ALLEN WEST SCHOOLS TIM PAWLENTY: IN THE MODERN GOP, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO WALK BACK YOUR REASONABLE REMARKS

As I mentioned in my last post, Tim Pawlenty went after Michele Bachmann on the issue of her migraines and then backed off less than 24 hours later. All I can say is: Tim, what are you doing? You're a Republican! You're not supposed to walk back incendiary remarks! You're only supposed to walk back reasonable ones!

Case in point: After Allen West called Debbie Wasserman Schultz "vile, unprofessional and despicable" in an e-mail, he said he apologized:

West said, "I just apologized," when asked by a Huffington Post reporter about the situation in the Speaker's Lobby before votes Wednesday afternoon, according to a tape of the conversation.

The Huffington Post reporter repeated the question later, asking about it in the context of a group of female lawmakers preparing to hold a news conference to condemn him. The Members planned to call on the leadership of both parties to rebuke West. In response to the question, West reiterated that he had apologized before walking into the House chamber.

In fact, there's audio of West claiming he apologized.

But Wasserman Schultz said West didn't apologize -- and so did West's spokeswoman. And now he says he has no intention of apologizing:

“That is not happening," West said Thursday on Fox Business Network.

You can watch the clip of that remark here. It was in response to a question from Fox's Stuart Varney: "Would you be prepared to apologize in any way, sir?"

See, Tim? If you're a Republican, this is when you do a walkback -- when you've been caught seeming reasonable. Even pretending to have apologized when you haven't is too polite and civil for the rabid Republican culture of 2011. Get with the program, Tim! Say something even nastier about Bachmann, right now -- or just declare yourself a liberal!