOP leaders put forward last month falls short because it doesn’t mention term limits. West said he also wished the manifesto had more detail about curbing illegal immigration and about banning earmarks and pork-barrel spending.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, in line to become speaker if Republicans regain control of the House in the Nov. 2 midterm elections, says the GOP today is different than the model rejected by voters in congressional elections only four years ago.

“I think Republicans learned their lesson. They understood that we were spending too much, government was growing too much,” Boehner, an Ohio Republican, said this morning at a campaign appearance for Republican House candidate Allen West at the Gun Club Cafe in unincorporated West Palm Beach.

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WEST PALM BEACH — President Obama’s visit to Coral Gables later today to raise money for Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein underscores the high partisan stakes in the congressional District 22 race.

But Klein, facing a tough challenge from Republican Allen West, sought to emphasize his bipartisan appeal this morning by appearing with two elected Republicans — Palm Beach Mayor Jack McDonald and Riviera Beach Council Chairwoman Dawn Pardo — who are endorsing him. Also backing Klein at the city waterfront was David Brady, the Republican who got 23.3 percent in the Aug. 24 primary against West.

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Underscoring the national significance of the congressional District 22 race, President Obama will visit Alonzo Mourning’s house in Coral Gables on Monday to raise money for U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton.

House Minority Leader John Boehner, who hopes to become speaker if West and other Republicans unseat Dems in November, will appear with West at a Monday morning breakfast meet-and-greet in suburban West Palm Beach.

Klein and West debated today on WPLG Channel 10. Read about it here.

President Obama comes to South Florida Monday to raise money for U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, and the

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The money event — with host status and a photo op for couples who donate $17,600 — will be at the Coral Gables home of former Miami Heat star Alonzo Mourning.

Although it’s a House campaign event, Democratic Senate nominee Kendrick Meek, struggling for Democratic votes against independent Charlie Crist, will appear with Obama at some point, Meek’s campaign says.

“They’ll be together,” said Meek spokesman Adam Sharon, who didn’t reveal any details.

Don’t look for an Obama-Alex Sink photo op, however. The Democratic governor candidate has events elsewhere in the state on Monday, her spokeswoman said.

Barack Obama carried congressional District 22 in 2008, but Republican congressional challenger Allen West’s latest ad is banking on significant Obama fatigue in the swing district. With Obama coming to Alonzo Mourning’s house in Coral Gables next week to raise money for Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, West’s ad portrays Klein and Obama as out of touch with economic miseries.

“You and Ron Klein should leave that closed-door, high-roller fund-raiser and drive by our shuttered businesses and foreclosed homes,” says West. “I’ll go anywhere you wish to debate your failed big government policies.”

Klein’s camp, meanwhile, notes that Sarah Palin — who endorsed West in March — will be at The Breakers in Palm Beach tonight for what our Jose Lambiet reports is a private dinner hosted by Newsmax owner Chris Ruddy.

West won’t be there, campaign manager Josh Grodin said. While Klein and Dems regularly play up Palin’s endorsement of West, Grodin said West didn’t know Palin was coming to town, has never met her and didn’t know he was being endorsed by her until it showed up on her Facebook page.

West and Klein are among the candidates expected at a League of Women Voters forum at Temple Torah at 8600 Jog Road west of Boynton Beach tonight beginning at 7 p.m.

The PAC for the nation’s largest veterans group has has endorsed Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein over Republican challenger and war veteran Allen West.

“This endorsement is based on your strong support for veterans, national security & defense, and military personnel issues,” says a letter to Klein from Veterans of Foreign Wars PAC Director Salvatore Capirchio.

The VFW represents more than 2.1 million vets. Its PAC mainly endorses incumbents from both parties and in 2008 gave 55 percent of its contributions to Democrats and 45 percent to Republicans.

Klein also was endorsed this week by Veterans and Military Families for Progress.

West has been endorsed by Veterans for Freedom, Combat Veterans for Congress, Iraq Vetrans for Freedom and the National Vietnam & Gulf War Veterans Committee.

Republican congressional challenger Allen West released a new ad this morning saying Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein’s policies have “failed South Florida,” but not mentioning any specifics. The ad also highlights West’s military service.

Klein released a new ad Wednesday attacking West again for liens and court judgments. Since going on the air Aug. 24, all Klein’s ads have slammed West without mentioning Klein’s own record.

Check out both ads:

Local Democratic U.S. Reps. Ron Klein and Ted Deutch are among the 47 House Dems asking Speaker Nancy Pelosi not to allow taxes on investment income to increase at the end of the year. Unless Congress extends the Bush tax cuts, capital gains and dividend taxes will increase from the current 15 percent to 20 percent.

Pelosi and President Obama favor allowing the tax rates to increase for individuals earning $200,000 and couples making $250,000 a year.

Klein, facing a tough challenge from Republican Allen West, was also one of at least 38 House Dems who recently called for a short-term extension of the Bush income tax cuts for everyone, including wealthy filers.

A day after Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein’s campaign released a poll showing Klein with a 48-to-40 percent lead over Republican challenger Allen West, the West camp said its own more recent polling gives West a 48-to-42 percent lead over the incumbent.

The “brushfire” poll of 300 likely voters by Wilson Research Strategies was taken Monday through Wednesday and has a high margin of error (5.7 percent). The poll comes after the Florida Democratic Party generated national uproar by revealing West’s Social Security number in an attack mailer.

A polling memo says West leads 52-36 among independents. The poll finds Klein is viewed favorably by 41 percent of voters and unfavorably by 38 percent. West is viewed favorably by 39 percent and unfavorably by 27 percent.

An internal poll taken last week for Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein shows him with a 48-to-40 percent lead over Republican challenger Allen West, Klein’s campaign announced today.

Klein, whose TV ads have attacked West without mentioning Klein’s own record, has driven up West’s negatives and is “clearly getting the better of the paid communication battle,” says a memo from Anzalone Liszt Research.

West’s campaign manager Josh Grodin said the race is closer, but wouldn’t release West’s internal polling.

The Klein campaign’s poll of 500 likely voters in Palm Beach-Broward congressional District 22 has a 4.4 percent margin of error and was conducted Sept. 14-16, so it doesn’t measure any blowback from a Florida Democratic Party mailer that revealed West’s Social Security number and is now being used by West to slam Klein.

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Republican congressional challenger Allen West, whose Social Security number was revealed in a recent Florida Democratic Party attack mailer, responds today with a new TV spot that calls Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein “a desperate politician who will do or say anything to keep power.”

Says West: “It makes you wonder what else Klein will do to me — or to you.”

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Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein — who had some of his thunder stolen by a Florida Democratic Party attack mailer that revealed Republican challenger Allen West’s Social Security number — released a new ad Monday calling West “too extreme.”

West unveiled an ad this morning linking Klein to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and “union bosses.”

Read more after the jump….

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CORRECTION: An earlier version of this blog post incorrectly reported that the anti-West mailer was sent by Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein’s campaign. The mailer was sent by the Florida Democratic Party.

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The Florida Democratic Party sent out a mailer last week detailing Republican congressional challenger Allen West’s 2005 tax lien and court orders to pay delinquent credit card bills. West is challenging Democratic U.S. Rep. Ron Klein.

The mailer includes a reproduction of the $11,081 tax lien filed against West in Marion County, Indiana, and paid off four months later. The document, pulled from public records, includes a column titled “Identifying Number” that shows West’s nine-digit Social Security number. Although the number isn’t specifically identified as a Social Security number, West campaign manager Josh Grodin said there is no mistaking what the number is.

West called the mailer “an unprecedented new low in American politics.”

Florida Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff responded by accusing West of “paranoia” and adding: “After making every effort to remove all of Allen West’s private information, unlike West who refuses to apologize to Florida’s taxpayers for not paying his taxes and his bills, we apologize for the oversight of not redacting this information from the public record included in the mailer. To end, while this mail piece does not explicitly identify any Social Security number, in order to stop the crazy West accusations, we will pay for identify theft monitoring for the next two years.”