WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Tuesday defeated a resolution to criticize a Florida Republican who compared Democrats’ political messaging to the work of Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels.

Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md., introduced the resolution to disapprove the remarks of Rep. Allen West, R-Fla. A Republican motion to kill the resolution was approved 231-188, mostly along party lines. Three GOP members voted with all Democrats to keep the resolution alive.

West made the reference earlier this month when asked about Congress’ low approval ratings and blame that has been directed toward Republicans.

The freshman Republican was quoted as saying, “If Joseph Goebbels was around, he’d be very proud of the Democrat Party because they have an incredible propaganda machine.”

The resolution said that the House “disapproves of the behavior of the representative from Florida, Mr. West, for bringing discredit to the House by offending the memory of those who died during the Holocaust.”

When Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich. wrote West that he should “help raise the level of congressional discourse in a vigorous debate,” West, according to the resolution, responded to Conyers by making similar comments.

“The Democratic Party does indeed have a vicious propaganda machine, it espouses lies and deceit and the master of deceptive information would be truly proud,” West wrote.

The resolution would have condemned “the repetition of this abhorrent and outrageous sentiment,” and said it demonstrates “not only the willful and malicious misapplication of history, but also his disdain for the decorum of the Congress.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.