Hitler reference riles Senate race

[Judi Lynn]

Hitler reference riles Senate race
By PETER JACKSON, Associated Press Writer
12 minutes ago

HARRISBURG, Pa. - The president of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO said Wednesday he was wrong to have referred to Adolf Hitler while criticizing Republican Sen. Rick Santorum (news, bio, voting record).

"When I think about his votes against working families, I get angry and I said something I shouldn't have," Bill George said in a statement issued in response to criticism from Santorum's campaign and Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

In a story Sunday in The (Harrisburg) Patriot-News, George commented on the contrasting styles of Santorum, a conservative firebrand who is the Senate's No. 3 Republican, and his low-key challenger, Democrat Bob Casey. George said Santorum feeds off negative passions and lacks true charisma.

"Some see him as Hitler, 'I'm right' and 'we have to go kill them' and 'the hell with the poor and the working class and we have to protect the rich," the newspaper quoted George.

The quote drew a belated response Wednesday from Santorum's campaign, which drew attention to it in an e-mail to reporters, and Dole, who called upon Casey's campaign to denounce George's "outrageous" remark.
(snip/...)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060906/ap_on_el_se/pennsylvania_senate

[yourout]

1. In the same circumstances I could see Santorum behaving...

just like Hitler. He is almost as nuts.

[depakid]

2. Only Republicans are allowed to refer to Hitler

Of course, they don't apologize....

and they also seem to win elections. 'Spose there might be a little bit of a connection there?

[rusty charly]

3. exactly- only war critics are hitler!

please read your memos.

[The Stranger]

4. PAGING DICK DURBIN . . . PAGING THE DICK . . .

[Born Free]

5. Patriot News in Harrisburg Pa

The editors bend over backwords to appease the right wingers, more often than not they have pro-Santorum articles, except when the facts get in the way. I have yet to read anything about Santorum taking the dead fetus home for his small children to bond with. It was in the Washington Post many months ago, but almost no one I talk to even believes it, they just can't accept Santorum is the right wing nut case he is.

[KansDem]

6. Not Hitler...George should have compared Ricky to Billy the Kid.

Now there's a comparison!

[Cha]

7. Where'd you dig up that

picture?! Looks just like little adolph! :)

[KansDem]

9. Uncanny, isn't it?

I thought for some time now that Rick Santorum looked so much like William Bonney that they must be related.

[badgervan]

10. In the Eyes

What is it with so many high level repubs having eyes so close together that they almost touch? Must be a corelation between very close set eyes and low intelligence - bush, santorum, rummy, and so many others that I've noticed. Just a theory, but I swear bush's eyes will meet one day.

[Journeyman]

8. Without Hitler, there'd be little political discourse in this nation. . .

since seemingly everyone refers to everyone else as "Hitler this" and "Hitler that," and the sad truth is, it points merely to a dearth of imaginative oratory.

[Telly Savalas]

11. You're a total Nazi for suggesting that.

[bhikkhu]

12. playing the Hitler card, I was taught in college debate,

is nearly always a sign of an argument on its last legs. This goes as well for "nazi".

That is so say, an argument that cannot be sustained by any other means than introducing Hitler and Nazism analogies is finished. At least that was common knowledge in my schooling.

[w4rma]

13. And for "Communist".

Although it should be noted that sometime positions really are extreme enough that there is a need to use these extreme labels. But, you have to take strong consideration of your audience if you do. It can backfire easily.

As a note, I think Bill George did a very good job with his apology for using the label. In fact, he got coverage for some other very good criticism of Santorum out of it.