John Burton apologizes for comparing Republicans to Nazi Goebbels

[Newsjock]

Source: Los Angeles Times

John Burton, the chairman of the California Democratic Party, has apologized for comparing Republicans to Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels, a comment that quickly sparked outcry from the GOP.

“If Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, or the Republicans are insulted by my describing their campaign tactic as the big lie -- I most humbly apologize to them or anyone who might have been offended by that comment,” John Burton said in a statement.

... Burton made a point of noting that he never used the word “Nazi”; however, he did invoke the Nazi minister of propaganda twice.

... Obama campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt also rebuked Burton, saying that his stance “doesn’t have any place in the political discourse here in Charlotte,” though the campaign has yet to say if it will call for Burton’s resignation.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-john-burton-nazi-goebbels-20120903,0,4440469.story

[MrSlayer]

1. It's only the truth.

The "big lie" is a Nazi tactic.

[cstanleytech]

44. Agreed, the GOP has been using similar tactics of whipping up fear that the Nazi Party used.

Also the nazis spent money like it was water to gain control of the government much like the gop is doing, the nazis also blamed minorities for the problems of the nation, again alot like the gop has been doing.
So the next question is, if the gop win this election, how soon until the death camps are formed?

[daybranch]

67. supporting the big lie

Yep, and failure to call the lie for what it is, creates a disconnection between our party and the people. We need to tell it like it is. Many of of the most wealthy and most powerful have bought the republican politicians and are trying to further subjugate the people of this country. They have been actively socially engineering the American people to be like the farmers Holstein cows, who are milked as much as possible and then gotten rid of when they no longer are profitable.Used up and thrown away- Romney's real plan for America.

[high density]

2. Let me bring up a good response from the 2008 campaign

[Cha]

7. That's our Bill

Burton!

[flamingdem]

13. I don't know much about him

sounds like I should!!

[Cha]

16. Stands by this ad..

snip..

"Former White House deputy press secretary and current advisor to the pro-Barack Obama Super PAC Priorities USA, Bill Burton, appeared on MSNBC with Andrea Mitchell where he defended the group’s decision to run an ad that links GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney to the death of a former steelworker’s wife. Burton said that he stands by the ad and that there is nothing factually inaccurate in that spot."

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/bill-burton-to-andrea-mitchell-on-cancer-ad-not-one-fact-in-that-ad-thats-wrong/

[flamingdem]

17. I will keep my eye on him

We need those who tell it directly.

[cyclezealot]

39. We need more like him..

Its not as if the Gobbers are nice people and don't play dirty. They have been trying to marginalize Democrats for 30 years by using adjectives that make us look extreme.. I'd explained my comments but not apologized , since technique wise, Burton in right on.

[chuckstevens]

3. NO NO

NO! NO! NO!

Why is it that Republicans can say or do anything offensive and then defiantly refuse to apologize, but the Democrats always cave in and give Republicans the humiliation they want? By the way, the Big Lie analogy was right on the mark! Why apologize for speaking the truth?

[Third Doctor]

4. Lets see..

Weren't the Nazis extreme right wingers? Why is it okay for the GOP to compare Obama to Hitler but a Dem can't go there?

[baldguy]

5. DEMOCRATS HAVE TO STOP APOLOGIZING FOR TELLING THE FUCKING TRUTH!!!!!

[wordpix]

61. I agree - or he could say he's sorry for being impolitic but the R's ARE lying

Thus not apologizing for the truth

[area51]

76. +1

If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck ... it's a duck. The republican party is fascist, it's pro-rape, and it wants people to die due to lack of health care; they are the party that came up with GingrichCare, which will prolong, not solve, our health care problems. They're psychopaths.

[Cha]

6. If you're going to speak out on the truth of that comparison..

Why apologize for stating FACT?

[catbyte]

8. New Rule: NO apologies from Democrats who tell the truth until Republicans stop telling lies

Deal?

Diane
Anishinaabe in MI

[Smilo]

9. Right wing hypocrisy

we can say it, you can't.

As everyone else has said Dems must stop apologizing for telling the truth.

[siligut]

10. . . . doth protest too much

Asking for an apology just put it in the spotlight again. Keep it up, you Goebbels-like assholes.

[Pterodactyl]

11. He was right to apologize. Let's keep this election clean.

[flamingdem]

14. It's correct to apologize, but he should be able to say it

That's how the game is played these days.

[Pterodactyl]

15. Of course he should be able to say it. But that does not make it correct or event smart to say.

[flamingdem]

18. It's sloppy, but it's the elephant in the room, if the Republicans win we'll be in a "Big Lie"

and the world will be endangered. I don't see that as hyperbole.

[heaven05]

59. Akins

voter id laws , robme laughing all the way to the bank after sending thousands of jobs out this country. No apologies for the tremendous grief caused by the loss of these jobs, no apologies yet. Don't even mention the bs apologies from GOP about akins claims yet just look at the GOP platform!!!

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

26. LOL

Who's going to keep the Repiglicans clean?

[Pterodactyl]

28. The voters will be able to see and judge.

Would you have us sink to the repub level?

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

32. "The voters will be able to see and judge"

Uh huh.....

You have more faith in the electorate than I do. Not only do they fall for bullshit, they fall for the false equivalency of Republicans demanding apologies for everything that's true about them.

[Pterodactyl]

74. That voters-are-stupid attitide isn't going to win any elections.

[awoke_in_2003]

53. You mean the same voters...

who put Bush in office twice?

[Pterodactyl]

72. Voters

[harmonicon]

35. Why was he right to apologize? Do you think Republicans are keeping this election "clean"? (nt)

[Pterodactyl]

71. Even if they are not, we must.

[harmonicon]

73. What is not clean about comparing Republicans to Goebbels? I think it's pretty accurate.

That's definitely what they're going for, at least.

[heaven05]

57. ?????????

[Pterodactyl]

70. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Odin2005]

64. Bullshit, "being clean" is how we lose elections.

We need to rat-fuck them as much as they rat-fuck us.

[Pterodactyl]

69. Yeah, that rat slogan will win an election.

And seriously, if we're not BETTER than them, what's the point of winning?

[Scootaloo]

12. Why, did the Goebbels family complain about the defamation of Joseph?

[Mnemosyne]

25. They make Goebbels look like a piker. nt

[magic59]

19. I wouldn't compare them to Nazi

They are more like fascists with a pinch of sociopaths, a dash of psychopaths and rounded out by a plethora of pathological lairs.

[elleng]

40. He didn't. The Goebbels 'big lie' is perfect.

[heaven05]

60. yep

all that is right, yet I'm afraid I MUST compare the GOPPERS and their extremist rightwing buddies to the NAZIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[olddad56]

20. Why apologize, the GOP didn't apologize for acting that way.

[_Liann_]

21. In middle of Corporatist Hostile Takeover of America -- tell it, don't apologize for defending USA.

[Historic NY]

22. Carry the battle to them. Don't let them bring it to you....

Put them on the defensive. And don't ever apologize for anything. Harry Truman

[russspeakeasy]

23. NEVER COMPLAIN, NEVER EXPLAIN !!

[David__77]

24. Lolol I love his "apology."

John Burton will never apologize for telling the truth. "If they are offended," he is oh so sorry ha.

[Alamuti Lotus]

29. Noticed that too..

his 'apology' contains a delightful subtlety that is sure to fly far over the heads of its target audience.

[joshcryer]

38. If only it was like Barney Frank, "I hope I haven't offended your sensiblities."

[Surya Gayatri]

43. Me too! Straight from the Repuke's SOP manual:

I apologize IF R-money and R-lyin were offended by my calling them "BIG LIERS"!!!

Calls them liers once again in his so-called apology.

[SunSeeker]

27. Don't back down off the truth, Burton. Mitt's campaign rests on nothing but big lies.

We need to keep the pressure on. John Burton, I am proud to have you as chairman of my California Democratic Party.

[Great Caesars Ghost]

30. WAYYYYYYYYYYY too many apologists on our side.

which is almost as evil as the GOP

[SoapBox]

31. He spoke the truth...

but we were doing the count down from the moment we heard about what he said.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1...GOPathetic and Bagger victim WHINING.

[Kalidurga]

33. My apology would have looked like this...

I hope you weren't as offended by what I said as much as I am offended by what you are doing. The Romney camp has let it's hood slip one to many times. Mitt's team talking about his Anglo Saxon roots. "If you want free stuff vote for the other guy." "I was born in Michigan no one asked to see my birth certificate." And his whole vote for me I am an American spiel. So, if they don't want to be called masters of deception, they should stop lying so much. If they don't want to be called racists they should stop being racists. And if they don't want to be told that they are only working for rich people they should stop demonizing poor people. I think the criticism of the Republican party is immensely deserved. I just wish there was a way to do this without looking like you are exaggerating.

[harmonicon]

34. They only wish they had a Goebbels.

If Karl Rove has ever found a moment for self-reflection, I imagine it's been used to consider what he could be doing to be more like Goebbels.

[Hulk]

36. Maybe calling them "Nazi" would be wrong....

...but they certainly ARE using the techniques of propaganda that Goebbel used during the build up to WWII. Sorry if that hurts your little feelings..but if the shoe fits.....

[joshcryer]

37. I wouldn't have apologized.

In fact, I'll repeat it.

Republicans are Nazi's.

[Spirochete]

41. Why should he apologize?

Goebbels is dead, so he wouldn't have been offended.

[gordianot]

42. With the exception of Chris Christie Republicans smile a little more.

Also Republicans have not set fire to the Capital with the exception of Cheney's office.

[davidpdx]

45. They are Nazis

FUCK THE REPUBLICANS!!!

[AZ Progressive]

46. FDR compared Republicans to Nazis, why can't Democrats nowadays?

[sendero]

47. Read carefully..

.... his "apology" was a Republican-style non-apology. The TeeVee talking fucks can call this an apology, but it is not one.

[rtracey]

48. Never

Never apologize for the truth. The Republican party is running its campaign like the nazi party of the 30's. Rich white men, "beating down" the gays, seniors, women, middle class, Latinos......... everything fits...

[bemildred]

49. "I sincerely apologize for calling my esteemed opponent a scum-sucking pig

and I will do my best to maintain the dignity and decorum of the Congress in the future."

But seriously, Burton would have done better to leave the Nazis out, obvious though they are.

[jsr]

50. The comparison to Goebbels' propaganda technique is apt

and very accurate.

[Flashmann]

51. I can quite understand how

Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels would have been offended.....There is no call for that...

[Ian David]

52. It's okay when REPUBLICANS throw that sort of thing around though, right? n/t

[Setsuna1972]

54. Why say sorry when you told the truth?!

If you get a change to watch some of those shows on the Military Channel or History Channel on how the Nazis used propaganda, you'd instantly see that Fox Noise and the Reptilicans are using the same playbook Goobels wrote

(and for the record, I apologize to the real Lizard aliens or creatures out there who were offended by my remarks above)

[Paladin]

55. No Apology Needed.

This country is closer to a fascist mindset than ever before. And if Limbaugh and his many imitators aren't the obvious heirs to Goebbels, I'd like some clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.

[heaven05]

56. high ground

is nice, yet sometimes returning what's received, down and dirty, is the only course. All this Democratic Party playing nicey, nicey is sad to me. THE RETHUGS ARE USING THE BIG LIE, A STRATEGY NOT WITHOUT HISTORICAL PRECEDENT!!!!! Give me a break.

[sarcasmo]

58. Stop apologizing, UGH!

[Stewland]

62. The GOP closely resemble Fascists

The party of Bachman,Santorum,Akin,King ect looks and sounds like Fascists to me. Aleinate whole groups of people and publicaly defame and question their loyalty and humanity is a tactic used by fascists world wide. This creation of a boogeyman to stir people's anger and resentment is intentional. Let's face it the average citizen is easily mislead due to the fact that they are too lazy to do the work of educating themselves. All the while the real evil is the very one who creates the hatred and anger. Calling the GOP out for being fascist like is just being honest.

[Odin2005]

63. The Republicans ARE Nazis.

And I ain't apologizing for saying that.

[daybranch]

65. inconvenient truth

While I am a volunteer for Obama and I recognize his need to appear objective to convince independents to vote for him, I also know that Burton is correct. I realize that to tell republicans and independents that they have been duped and are still being duped may turn many of them off to the rest of our message. However informed democrats like Burton should never stop speaking the truth.
The truth is that some of our richest and most powerful want to change our country into a fascist state, a state where business and government unite to control the people. Italy and Germany both were fascist states during second world war. Is it not reasonable to look for comparisons between the methods used to support fascism then and now and then to point that out?
For those that do not see this, I say look around you and as the police say follow the money. Everything that works against your liberty is coming from the fascist republican party. They cry individual freedom, while trying to strip people of their rights to vote. They yell Obama is failing while working to stop any action to help make jobs. I know which side these fascist republican leaders are on and I know what tactics they use. I realize the Nazis created anger at and fear of communists to drive the voters of Germany to take power fromthe people and put it in the hands of Hitler. I see this being played out here as the fascist republican leaders continually and loudly denounce any action for the common god as socialism and our President as an ungodly (read Muslim) socialist (read communist).
Obama's campaign of failing to speak truth to power, failig to directly call out the villians and their war on all of us, is a campaign tactic, and I hope and pray it works but failing to recognize the history of the political and labor struggles in the world and how they are fought and for what ends, seems somewhat self defeating. Biden and Burton for President in 2016!!!

[SunSeeker]

66. Fox's Alan Colmes just repeated the Goebbels analogy on the Stephanie Miller Show this morning.

It was great, they were broadcasting from the floor of the Dem Convention, and Alan Colmes came right out and said exactly what Burton said--but with no apologies!

[progressivebydesign]

68. Truth hurts. n/t

[and-justice-for-all]

75. The comparison is correct..

I wouldn't appologize for shit.