This Is not the America we Want': Santelli & Rep. West Talk Free Markets & Revitalizing the Economy

CNBC’s Rick Santelli, the man commonly credited with starting the Tea Party, on Monday spoke with Rep. Allen West (R-FL), a Tea Party favorite, about revitalizing the U.S. economy.

“The CME Group and myself, and CNBC welcome you,” said Santelli.

“Well, it's an honor to be here with the CME group and yourself, Rick. I had to come up from down South because I want to try to open up a Chick-fil-A franchise here in Chicago,” Rep. West said referring to Chicago alderman Proco “Joe” Moreno’s vow to block the chicken chain from opening a new eatery in his ward.

“That is a big controversy in the city,” said Santelli, “and forgetting the issue of what your thoughts are, for example, on gay marriage, doesn't it strike you as a little bit odd that the -- the necessary situation to open up a business in Chicago would pry into the beliefs and mores of the owners?”

“It does and when you understand the other side, the liberal side, because free speech is only free if you agree with what they say and what they believe. That is really the problem that you have right now with the Federal government, being invasive and intrusive nature,” Rep. West responded.

“[T]hey're trying to dictate where a private sector organization can relocate and establish itself. [It] goes back to the exact same thing you saw with Boeing,” he added.

Rep. West is, of course, referring to the NLRB’s attempt to prevent Boeing from opening an aircraft-production line at a non-union plant in South Carolina. Although the NLRB eventually dropped its case against Boeing, many saw the supposedly non-partisan fed group’s attempt at blocking Boeing on behalf of unionized labor as extraordinarily partisan.

“That's not the America that this great institution here is trying to promote -- free market and private sector,” Rep. West added.

Watch the interview [via CNBC]: