Democratic lawmaker compares GOP health law claims to Nazi 'lies'

[babylonsister]

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/138805-democratic-lawmaker-compares-gop-health-law-claims-to-nazi-lies

Democratic lawmaker compares GOP health law claims to Nazi 'lies'
By Jordan Fabian - 01/19/11 01:21 PM ET


Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen (Tenn.) on the House floor Tuesday night compared Republican claims about the healthcare reform law to lies perpetrated by the Nazis that led to the Holocaust.

Cohen, who is Jewish, made his remarks during floor debate over the GOP bill to repeal the law.

"They don't like the truth so they summarily dismiss it," he said. "They say it's a government takeover of healthcare. A big lie just like Goebbels. You say it enough and you repeat the lie, repeat the lie, repeat the lie until eventually people believe it. Like blood libel, that's the same kind of thing.

"The Germans said enough about the Jews and people believed it, and you have the Holocaust," he added. "You tell a lie over and over again."

Cohen's remarks, first caught by ABC News, come amid heightened sensitivity to political rhetoric following the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). Republicans have by and large stopped referring to the law as "job-killing" though they have not officially removed the phrase from the repeal bill's title.

[leftstreet]

1. Meh. The Democrats brought the Republicans back to life

wtf did they think would happen?

[elleng]

3. You got this wrong, left.

Repugs have played the Goebbels game ever since WWII, which is why they've retained life. Lie Lie Lie.

[leftstreet]

6. No, I mean the voters destroyed the Republicans in 2006 and 2008

The Democrats brought them back to life with the bullshit healthcare Town Halls and the co opted 'Tea Party'

Reaganomics and Fundie Nut Politics was dead.

The Repubs shouldn't even be close enough to a microphone to spew their garbage

[Uncle Joe]

7. I agree, I believe it's because they either need or want each other to act as foils.

If one party becomes endangered of becoming extinct, the other comes to the rescue.

[xchrom]

2. Recommend - I hate HCR - but his description is right on. Nt

[elleng]

4. ...

:thumbsup:

Glad a Dem finally brought it up; been going on ever since WWII.

Think I'll contact and thank him.

[steve2470]

5. oh he went there nt

[JoePhilly]

8. That was dumb.

What he should have said is that ...

A) the GOP told many lies, repeatedly ... and ...

B) Their claim that there were "Death Panels", or that Obama was "going to kill granny", "destroy Medicare", or that he was "just like Hitler for wanting all Americans to have health care", were despicable and disgusting acts.

Now, his invocation of "Hitler" will be used to allow the GOP to return to their deadly rhetoric.

Idiot.

[babylonsister]

9. I think I agree with you; why reduce ourselves to their level? nt

[DCKit]

10. +2 Calling it "Bad, Already Discredited (by the CBO) Propaganda"...

would've scared the (R)s out of the chamber to the nearest person who could read a dictionary to them. Additionally, Geobbels was a master of propaganda, the Republics are ham-handed amateurs.

He gives them far too much credit.

[FiveGoodMen]

13. If the pukes are no good at propaganda, then why do they get their way EVERY GOD DAMNED TIME?

[Johonny]

14. I disagree

Republicans call Democratic tactics Nazi like even when they are not. Republicans call Democrats out for using harsh and violent rhetoric, even when they haven't. So why should Dems worried about what Republicans say about them. We already know they will lie. Had he just said Republicans lie, Republicans would simply make up the Nazi tie in the offend them anyways. They do it all the time. His comparison isn't off base thus he was perfectly fine to say it. If you can't speak the truth why speak?

Anyways return, Republicans return to their nasty rhetoric long ago. The question isn't if politicians should be mean, nasty to each other. The question is if they are smart to use violent rhetoric, particularly those that seem to sanction political assassination. Republicans repeal laws name is as nasty as it gets politically. So why worry about "starting" it. They never gave it up.

[RZM]

16. Poppycock

Are you really saying that elements of the right doing it make it ok for the left to do so as well? People on the right who drop Nazi references are wrong, stupid, liars, or any combination thereof. Same thing when the left does it.

The comparison in this case IS off base, as are almost all such comparisons.

[Johonny]

20. No I'm saying if he thinks lieing is wrong

then he perfectly within his right to say so. If he wants to use who NAZI's used big lies to push big false agenda's on their people and thinks that this is equivalent to what the Republicans did on health care, then he should say it. I certainly think said equivalency isn't off base, unless the Republicans can prove "death" panels were in the bill etc...

Why be afraid to speak your mind, because Republicans will be mad at you and use it as an excuse to be nasty. Their already nasty and already accuse you of it anyways. Democrats can make perfectly valid points and have them be labeled evil rhetoric. Welcome to the game. It's not new. Good Dems aren't afraid because they already understand they will be accused no matter what they say. They might as well point out points they feel are valid.

[JoePhilly]

18. The right wing knows that their follows eat that NAZI nonsense up like candy

The left does not ...

The vast majority of the left see such comparisons as "jump that shark" moments.

[RZM]

15. Agreed

Like most invocations of the Nazis in US politics, this was totally unnecessary. The Nazis are a representation of 'absolute zero' . . . it's hard to get much worse than that. This is why you hear so many references to them -- when making an argument, the temptation is always there to portray your opponent in absolute terms and the Nazis are a handy reference point for such comparisons. Most of the time, a Nazi reference shows one of two things about the person making it. Either they are a) ignorant of history, or b) deliberately misleading people. Unfortunately it's usually 'b'.

[elleng]

11. Weiner did a similar 'they lie' thing. GREAT Dems finally calling them on their crap!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x229591

[BrklynLiberal]

12. Maybe if the Dems did some message-defining and debate-framing, instead of leaving it all

to the repukes, this situation would not be the disaster it is.

The Dems did virtually NOTHING to counter all the attacks by the repukes against the health bill. Their silence was deafening.
Unanswered attacks are disastrous. Ask John Kerry.

[gratuitous]

17. Get the media their finest clutching pearls, and roll out the best fainting couch!

We're gonna see a whole week's worth of "Well I never!" posturing from the usual popular media talking chuckleheads.

[Swamp Rat]

19. The GOP = American Nazi Party

[emilyg]

21. Not smart.