House Republicans get Godwin'd

[Townsend]

Democrat Compares Republicans to Nazis

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/01/abc-news-jonathan-karl-reports-the-newfound-civility-didnt-last-long-political-rhetoric-in-congress-doesnt-get-much.html#tp

The newfound civility didn't last long.  Political rhetoric in Congress doesn't get much nastier than the words of one House Democrat during the debate on repealing the health care law.

In an extraordinary outburst on the House floor, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) invoked the Holocaust to attack Republicans on health care and compared rhetoric on the issue to the work of infamous Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels.

"They say it's a government takeover of health care, a big lie just like Goebbels," Cohen said. "You say it enough, you repeat the lie, you repeat the lie, and eventually, people believe it.  Like blood libel.  That's the same kind of thing. And Congressman Cohen didn't stop there.


"The Germans said enough about the Jews and people believed it--believed it and you have the Holocaust.  We heard on this floor, government takeover of health care.  Politifact said the biggest lie of 2010 was a government takeover of health care because there is no government takeover," Cohen said.

Cohen made his comments late last night, but they have attracted no attention because his speech was made to a virtually empty House chamber with no reporters around to watch.

[Hoss]

Democrat Compares Republicans to Nazis

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/01/abc-news-jonathan-karl-reports-the-newfound-civility-didnt-last-long-political-rhetoric-in-congress-doesnt-get-much.html#tp

He needs to stop watching Beck...

Oh, wait, he's a Democrat?...

What a maroon!

[nathanm]

It was a stupid way to make his point, but since when is the truth uncivil?

[Red Arrow]

It was a stupid way to make his point, but since when is the truth uncivil?

Whenever it's spoken by someone right of center.

[waterboy]

Regardless of the parallels with history, I get really tired of having behaviors compared to Nazis, Socialists and Communists. History does repeat itself so, yeah, politicians will continue to use the same techniques that have worked in the past whether they are used to the left or the right.

I don't think our congressmen are nearly as sophisticated as we may have thought.

[sgrizzle]

I don't think our congressmen are nearly as sophisticated as we may have thought.

Our expectations differ

[Townsend]

I don't think our congressmen are nearly as sophisticated as we may have thought.

They had to have the constitution read to them....well, not the two-thirds thingy (that would've made them uncomfortable)...but most of the constitution was read to them.

[guido911]

They had to have the constitution read to them....well, not the two-thirds thingy (that would've made them uncomfortable)...but most of the constitution was read to them.

What 2/3 thingy?

[Hoss]

They had to have the constitution read to them....well, not the two-thirds thingy (that would've made them uncomfortable)...but most of the constitution was read to them.

Unless you're Boehner, who also seems to think that the phrase "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" ... is part of the Constitution.  And he actually referred to that part as the Preamble.

Except that phrase is part of the DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE!!

Anyone who grew up in the seventies and watched Saturday morning cartoons should know most of the Preamble to the Constitution..it starts:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

[Townsend]

Anyone who grew up in the seventies and watched Saturday morning cartoons should know most of the Preamble to the Constitution..it starts:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Well now that's in my head.

[guido911]

I am waiting Townsend. I do not know what "2/3" thingy was omitted.

[Townsend]

What 2/3 thingy?

my mistake, 3/5ths.  Never was much of a numbers guy.

The original Constitution has several controversial sections, such as the Three-Fifths clause, which states slaves are "three fifths of all other persons,"

However, they did have to read:

the 16th Amendment, which gives Congress the power to invoke a federal income tax, a sore point for many conservatives

[guido911]

my mistake, 3/5ths.  Never was much of a numbers guy.

However, they did have to read:

I knew that's what you meant. Trying to be cute about the House GOP reading the constitution, and then needing to actually know what's in it, can be amusing. Perhaps you just had a Conyers moment:

[Townsend]

I knew that's what you meant. Trying to be cute about the House GOP reading the constitution, and then needing to actually know what's in it, can be amusing.

Why'd they have to have it read to them?  Why not read it on their own time?  Were they not to be trusted to do it on their own?

[guido911]

Why'd they have to have it read to them?  Why not read it on their own time?  Were they not to be trusted to do it on their own?

It was nothing more than symbolism. And if you saw the Conyers clip, or do not recall now-fired Dem Rep. Phil Hare's opinion of the constitution (below), a little symbolism may go a long way.