Congressman sorry for likening Obama to Hitler
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/11/12/art.broun.ap.jpg caption="Rep. Paul Broun is sorry for seemingly comparing Obama to Adolf Hitler."]
(CNN) - Republican Paul Broun is sorry for calling President-elect Barack Obama a 'Marxist' and comparing him to Adolf Hitler, the Georgia Congressman said Tuesday.
“I regret putting it that way,” he told WGAC radio in Augusta, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “I apologize to anyone who has taken offense at that.”
In an interview with the Associated Press earlier this week, Broun admitted to calling the future commander-in-chief a 'Marxist' at a recent Rotary club meeting, and said Obama has expressed support for policies similar to those of Hitler.
"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Broun told the AP. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may– may not, I hope not - but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism."
Broun was specifically referring to a July speech by Obama, where the then-Democratic presidential nominee said he supports a civilian force helping the military when it comes to national security: "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded [as the military]," Obama said in the speech that was largely a call to national service.
Responding to those comments, Broun told the AP Monday: "That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did. When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist."
"We can't be lulled into complacency," Broun added. "You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I'm not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. What I'm saying is there is the potential."
The Obama transition office did not respond to Broun's comments, and in his interview Tuesday to WGAC, the first term congressman said, “The point I tried to make is that he is extremely liberal, he has promoted a lot of socialistic ideas, and it just makes me concerned."
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I have an idea let's make sure this man is never a second term Congressman. The people of Georgia certainly deserve better. Now that the age of anti-intellectualism is dead (or at least on hiatus), Republican or Democrat, I think if would be fantastic to have elected representatives that use their position to get things accomplished rather than throwing around intentionally divisive partisan remarks.
God Bless the President Elect and God Bless America.
Americans spying on Americans is "NOT" a good idea.This guy is a dingbat, but he has a valid point.We dont need another big brother,its bad enough now that they know what time you eat your wheaties in the morning and every other aspect of our lives.
It is a shame and this are the likes of Rush and Shaun Hinity.
Marxist= Socialist
Hitler= Facist
He called Obama both... now i'm confused... The stupidity of the right makes me sick to my stomach.
Here they go again and President elect Obama is not even in office yet. Shame on him!
Oh my, oh my!
Consuming by fear and hate, even now. When will these people ever stop?
Another right-wing skunk. Let's throw this piece of garbage in the dumpster, to. Put a good Obama Democrat in his seat.
BARRY is going to try to silence his critics and take way our rights, without question. Dont be surprised if he tries to grab ultimate power / dictatorship.
VOTE BARRY OUT IN 2102, WHILE WE STILL CAN!!!!!
This is exactly why the Repugs lost. Just what they need in Ga. Right now, when they're trying to win a Senate Seat.They still have not learned.
Bill, Tampa
Typical Republican blather. What a joke this guy is.
That is pretty rich coming from a Republican, I wonder how habeus corpes tasted.
What a jerk
If this guy had his facts straight he might have a point but Hitler was never actualy elected per say but was installed as a measure to protect the Germans from a communist threat that Hitler had himslelf created to force the Chancelor of Germany to hand over Power to Hitler. Hitler never actualy won an election by a voting majority even though he tried several times.
Jayce
That remark does deserve an apology. I think we forget that we are still in war time.
Will someone PLEASE tell me why it's a bad thing for "we the people" to invest our time and energy in our communties and the people there in? How is that Marxist?
I'd say that is neighborly, brotherly and patriotic...
RNC is about nothing but FEAR! They have no new ideas, they aren't diverse, they are religious fanatics...it's no wonder this Congressman said what he said. He's talking to and for the Republican base.
It's not shocking nor surprising. As an Independent, I'm voting Democrat all the way! I *used* to vote for Republicans but they no longer represent me.
Okay. I do not think of Nazis and communists in the same boat. Maybe this rep could do some studying and work on his analogies – starting with being nice and avoiding hyperbole. Is that too much to ask?
Why are you surprised? This is textbook Republican. Make some asinine statement, float it out there for a few days, and then say, "oh, I was just kidding, that's not really what I meant." It goes on....and on....and on!
Paul Broun is an idiot. He was just following the party line, but he is obviously too dim-witted to understand that Hitler was a National Socialist, which is the political and philosophical antithesis of Marxism. His own party's current philosophy is more like National Socialism than the Democrats are to socialism. But in today's GOP, if you can't come up with a better idea, you call your opposition a Marxist, Socialist, or a communist and this plays well with the GOP's undereducated "base." Obama should not respond to Broun's stupid remark. The best answer to a moron is no answer at all.
what an idiot. hitler was a fascist–which means extreme RIGHT, not the extreme LEFT of marxism. granted, if you go far enough one way, you start to come around to the other side and there are certainly parallels, but this guy needs to read his history and recognize that nazi germany was not socialist, and the USSR was never marxist.
Do these people – like this Congressman and Palin – have no shame, no sense of propriety? Already Newsweek reports that the Secret Service noticed an appreciable uptick in the number of threats against Presiden-Elect Obama's life following the Palin "palling around with terrorists" tirades... and now this!
It amazes me that these extremists won't just put a lid on it. This kind of tripe is precisely what has helped bury this country under an additional $5 trillion in debt the last eight years, has sent us off to a trumped-up war.....the list goes on and on.
These people are pathetic. The best thing that can happen is for them to be held accountable for their hate-mongering when their next re-election bid comes up.
Marxist in one breath, compared to Hitler in another. Communist, Facist, whatever. All the same to this idiot.
Why wouldn't people take offense to that comment? It is people like Paul Broun who should be compared to Hitler. It is comments like this which has the ability to ooze out of a person when there is something deeper under the surface.
Paul Broun get use to it! President Elect Obama has been elected and the people have spoken. My suggestion to Paul Broun is to watch what he says to the American people, because their not going to just sit down and let comments like this be forgotten at election time.
The majority of Americans are getting tired of all the hate that spews out of a few.
Losers will say anything to disparage winners. Loser.