Congressman raises bar on bad Hitler references

Poor Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ) he thought only Democrats would get objections for grasping Hitler references. During a radio talk show appearance this week, LoBiondo took the stance that Gitmo detainees were worse than Hitler because Hitler

"sort of had a political rationale about what he was doing."

Muslim terrorists, unlike Nazis, apparently have no political rationale (which we know lends just enough credence to terroristic acts like invasions, torture and murder to make them almost respectable) for their hatred and anger [emphasis added]

"Hitler, in his philosophy, was, you know, he hated Jews, he was murdering Jews, and there were some people he liked. But he never went to the level that these people are going to," LoBiondo said.

a rather daring series of statements to make for a Congressman from a state with a sizable Jewish population. A caller from Margate objected to the Congressman's statements minutes later.

"You're right. You're right. I was wrong. I should not have used that and I apologize," LoBiondo responded.

Nice of him to apologize after the objection was raised, but what does he mean by "I should not have used that"? Does he just mean he shouldn't have used a Nazi reference because it was insensitive or because it was an inaccurate analogy (Hitler ordered the extermination of 6M + people plus the incarceration and torture of even more)? Regardless, the rationalization that Hitler's actions towards Jews, Gays, Gypsies, and other less than perfect specimens of humanity was somehow better because there was a "political rationale" is reprehensible and his apology, while immediate, didn't seem to address that. Based on LoBiondo's argument, the militant Islamacists do have a political rationale (and, considering the circumstances behind the invasion of Iraq and possible covert attempts at election fixing in Iraq, a potentially legitimate one); his comment could also stand to justify the fundagelical actions against Gays, Muslims, Jews and other non-Christians (heathens as well as folks who aren't "the right kind" of Christian), as well as countless acts of tribal warfare in the name of country or global domination. It wasn't just the comparison of one group of evil-doers (Nazis) to another (terrorists) or the disproportionality of the comparison that made LoBiondo's statement inappropriate, it was the allusion to a justification of one being less reprehensible because there's a rationale we can understand to hatred and action against the proverbial "them" but it's always heinous when such an action/attitude is directed at us. This seems to be par for the course in the Republican party use (and lack of censure for) the Hitler/Nazi references.

Tags:New Jersey/NJ; Politics; Republican; Terrorism; Hitler; Gitmo; Islam; War on Terror

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