Republicans, Democrats, Idiots All

Well, in the wake of Dick Durbin's comments comparing U.S. soldiers at Gitmo to Nazis or Soviet gulag guards, the Republicans have continued the inappropriate historical metaphor. Republican Representative J.D. Hayworth of Arizona said these questionable things on Imus in the Morning on Thursday:

Congressman J.D. Hayworth: "I'll tell you what though, we have a situation where things are getting in 'Alice in Wonderland like'. You're curiouser and curiouser reading the comments of Dick Durbin. I don't know what Senator Durbin was doing, maybe he was...."

Imus: "What was he saying again?"

Congressman J.D. Hayworth: "Here is the quote about treatment of the unlawful combatants at Gitmo. Quote, 'You would most certainly believe that this had happened by Nazis, Soviets and their gulags, or some mad regime, Pol Pot and others, that had no concern for human beings,' closed quote. So, Dick Durbin, Senator of Illinois, is comparing our troops who have their lives on the line with the criminals at Gitmo, the unlawful combatants, the enemies of this country who did not wear a uniform who would be happy to slice off our heads, he's comparing our troops to Nazis. You know I went back and did a little research Don. Paul Johnson wrote a book "Modern Times" on what went on, what the Nazis did. Let me just read a paragraph. 'Dr. Sigmund Rascher conducted low temperature tests at Dachau killing scores. Polish girls were infected with gas gangrenous wounds. There was mass sterilization of Russian slave laborers using x-ray's. Other projects included injection of hepatitis virus at Sachsenhausen. Of inflammatory liquids into the uterus to sterilize at Ravens Brook. Phlegmon in Dutchen experiments on Catholic Priests at Dachau. Injections of typhus vaccines at Buchenwald and experimental bone transplants and the forces drinking of sea water by gypsies'. That's what happened, and the Nazis did. Does that sound like what's going on at Gitmo?"

Imus: "Durbin is a moron."

Congressman J.D. Hayworth: "Well he's got a lot of company with Pat Leahy... maybe this is just special outreach to Howard Dean and they say publicly ' Gee chairman Dean you're not alone.' I mean this stuff is nuts."

Hayworth went on to say that the guards at Gitmo should just go ahead and execute these "enemy combattants" as U.S. troops in World War II did.

I think I need to clear up a few things? Do I think that there was/is torture at Gitmo? Most likely there was and may continue to be. What should be done there? Get your info. through approved techniques, don't violate the Geneva Convention and then either charge or release them. Are the prisoners there potentially dangerous? Yes, but they are by no means the "top level" like OBL or KSM.

Both sides here need to stop the inflammatory rhetoric and FIX THE PROBLEM! We have a human rights issue on our hands and it needs to be fixed. Naturally, when politicians are charged with such a task, it will never get solved. Also, NEVER USE NAZI ANALOGIES! I laid this argument out yesterday, but it bears repeating. There are constant abuses against human dignity and rights; the Nazis were the quintissential regime of terror. Their kind, hopefully, will not darken the earth again. We are the authors of this future. Let's stop waving the bloody shirt and concentrate on the issue at hand.

These are far too important matters to leave to politicians.

NOTE: Why don't you write J.D. Hayworth and tell him what you think of his comments, violence, distortion of history and hate-mongering?

Drop Hayworth and email here.

Rep. J.D. Hayworth
2434 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-2190

Rep. J.D. Hayworth
14300 N. Northsight Blvd.Suite 101
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
480-926-2151