U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Palm Beach Gardens, drew cheers by comparing GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s debate victory in Denver as having given President Obama an old-fashioned “getting taken out behind the woodshed.”

But he also cautioned party members on Thursday against getting too overconfident with a month remaining in the campaign, including two more debates.

“It’s the same thing I used to try to teach men when they were in combat,” West advised the approximately 750 party members as he opening the Republican Party of Florida’s Victory 2012 dinner at Disney’s Contemporary Resort in Orlando.

“When you go out on a patrol and you’re very successful in a firefight or a combat engagement, you come back in and you feel good about it, you slap high-fives. But you must understand one simple thing: tomorrow you have to go back outside that gate, outside the wire.

“The enemy you confronted now believes he knows your tactic, he knows your processes and procedures, and he’s going to be back, because he’s upset because you took him behind that woodshed,” said West, who is in his own re-election battle.

Gov. Rick Scott and Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell are also scheduled as headline speakers.

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, prior to giving the pledge, promised plenty of “red meat” from the podium in addition to the meals from the Disney staff.

RPOF Chairman Lenny Curry said Romney was able to score points with the public because "it was simple, unfiltered, devoid of media bias. He made the case for change.”



Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.