we're back. republican congressman alan west of florida is threatening to take its party back to an era it would rather forget. the infamous speech in wheeling, pennsylvania in 1950, west told people in the town there were 80 people in congress that were members of the communist party. is that really the message that the gop wants to be sending in 2012? howard fine is an nbc political analyst. chris freed is the reporter for the national journal. it's at a town hall meeting on tuesday. he's fielding a question by an attendee. >> what percentage of the american legislature do you think are card-carrying marxists or international socialists? >> there are about 80 members of