Washington (CNN) - A House Democrat compared Republicans to one of the most reviled Nazis during World War ll– ignoring efforts on both sides of the aisle to tone down the political rhetoric.
Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee, used a late night House floor speech Tuesday to hit Republicans for what he called "lies" about a government takeover of the health care system, and evoked Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels.
"They say it's a government takeover of health care, a big lie, just like Goebbels. You say it enough, you repeat the lie, you repeat the lie, you repeat the lie and eventually people believe it," he said.
Cohen, who is Jewish, went on to compare that "lie" to the term "blood libel," a phrase that historically was used to falsely accuse Jews of killing Christian children. In present times, the term has come to be understood by some as any false accusation of murder. Sarah Palin used the term last week, but Cohen did not mention her by name in his speech.
"Blood libel. That's the same kind of thing. The Germans said enough about the Jews and people believed it and you had the Holocaust. We've heard it over and over again on this floor, government takeover of health care. Politifact, non-partisan, Pulitzer Prize winning 2009 St. Petersburg times said the biggest lie of 2010 was government takeover of health care because there is no government takeover," said Cohen.
Cohen made his comments after the formal health care debate had concluded for the night Tuesday, during what is known as special orders. Members of the minority party traditionally use this time to come to the House floor to make speeches, generally to a nearly empty chamber.
In a telephone interview with Cohen Wednesday he stood by his comments.
"I didn't see anything wrong with it. Goebbels was the great propagandist of probably the 20th century, and his whole theory was if you tell the lie over and over again people will believe it," Cohen told CNN.
Still, Cohen said he didn't believe he was comparing Republicans to Nazis.
"I wasn't trying to say, never would say, haven't said and wouldn't say that the Republicans are akin to the party that he [Goebbels] was a part of, but they [Republicans] did lie and they've said the lie over and over again," Cohen said.
"The fact is that the government takeover of health care is a lie," he said.
"I don't think I was comparing the Republicans to Goebbels. I was saying that lies are lies and Goebbels was the great perpetrator of lies and that's a danger, and if you look at Goebbels you can see the lie that he told about Jews which he constantly did, became considered fact in Germany that the Jews were evil, and people got involved and didn't stand up."
Cohen also denied his comments ignored his party leadership's pleas to tone down the rhetoric following the shooting of their colleague, Gabrielle Giffords.
"I think civility is not lying, and if you can't come up and say that somebody is lying when they're lying, then the lie becomes the truth. That's not uncivil to say somebody lied," he said.
But, after several questions about the appropriateness of evoking a Nazi to make that point, Cohen did say that "there are no Nazis in Congress, there are some liars, but no Nazis."
Cohen said he has not heard from his party leadership about his remarks.
From CNN Politics
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Yea, that's how to change the rhetoric you leftist M-O-R-O-N! Quit your Whinning! Pelosi is out!
Sarah sure is a fahn-lookin' woman. You gull just git out there and play politics. We gone make mistakes, but they are, too. Everthang's will be fine. Obama ain't got no more chance in 2012 than a kerosene cat in hell with gasoline drawers on.
Put a sock in it. Lies are lies. period. no need to evoke Nazis. Childish and ignorant talk from someone who should be acting like an adult.
Yes, call them on the lie. It is one. Make your point without the vitriol and name calling.
Is anyone surprised? People cherrypick what they want to believe all the time, no matter what the facts are. I frankly think the time for this comment stinks, but thats beside the point. We have passed a Rubicon of sorts, and we need to decide what we are going to do going forward: to continue to lie and spin and demonize, or do we actually look at solving the problems.
Think about it.
and rightfully so.......the republicans are nothing but the scum on this earth.......and to those of you so called christians: the truth should be spoken and the aforementioned is 100% THE TRUTH.
I expect to hear calls from all on the left for a full retraction, an apology on the floor of the House and an offer of resignation for this despicable hate filled rhetoric less than 2 weeks after his colleague was shot.
Why is the left in this country so violent and hate filled? Mandatory psych evaluations should be required of all of them.
Hey cons, it is just words and they have no consequence, remember?
We all get to say what we want under the guise of "freedom of speech, so let the man speak!
At least it was not accompanied by a graphic with citizens pushing naked republiKKKans into a gas chamber!
Finally a Democrat calling the republicans what they are...HE HIT THE NAIL RIGHT ON THE HEAD. All they do is lie lie lie. but then the stupid people who listen to fox and rush, well they don't know any better.
A bit too strong.
True, it seems that their only strategy (rather than come up with an alternative that is workable) is to repeat their debunked lies over and over and over again, and to some of them TRUTH doesn't not matter anymore, just the lie in which they solely and passionately believe in.
But still... too strong.
Even though I do not like this type of rethoric, we have to admit that the gop has been way too poisonous in the past 17 years to get anything truly positive done for our country.
He shouldn't have used the Nazi reference, but the rest was 100% accurate. Government takeover of the health system and death panels WERE the biggest lies of 2010.
Wow, so now it's okay to compare Republicans to Nazi and use the term Blood Libel but if a Republican does it than it is offensive and Sarah Palin is considered uneducated because she used the term Blood Libel. Of course, he now denies it, now that he said it and most likely got people angry at Republicans and Sarah Palin. Why didn't he just address the point that if we don't buy a health insurance policy we will then have to deal with the IRS as the penalty is a TAX due to the IRS.
I think the title of this article is awful. It leads to the idea that this congressman directly called Republicans "Nazis" – which isn't true. Yes, that allusion is possible – but it's drastically different from other congresspeople and political figures ACTUALLY calling people Nazis.
I don't remember much of CNN pointing out THOSE instances of people utilizing the Nazi rhetoric in the titles of articles – and as a liberal Jew, I think I'd have been incensed while reading those articles and would have come over to see the article and would have remembered those instances. For shame, CNN, for grasping at straws to find a left equivalency to the rhetoric of the right!
ah ... yea lets tone down the mean spirited debate. in washington...stupid talk from a very stupid person...., ..
Cohen said he has not heard from his party leadership about his remarks.
________________________________________________________________
Of course not. His party has no leadership. He is a Democrat.
I don't know if I would agree that ObamaCare is a full blown government takeover of health care, but injecting this law into private industry and so thoroughly changing the competitive structure of it sure heads in that direction. The worst thing about ObamaCare though, is that it will be so ineffective. Costs will go up and quality will go down. There are also so many political buy-offs with this legislation that the average taxpayer will get slaughtered with it. We can do better and the Republicans have presented so many ideas about how. Obama and the Democrats just ignored this input to their own peril and to the peril of the American health care system.
lol...democrats once again showing what hypocritical tools they are and why people regularly point and laugh at them.
He is 100% correct. People believed Republican lies about Obamacare because they needed so badly for these lies to be true. Even when confronted with evidnece, with undeniable proof that they were told lies, people still chose to believe them. I have never seen anything like this. Why are people so pig-headed?
Dana Bash wrote this article... enough said. Comparing someone to a Nazi or hostage taker and calling people out for their intentional greed, evil and lies is nothing compared to saying to use your 2nd amendment rights, putting rifle targets on congress persons or enticing a mob through violent rhetoric. Only a fool (Dan Bash) cannot see the difference. Those who have eyes see, those who have ears hear.
As an advocate for civility in public debate, this time it's a Democrat who has gone over the edge.
His pseudo-retraction quoted in the story is lame. He should apologize and use more moderate language.
I do believe that he is correct in his assertion that lies have been repeated endlessly about the current law - enough to fool some people into believing them. Just look at the things posters are writing on these blogs. Nevertheless, that is no excuse for trying to tie them to the Nazis.
So ... what he is saying is this ... N A Z I S lie.. Republicans lie ... that is what I am saying .... what does the public do then?
If N A Z I S lie and republicans lie then N A Z I S = Republicans... Its a legal trick used in courtrooms to get a point out ... even if it is over ruled by a judge ... the seed has been planted....
The net result is .... you figure it out.
Goebbels would be offended.
Rep. Steve Cohen is spot-on. Republican Politicians are nothing but domestic terrorists and should be treated as such. They win the House, and what do they do? They squader their first weeks trying to repeal something that will never be repealed.
Somebody finally speaking the truth, couldn't agree more
Headline writers should be a bit more circumspect. Most people never get past the headline and first paragraph, and then assume they have read te article. Cohen didn't call Republicans Nazis, he did say Nazis used a common political tactic of those arguing from an untenable position – lie and repeat until the tiny brained hear it often enough to think it's the truth. Goebbels was a master of doing that. The Republicans, for whom truth is incredibly elusive, use the same tactic.
@Kyle "It leads to the idea that this congressman directly called Republicans "Nazis" "
Oh yeah and Palin didn't REALLY suggest hurting anyone with gunsites on a web page.
@Brain User
I agree with you, but "Saddam" has weapons of mass destruction was the biggest one in recent history. I mean they said it over and over and over again until we were convinced to go to war. Still no WMD's... ?
@Four and The Door, you do realize that the majority of the political buy-offs were in attempts to woo Republican votes, right? Also, that the remainder of the bill is nearly identical to the bill in Massachusetts, championed by Willard "Mittens" Romney, a Republican?
Some one needs to stand up to distorting the truth, or the distortion becomes the truth.
Did you hear the one about Republicans claiming that the recent signs of economic growth are becasue of their election wins in Nov. That is a distortion of the truth, if not a flat out lie.
Call it what you will, but politicians of all stripes lie, it's just that the republicans do it with the full realization yet feel no guilt or accountability.
Dems you're a day late and a dollar short with this on-point assertion.
This is what you all should've been screaming to the four winds wayyy back during the Healthcare debate era when the Rethugs were indeed spewing dangerously inciteful lies about the reform, going as far as to refer to Death Panels. Where were your voices then Dems? The ONLY voice in the wilderness was our President's while the rest of you hid behind him and dodged the 'political' bullets.
Forget the name calling. The American public is waking uo, thank God, and they are listening to facts. All you Dems have to do is stick together behind your cause- America-, and let the President along with the rest of you in clear and concise words tell the people all the good work that you've accomplished on THEIR behalf. That's all you need to do to differentiate yourselves from the Rethugs. Dems work FOR America, Rethugs work for THEMSELVES and their rich patrons.
Stick to to the truth and stop being so scared of bullies in the play yard. Look to your President, he didn't quit, don't you punk up on us.
I agree; tell a big lie, tell it often and loud, and people will believe it. Worked for Hitler and it works for Palin.
And the left defends his hate speech. Hate speech is hate speech spoken either from the right or left. Those leaving supportive comments would be screaming for his head if he were a conservative.
Right on the money.
It is scary how easily the masses accept what is being tossed in front of them as long as is fits within their scope of the world. If you don't even try to distinguish between simplified truths, lies, propaganda and reality then you forfeit the right to even mention the word "freedom" because you are going to be one of the its coffin nails. Just like all those bad bad Nazis who just followed and followed and followed and followed....all the way until May of '45.
Using the term "Nazi" is perhaps a bit strong. That being said, the part about Republicans lying with regard to the bill is 100% correct. And isn't it ironic that the very posters on this site who call President Obama and Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid the most VILE names are now the ones compaining about this?
Rickster – laugh and point at those who you disagree with is SOOOOOOOOOOO mature and polite of you art, not.
Protect and Defend Freedom of Speech in the USA – You should change your pen name to Protect and Defend Hypocrisy in the USA, that's how little your posts weight.
you could tone down the Nazi comparisons, but using "liars" to describe the GOP is just factual and accurate
And what exactly have the Republics done to town down the dialog? If anything they're getting worse. Now that they got a taste of their own medicine, then they start whining. I guess only conservatives have freedom of speech in this country.
He is absolutely correct in his statements.
Republicans have lied constantly about the healthcare reform bill that is now law. They have scared the daylights out of their ignorant followers and shamed them to get in line with what they want.... POWER AT ANY COST.
Calling a liar a liar is not wrong. Blame the liars (republicans) not the man who has the guts to stand up to them.
"We can do better and the Republicans have presented so many ideas about how"
Really??? Then they must be whispering it in your ear because the rest of the country sure hasn't heard their great ideas!
GOP is citing obsolete studies and quoting them as Gospel in their efforts to repeal the "job-killing healthcare bill". These studies were performed before the bill was ever finalized. Most experts won't even do an analysis on the job cost of this bill because they mostly think it will be minimal at worst. Go to Factcheck.org. What is really funny is that even when the politicians are confronted with the falsehoods from where they have formulated their argument they respond with.. "This is a job-killing law, period. Anyone who argues otherwise is ignoring the construct of the health care law and the widely accepted facts." – House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's Spokesman Brad Dayspring
way to go Tennessee – it is about time a Democrat stood up and told it the way it really is. this entire vote to repeal Health Care Reform bill is nothing but grand standing – the tactics the Republicans have used from the beginning has been based in fear.
He didn't call Republicans Nazis: he compared their speeches to Goebbels' who was a Nazi, he said their tactics resembled that of the Nazis, and he said they hope to brainwash the masses into believing their story, like the Nazis. See, totally different.
@ Protect and Defend Freedom of Speech in the USA:
its the height of irony that anyone on the Right feels threatened by replies from the Left. The history of this country is replete with hate-filled speech masquerading as patriotism from those claiming to protect my rights. Only yesterday CNN ran a clip of a couple who defended Palin in song, with a refrain about locking people up. If it were up to people like you, you would lock up, deport or execute anyone who opposed your blinkered vision of what this country is about. I'm not asking you to shut up or go away, I'm asking that you control yourself. The reference to Goebbels and Nazi propaganda techniques, however uncomfortable and unpleasant, is closer to the mark than the death panel scare or any of the other charges that have been leveled at liberals over tha last 90 years. You are more than willing to exercise your free speech rights, but also be prepared for the response. If you can't handle it, don't go there.
Ahh yes. CNN. Mostly the left has tried to tone down what is already toned down. course the right is toned up and refuses to tone down. So when a lefty does it it's big freaking news. Yawn. Think I'll go back to sleep. Bout as bad a fake news as the uproar over the Christian Brother comment in a bloody church. Hello he's in a church.. Do love the comment about Pelosi's out. really ? when? Think she's still in. See jumping to conclusions on the first comment.
Unless Hitler lives among us now but upon hearing this goes back in time to cause the holocaust then this is not the same as the Republicans consistent calls to arms and revolution against government through actual physical violence.
It is however, an overused lazy analogy. Although, in essence correct.
Anyway. Glenn Beck is the modern version of Goebbels although his motives appear to be financial rather than ideological.
That's not correct Republicans and the Democrats lie to the American public on the behalf of corporations and the super rich, not to support their government like the Nazis did.
It's about time.
Cohen is right, but he could have made his point without resorting to Goebbels or Nazi Germany. The 'Big Lie' is a propaganda technique used by all propagandists, regardless of ideology. Pelosi and other top Democrats need to condemn this rhetoric immediately if they want to avoid charges of blatant hypocrisy. My guess is that they will. Something top Republicans never do.
Go 1:1 with a 'Conservative' Republican.
Try to get a straight answer.
You'll quickly notice repeated boiler-plate utterances that don't address anything.
No matter how passionate and factual you phrase your retorts...
... you'll get the same boiler-plate utterances.
Simple phrases like 'Tax & Spend', 'Job Killer', ....
There's no thought to their responses.
And when you really back them into a corner, your character & patriotism would be questioned.
Yah... the Republicans go Goose-Stepping, in ideology.
It is amazing to me how the Republicans will lie about just about everything in order to justify their wrong-doing. They are beholding to the companies and lobbyists instead of the American People. The people that believe them are the same ones that belong to the NRA and believe Obama wasn't born in this country. They don't give a crap about what is right for the country, only for their beliefs and they are the ones that turn out to vote religiously. Until, the rest of America, that turned out to vote for Obama, starts showing up for all elections, the nut jobs will continue to dictates the direction of the country!
It was the truth, but he should have toned-down the rhetoric. Just call them out on their lies. Yes, they are using similar tactics to nazi propaganda, but now is not the time to call names. Just use facts.
The Republicans are lying about the Health Care Law. They want to remove it without having anyting to replace it with.
He is 100% correct. Nazis were FAR RIGHT Extemenists.
If the shoe fits...wear it. Telling lies to scare people against this is wrong. If you're going to fight it, then fight health care reform for its merits. Not based on lies.
Thanks for telling it like it is. A lie is a lie, even if it is civil and the GOP has done more harm with their continual and pathological lies than any foreign terrorist. Also, stop wasting precious time in the house posturing for the repeal of this bill. It will never pass the senate or get signed by Obama and they know it. Why isn't the GOP creating jobs like they promised instead of this BS. Oops – they just got caught in another campaign lie!
As a left-leaning American, I have to say, C’mon Dems. You can’t call for an end to the rhetoric from the right and then actively engage! Show some maturity and stop the nonsense. No wonder no one has any faith in the government any more.
The call was for a more civi " AND HONEST" debate. The repuclicans keep forgeting that part.
Differences of opinion are what our government runs on. The repulcians increasingly make comments that they know are not true. THey references sources that don;t support thier claims and they are fully aware of it. That's fine if your a talk radio host but in their rush to emulate and follow all those directives, they have become just as dihonest and just as worthless as their source. It is un American and the people need to demand it stops no matter what party is doing it and no matter what party benefits from it.
Building something requires skills like the ability to imagine, plan, execute, ect. Demolishing on the other hand can be done by any idiot. So, the republicans will do what they are good at i.e., destruction and obstruction.
Ah the liberal belief in civility.
With Kos, Media Matters, the entire MSM lying daily about Care, the economy, jobs, borders all to give Bama a boost, the rep. now looks like a soviet flack from Pravda. Not one fact, of course. Libs do not deal in facts but emotions to get another specific group roped into ...voting for them. Some of the posters here are products of that type of liberal brainwashing and it should amaze no one that we are now 36th among nations for educational superiority. Free speech, liberty, free enterprise never allows the libs to get away with those lies and that is why they yearn so much to eliminate Talk Radio, the Net, so called FCC rules on Fairness and Fox.
While I agree with him about the lying, can we all just stop calling people we disagree with Nazis or socialists or facists or communists. It's no less stupid when a Dem does it as a T-partier. And to you T-partiers – the fact that this idiot did it is not an excuse for all your (as a group) behavior (10 times as much as the left has done) since you suddenly woke up and discovered the national debt on 1/20/09 (by some strange coincidence).
I've had enough of both parties lies. They need to BALANCE the BUDGET and go home!
I agree somewhat. I believe both parties are using the father of modern propagandas ideas to effect their policy. However I am sure Joseph Goebbels would love Sarah Palin. Think Mrs Sarah Louise Heath Goebbels, a marriage made in hell. She and her handlers must have studied Mr. Goebbels.
From the quote given, Rep Cohen did not say "Republicans are Nazis". What he said was that they are using the same tactics that Goebbels used – to repeat a falsehood until it becomes 'the truth'.
Unfortunately, too many people are trying to find something to be outraged about and then use that to accuse the 'other side' of being 'hateful'. Goebbels was a great propagandist. He just happened to be a Nazi. Saying that you are acting like Goebbels is not saying you are acting like a Nazi, but that you are acting like a propagandist. There is nothing hateful about that if one can accurately make that connection.
He should have called them what they are:liars, demagogues, race-baiters, fear- mongers, propagandists, but not Nazis.
Tulsa's right–good point but can be made without foolish vitriol
If all you pin heads that want to socialize your healthcare would come spend a year in Canada your views about Obama care would change in a flash. I spent 25 years in the US and had the greatest health care in the world. Yes, it cost me a bit but nothing to the huge taxes I pay here in Canada the past 6 years for nothing. Our health care is a joke. For Canadians, if you have money, you go to the states for your health care, if you don't, you die.
For all the people whining about this, while not the most "politically correct" there wasn't anything innacurate in his comments. BTW, no, he didn't "compare the Republicans to Nazis." He said their constant lying about the health care system was like Goebbles' theory of the "Big Lie."
All Repugs are liars. There won't be any Death Panels, lies, lies, lies. Of course, bureaucrats will necessarily decide when life-saveing care will be available and when it won't be, but as long as the law doesn't title it "Death Panel," we can act like good little lemmings and call the opposition liars. And by the way, I like the way the liberals have toned down their hate-filled rhetoric in accordance with the President's recommendation.
rep. Cohen is speaking truthfully. The Republicans have lied and created false fears about the health care bill in an intentional and potentially dangerous way. Sarah Palin's use of the term Death Panel – when no such thing exists – is the perfect example, as is calling their repeal stunt the repeal of the "job killing health care bill". It's all theater – but theater that can harm.
Once they repeat the lie over and over then they turn to a poll that says how many people buy into thier lies. The majority of those that do not like the bill do not like it because they have no idea what is or is not in the bill because of all the lies from the right. The opposition is not because of the bill, they admit this regularly, the opposition is a way to damage the president and get themselves more power. The bill that past was origionally a repulican plan in the first place. The right does not care if the bill helps or hurts the country, they only care about how they can use it to further their party. Shame on anyone that votes for these clowns and then calls themselves American.
I don't agree with the rhetoric, but – the fact is that a) he's right, and b) there are many other cases where the Republicans want or use Nazi-like tactics: wanting people to have to show ID cards in Arizona (and everywhere); endorsing racial profiling; denouncing anyone who opposed the war as unamerican; equating support for the President with being a loyal citizen; and the list goes on, and on, and on. But yes, above all, the propoganda campaign led by Fox and the Republican party seems to be the most permanently devastating to the U.S. Climate change is another fantastic example of this.
After 8 years of Bush, and the past 2 years of obstructionism and more of their dirty lies; Republicans, once again sound like collaborators complaining of mistreatment.
“Please stop hitting us; we’re human beings too….”
Republicans don't lie. Republicans don't lie. Republicans don't lie. Republicans dont' lie. They just distort the truth beyond reconition. Republicans don't lie. Republicans don't lie.
What? He's 100% correct on this one...shoe fits. The GOP has been playin BIG LIE politics for the past 2 years like it's the greatest thing since sliced bread (and used it wantonly before that anyway).
"Why are people so pig-headed?"
Studies show that those who self-identify or fit the personality traits as "conservatives" exhibit extreme intolerance for having to change a viewpoint because reality got uppity and told them "you're freekin wrong"...far more so than people who self-identify or fit the personality rtaits as "liberals." They also have a far higher tendency to form a predetermined conclusion. So, when confronted with contrary facts and evidence of a deeply held belief that they want very mucch to cling to, there's generally some level of freak out: subconscious mental defense systems kick in...rationalizations (like conspiracy theories), selective listening (they truly just ignore whatever is inconvenient), denial ("the CBO just happens to be lying this time when it says repeal would vastly increase the debt/deficit), etc. They had already predetermined not to like ANYTHING proposed by Obama and the Dems...it didn't matter what it was. Probably the best evidence of this FACT is that what ended up hitting the signing table was legislation remarkably similar to what the GOP proposed in response to Clinton's proposal in the 90's...not to mention people talking about wishing for Obama to fail and making health care reform his "Waterloo." The conservative leadership knows all this, which is why they use focus-group-tested talknig points and play to the fear, anger, resentment, prejudgments (including racial and other forms of bigotry) of their base. Vehement adherence to ideology is their panacaea because it allows them to view everything from within a vacuum echo chamber.
The fact is a goverment take over of health care just as the so called death panels associated with it is a lie and any comparison to Nazi propaganda in regards to the republican porponents of this lie in no way diminishes the truth of it.
In Canada we have health coverage. We pay through taxes. If we have to wait a bit for an operation, we wait. I had spinal surgery 3 years ago. No bill at the end. We do not lose our houses to pay for medical expenses. We do not use up our life's savings.
Why are some Americans speaking out strongly against coverage? It doesn't make sense.
I don't agree using nazis to get the point across but I do agree with pointing out lies from either party.
Not the greatest choice in words, but so very true! The GOP/Tea Bags only hope for ultimate power is to lie, spread hate, and fill people with fear! Without those tactics, they have NOTHING! They are completely void of any new ideas or solutions to our nations's problems!
He, Mr. Speaker! Where are the jobs?! Jobs, jobs, jobs! Get off that bar stool and create some jobs!
I wouldn't have backed down. Republicans are not too far removed from Nazis. They would probably love to kill gays, illegal immigrants, etc. if they could.
Here we go again....the dem's trying to spin a lie that the Republicans are all about money and not for the people...typical liberal strategy used when their own progressive program gets rejected by the people and falls apart. Make the other side appear evil and say it over and over again until the ignorant liberals believe their own lie, and keep saying it until they snag a few others to go along with them...I wish just one half of the liberals posting to this site would listen to their own words and recognize that it isn't the conservatives spreading lies, its the liberals trying to sell their failed and flawed agenda....
Please ....four and the door.....just give me 1 idea of the many you have so reported that the Republicans have had regarding their health care bill...... Can't huh..........
I think his choice of words are deplorable but he does have a point. They have continured selling the same lies over and over again til people actually believe it is true and that is what Gobbell and his people did.
Republicans on radio and TV lie all the time and pass it off as news. Cohen is 100% correct. This propaganda is being spread to further a self-serving agenda. Why else would these people be telling lies?
There is that gentler and kinder Democratic party. Truth is not a value from the left in case anyone doesn't know it Whatever can be said to dscredit the right whether truthfiul or not is their platform.
I am a democrat, but I sure wish this guy would not have compared republicans to this particular nazi. By doing this he is no better than Sarah Palin talking about blood libel. I agree with him that the republicans are lying about health care and they use half truths and propoganda with the best of us, but he could have found a better way to say this. I can't applaud him when I boo Sarah Palin for doing about the same thins
@Sniffit- I'd like to see your "studies". Please post any links available.
Wow, I'm amazed. The outrage of the left when Hitler moustaches were be drawn on Obama and Pelosi. Nazi symbols used at tea party rallies and such. But now they all seem to be in agreement that Republicans can be compared to Goebbels. I have whiplash from watching the left flip.
Republicans have been lying about health care from the start. Even the *name* they gave their bill is a lie; health care reform will *NOT* cost jobs. Add that lie to the others we've seen from the Republicans (death panels, etc.) and it becomes clear that these guys don't give a hoot about ordinary Americans - they are the party of billionaires. Period.
Is reading comprehension that bad?
To sum up...
Joseph Goebbels invented a propaganda technique that involves repeating a lie often enough that people think it's true.
Rep. Steve Cohen says the GOP used the same technique to sell the government takeover of healthcare lie.
He also says specifically he is NOT suggesting the GOP are Nazis.
It's not like he photoshop'd a GOP politician to look like Hitler...
It is NOT a lie because goebels actually said it and, yes, the rethugs do seem more like nazis right now than any other group ever.
While I wish he had not said it the truth shouldn't hurt.
@four and the door why don't you close the door behind you but before you go you do realize that this healthcare reform bill was started by dole a republican, right? Nixon was also trying to pass it and I think it goes back to Truman if I remember correctly. In other ways it is NOT a democratic in your face idea it's what it should be a national disgrace that people like the ex vp has the money and healthcare for a new (no, a heart, period) and others more worthy can't get a heart transplant!
Let's rehash the damaging lies that the GOP (with the assistance / at the behest of Fox) has engaged in: 1) the WMDs in Iraq; 2) the links between Saddam and Al-Quaeda 3) that Cheney had nothing to do with the ouster of Valerie Plame & her husband; 4) Death Panels 5) Government Takeover of Healthcare 6) that Climate Change is a conspiracy perpetrated by scientists 7) that there is significant scientific uncertainty that climate change is occurring 8) that health care, climate change, etc will be job-killing (there really isn't much hard evidence on this either way)... 9) that TARP would cost billions of $. 10) That Obama was responsible for TARP 11) that the stimulus package didn't do anything (or even worsened the economy) 12) that income tax cuts generate more tax revenue 12.5) that deficits don't matter 13) that we can balance the budget through cutting discretionary spending alone; 14) that Obama was born in Kenya or some other place; 15) that Obama is a secret Muslim 16) over and over and over again, the GOP has favored what I call "faith-based policy-making" (similar to truthiness). It doesn't matter what the evidence is, what the economists say, what the experts say – they govern based on faith that they are always correct and that they are infallible. It's an unprecedented amount of propoganda, hypocrisy, and lies... and amazingly, after repeating these things enough, they get people to believe these lies. If you look at the impact over time of the relationship between Fox and what the GOP says and what people believe, they have significantly and dramatically impacted perceptions of reality... to things that are simply fantasy.
Why am I not surprised. Actually I am surprised CNN posted the story. It's been everywhere else all day.
I am so tired of the rancor and vitriol. I don't think the people will ever again have mature, intelligent, representation. The art of debate is lost. All they do now is attempt to belittle the other one for what they think are politcal points. When we, the people, grow up ourselves and demand real solutions without the immaturity maybe they will finally listen.
Rip-publicans have lied all along about HEALTH CARE. WHERE ARE THE DEATH PANELS?
THEY ARE JUST LIARS...LIARS...LIARS...
" Only a fool (Dan Bash) cannot see the difference."
Actually, I'm 100% certain that she does see the difference: THEY ARE ACTIVELY AVOIDING IT. The "news" media needs to create a false equivalence here in order to prevent the GOP for being called out for what they've done. Why? A couple reasons:
1. The "news" media is complicit in creating the currently virulent political climate beacuse they spent the past 2++ years uncritically re-printing the he-said-she-said game and sensationalizing anything remotely controversial...especially crazy statements made by prominent political figures...and then repeating it ad nauseum without ever questioning the statement's veracity or even its basic appropriateness. Ergo, the "news" media can't allow a controversy to exist that would provoke people into considering what I just said, because their corporate profiteering and competition for ratings, viewers, clicks and, ultimately advertising revenue, is at this point virtually 100% dependent on the controversy paradigm.
2. Related, but much simpler to explain, is that it is far easier to sensationalize a controversy when the two parties are presented to the public as equally legitimate, having equally legitimate positions and behaving in an equally legitimate manner (or illegitimate, as the case may be). The proverbial argument about whether water is wet comes to mind. The false equivalence in this instance protects the GOP and Teatards, two overflowing fonts of controversy when not questioned or dealt with in a critical manner, from suffering damage to their position, standing, etc., as a result of their behavior and statements, thus protecting the "balance" requisite for efficient sensationalization of every little disagreement they have with Obama, the Dems and liberals in general. Widespread public recognition of the FACT that the GOP leadership was involved in dogwhistling about violent revolt and armed rebellion if they didn't get their way, while the Dem leadership was distinctly NOT involved in such nonsense, would be a major blow to their legitimacy and needs to be avoided at all costs...even at the cost of objective and truthful reporting.
The atrocious rhetoric coming from both sides of the aisle allow me to further realize why I distrust and dislike the Democrats and Republicans. Their agendas and their pockets are far more important than coming together to fix our ailing country. When will we learn that we need fresh ideas from fresh parties rather than turning to two dinosaur parties who are corrupt to the bone?
Both sides lie and lie to their constituents until its accepted as truth. Both sides follow Nazi/Soviet ways of propagandizing to the people. Now both sides need to really shut up and sit down.
If a Repubulican or Palin said this all heck would break loose. Typical Democrat – mostly all talk with no substance.
When the Democrats get caught in something they cannot substantiate with fact but will either attack, mock, or make fun of an individual. Obama has done this as has Pelosi, and several others such as Cohen.
It's a valid comparison for the point he's trying to make. His reference doesn't have anything to do with Nazi ideals, it is pointing toward the massively successful propaganda campaigns they launched at the time. People like to get all worked up when they hear the term, Nazi, but in this case I don't think it is inappropriate at all.
typical hate and vitriol from the Leftwings, nothing new, BO's words obviously fell on deaf DIMS ears.
Fact: Goebbels has been credited with saying if you tell a lie loud enough and long enough people will believe it true. He accurately attributed the quote to the person who said it. Same as quoting or paraphrasing some one, you have to give credit to the person who said it. He did not call Republicans Nazi's, that is inferred by the writer of the article, because Goebbels was part of the Nazi Party, Dana Bash interpreted Nazi was his intention, thus making a great head line. People against the Health Care Bill have used lies to defeat it, also a fact. In the future Dana, report the facts and leave your interpretation to your opinion column.
Goebbels was the great propagandist of probably the 20th century, and his whole theory was if you tell the lie over and over again people will believe it,"
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Rethugs, you have to face it, your so-called leaderhsip, WITHOUT EXCEPTION, adopted the Goebbels approach not only as it applies to healthcare reform but to ANYTHING this administration put forth.
The Rethugs were lockstep, and even in the face of FACTS to the contrary stuck totheir concocted lies. The end result was the outcome of the November elections. The lies were told loud enough, and often enough that the public believed them enough to vote back in the same people responsible for the decimation of our country; AND the same ones that SAT ON THEIR HANDS AND DID NOTHING to try and rebuild it.
It hurts. But the man from Tennesee spoke the truth........too bad it was to an almost empty chamber.
I am glad, that although belatedly, SOME Dems have found their tongue realizing that the truth in this country at least, does not stand strong in and of itself. It tooo needs to be shouted from the rooftops, and repeated over and over and over until it sinks into the ears of it's beneficiaries: the voters in this case.
Well said sir. Late, but better than never.
weequahic68
Please ....four and the door.....just give me 1 idea of the many you have so reported that the Republicans have had regarding their health care bill...... Can't huh..........
____________________________________________________________________________________________
■Number one: let families and businesses buy health insurance across state lines.
■Number two: allow individuals, small businesses, and trade associations to pool together and acquire health insurance at lower prices, the same way large corporations and labor unions do.
■Number three: give states the tools to create their own innovative reforms that lower health care costs.
■Number four: end junk lawsuits that contribute to higher health care costs by increasing the number of tests and procedures that physicians sometimes order not because they think it's good medicine, but because they are afraid of being sued.
The Nazi name-calling is certainly over the top and embarrassing. I wish it hadn't happened. But the underlying message, about the right telling one lie after another while calling the left liars, is too often true. Birthers, socialism, death panels, government takeover of medicine, after years of Iraq weapons of mass destruction, adulterers impeaching Clinton for adultery, that sort of behavior certainly has poisoned the atmosphere.
So Godwin's Law once again rears it's head! I fully agree that the GOP, aided by their rightwing spinmeisters Fox, Limbaugh, Malkin and the rest, are indeed strategic liars, knowing full well that repetition of falsehoods is the key to creating fact from fantasy in the Internet age. I do however, think it can be done without Nazi references. There simply ARE no mild Nazi comparisons, and to make such comparisons kneecaps the argument.
That has been the strategy used by the republicans for many years. It is a Karl Rove strategy. It was a Goebbels strategy. That has been written in newspapers, magazines, the internet, everywhere and attributed to Goebbels. Same strategy with "death panels". This is right out of the book and the repubs have been rabidly employing it. Unfortunately, like back then, too many people today are believing it.
Gee, isn't calling people Nazi's racist? Oh, I forgot, that's only applies with Obama. You can spend your whole life searching, but will never find bigger hypocrites than liberal Democrats.
I'm outraged! How dare you insult the good name of Goebbels!
Nothing new here. GOP: Good Ol' Pinocchio.
Medicare, Medicaid, the Military Health systm (VA system), public workers at the federal, state, and local levels. The Prescrition Bill,, state and local hospitals. Mrs. Obama and her $317,000 salary at a hospital as a community representative (nice!). Goebel's, just listen to the democrats if you want to hear a N-azi. NATIONAL Socialism was Socialism driven by the nation, vs. Soviet International Socialism. YOu're beginning to get it. Be careful what you ask for. End of life panels=Genocide of the sick and infirm and elderly.
Every time I read comments by you morons on cnn, I want to vomit. In this country, you are entitled to your belief. I can only tell you one thing. While I will agree with about 10% of the mandates in this the health care bill, I have seen the real numbers. It's not pretty. This law is unsustainable. WE CANNOT AFFORD IT. Many of you are liberal because of your of the way you were raised. You just don't have a clue, and I understand that. Its not too late. Wake up and smell the coffee. The numbers are posted all over the internet. Do some research and learn something. Please, for the sake of our country.
People need to learn to READ! He did not say they were Nazis. He said "They say it's a government takeover of health care, a big lie, just like Goebbels. You say it enough, you repeat the lie, you repeat the lie, you repeat the lie and eventually people believe it" NOWHERE did he say they are Nazis. The problem here is that people have no critical thinking skills, so they make illogical, irrational connections. Goebbels was a propagandist, and *that* is what Cohen was equating Republicans to. GROW UP PEOPLE!
"Truth is not a value from the left in case anyone doesn't know it "
Everything he said was verifiably accurate. Hitler and the Nazi's did live and breath the idea that if you create the "Big Lie" and then repeat it often enough and loud enough, people will begin to believe it is actually the truth. His example of "health care reform is a government takeover" winning for biggest lie on Politifact is also verifiably accurate...not to mention that the underlying premise, that "government takeover" is a big lie, is also verifiably true, because nobody reading and understanding the bill would consider the government telling you to buy PRIVATE insurance and then helping you pay for it if you can't afford it is a "takeover." If it is, then it's a "government takeover" whenever the government enacts any legislation whatsoever affecting an industry and, as a result, the government has already "taken over" everything. The faulty logic required to reach the conclusion that thte government has already "taken over" everything should be fairly obvious. Moreover, the litany of other "big lies" told by the GOP over the past 2 years in the effort to make health care reform "Obama's Waterloo" is fairly lengthy. I had honestly thought Politifact was going to give the crown to that "Death Panels" nonsense from Jaberwocky Barbie.
And so goes the new "civility." Oh, wait. That only applited to Republicans and the Tea Party. The Dems can still lie and get away with it.
The republicans have lied so much for so many years that they have become PARANOID thinking everyone lies. The lies have been proven to be lies over and over and over and over.
THEY ARE LYING PARANOID HYPOCRITS.
There is nothing wrong with calling republicans liars – lord knows they know how to do that well enough.
But seriouisly, Nazi propaganda? Aren't we just being a little hyperbolic?
Thank you Rep. Cohen for telling turth about Republicans. Thank you!
I am happy to see that.
I am so happy that someone will call the Republicans out on this! I am sure that deep down the Republicans know this is a farce and that it would actually increase the deficit to repeal and it would be cruel to take health care away from millions of
Americans but they are trapped becuase they campaigned on this issue to get elected. They are trapped by their own rhetoric and all they can do is twist the facts and tell outright lies about the health reform bill.
Let's hope that we can get this charage over with and start tackling some real problems!
Thought everyone was supposed to dial back the language.
"■Number one: let families and businesses buy health insurance across state lines.
■Number two: allow individuals, small businesses, and trade associations to pool together and acquire health insurance at lower prices, the same way large corporations and labor unions do.
■Number three: give states the tools to create their own innovative reforms that lower health care costs.
■Number four: end junk lawsuits that contribute to higher health care costs by increasing the number of tests and procedures that physicians sometimes order not because they think it's good medicine, but because they are afraid of being sued."
CBO studied all of them and, while they test well in conservative focus groups, they were found to be insufficient to produce a market environment that would result in costs decreasing to the point that everyone (or mostly everyone) could afford coverage. In fact, CBO reported that the GOP's main ideas, when combined, would only result in about 3 million more people being covered by 2019, at which point the population would have grown sufficiently for us to have about 50M uncovered, despite that 3 million.
Of course, the CBO is the one that's just fabricating things and telling the "Big Lies," right? You know, despite CBO having a Panel of Econmic Advisors and a Panel of Health Advisors, every one of whose bios reads like a "who's who" of doctoral and life experience brainiacitude. Yeah, that's right, I said brainiacitude.
Republicans are worse.
Why are the disgusting Democrats so hateful. And hypocritical? Just look at this thread for all of their nastiness and hatred. Words incite people to violence – remember?
Tact is separate from truth. The congressman surely lacked tact when he made his statement, and given recent events, people are right to call him on it. He was wrong to compare Republicans to Nazis. However, he is exactly right to call the Republicans liars.
And for those on the right who have issue with the Congressman's statement. If you don't want Democrats to fight fire with fire, then maybe you should stop starting fires!!!!!
I'm no Tea Partier and I'm not a Republican but if Rep Cohen thinks that his comments are going to help tone dowm the rhetoric he's sadly mistaken. Now is the absolutely WRONG time for this kind of thing. By the way, after going through a year seeing posters of Barrack Obama characterizing him as a Nazi complete with a Hitler moustache I'd rather not hear any whining from conservative Republicans either. What Cohen did was stupid but you guys brough part of this upon yourselves. Everyone, please shut up.
some said in the 1930s that what you needed to do as a leader is "tell a big lie tell it often and it will become the truth! its like the republicans of a few years back " lie about weapons of mass dustruction , lie about how bad they are , scare the people to death" than go to war! before we are done in the middle east we will have spent close to $4 trillion dollars and many lives and the guy we were after is still alive. now the repuublicans who pushed for the war say we are to broke to have national healthcare. republicans waste more time in washington with their filibuters in the senate and the time they are wasting in the house trying to repeel health care which has a zero chance od passiif these republicans worked for me and wasted the time and money it takes to run the house and pay all the aids i would fire all of them.
And he RIGHT....
Hmm.... NAZI short for National Socialist Party, eh Mr. Socialist Democrat?
Hmmm.. they passed the healthcare law mandatory for people to get healthcare or be fine.. Who is going to monitor the health care system? We the people or the government? More like healthcare law written by Nazis..
So much for listening to the presidents call for toning it down...nice job!
The similarities between Nazi Propoganda and Republican rhetoric are eerily similar (yes, i used the same word twice.) Not to the same scale, of course... but the way both the Nazis and the red-meat conservatives frame everything in terms of fear and evil and fear.
The German people supported the Nazis because they believed, or wanted to believe, that 1) they were superior to others, and 2) the others were trying to ruin their German lifestyle (which just happened to be the highest calling on the planet.)
Sounds right up the middle of conservative passion.
'Ooo, I'm a republican and I am outraged that democrats use comparisons of nazis on the republicans, wehn we all know only republicans are allowed to do that to democrats! And we've been doing that for the past decade. We even compared democrats to nazis when they raised minor objections during the republican controlled era of the Bush years, even as they caved in on every single bill. Enough is enough! How dare democrats use our own rhetoric against us!'
The left leading by example with ugly rhetoric. That ddn't last long but then again how would MSNBC survive without lying and name calling every night with that lovely lot.
"But seriouisly, Nazi propaganda? Aren't we just being a little hyperbolic?"
NO. It's slightly off topic because it's more related to the islamaphobia thing, but go ahead and Google up Hitler's speech from April 1923 in Munich. Should be easy to find. Now, every time he says "Jews," replace it with "Muslims," and every time he says "Germany," replace it with "America." Sound familiar?
I'm dead serious by the way. Just do it...it's an interesting thought experiment...and then compare it to the crap you hear from people like Geller or Peter King or Steve King or even bigger wigs like McCain and the GOP leadership about a silent "stealth jihad" and other abject idiocy.
I just want to know when the civil war will start so i can go somwere with sane people.
the truth hurts............
They may feign offense, but I am certain there are at least a few in the right wing that relish being compared to Goebbels.
This is a funny accusation because one of my young nieces thought many of the ideas adamantly put forth by some Democrats sounded like what the Taliban was asking of the people they control – either believe what we tell you or you will be punished.....This is truly funny.
Boehner, the rest of the GOP, and their propaganda organization FOX are about the closest thing to Goebbels and the Nazis since .... well .... the Nazis!!!
TONE DOWN THAT RHETORIC
btw republicans are nazis