Billboard linking Obama, Hitler draws complaints

[Douglas Carpenter]

Source: Associated Press

By LUKE MEREDITH, Associated Press Writer Luke Meredith, Associated Press Writer – Tue Jul 13, 10:30 pm ET

DES MOINES, Iowa – A billboard created by an Iowa tea party group that compares President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Lenin is drawing sharp criticism — even from fellow tea party activists who have condemned it as offensive and a waste of money.

The North Iowa Tea Party began displaying the billboard in downtown Mason City last week. The sign shows large photographs of Obama, Nazi leader Hitler and communist leader Lenin beneath the labels "Democrat Socialism," "National Socialism," and "Marxist Socialism."

Beneath the photos is the phrase, "Radical leaders prey on the fearful & naive."

The co-founder of the roughly 200-person group said the billboard was intended to send an anti-socialist message. But Bob Johnson admitted Tuesday that the message may have gotten lost amid the images of fascist and communist leaders.

"The purpose of the billboard was to draw attention to the socialism. It seems to have been lost in the visuals," Johnson said. "The pictures overwhelmed the message. The message is socialism." He said he didn't know of any plans to remove the sign.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_iowa_obama_billboard

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http://www.haaretz.com/polopoly_fs/1.301911.1279098837!/image/866182083.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_295/866182083.jpg
A billboard ordered and paid for by the North Iowa Tea Party shows President Barack Obama, Adolf Hitler, left, and Vladimir Lenin, on South Federal Avenue in Mason City, Iowa, July 12, 2010.
http://www.examiner.com/x-41853-Homeland-Security-Examiner~y2010m7d14-Obama-compared-to-Hitler-and-Lenin-on-Iowa-billboard

[FSogol]

1. "Radical leaders prey on the fearful & naive" is exactly what the tea bagger leaders are doing.

Kicked for the sheer irony of it all.

[caveat_imperator]

9. And this is exactly what bush and cheney did to them!

I hope someone replaces Obama with bush/cheney and labels it 'Corporate Socialism'. It'd be fun to see the tea-baggers reaction to that!

[caveat_imperator]

14. Forgot the most important ironic fact...

that g.w.'s grandfather/george h. w.'s father outright supported national socialism in nazi Germany and I'm sure hoped to put into effect here in the US!
There's no doubt in my mind that g.w. and george h. w. were raised to extol such circumspect values and actions that hitler and his ilk exhibited.

[MrModerate]

2. In the fact-based community, where I honestly think most people live . . .

(despite each person's miscellany of idiosyncratic beliefs), this sort of thing just covers the teabaggers with more grey goo.

The critical thing will be getting sane people to the polls in November. If reasonable people get excited, the loons will lose big time.

[Bluzmann57]

3. Between this and S. King

People out there must think Iowans are totally stupid. So thanks to the teabaggers and King for making us look stupid.
What's actually sort of funny about this is that Branstad is considered too Liberal for some of these people and he is a very business friendly conservative who wants to be Governor (again).

[msongs]

4. teabaggers = republicans = republican billboard - will dems use this gift or better to let it fade?

[BlueIdaho]

5. Well, they certainly have drawn attention

To themselves. Congratulations folks, be sure to pick up you citizenship papers to Asshat Nation.

[Alcibiades]

6. Keep the billboard up!

Sums up the lunacy of the teabaggers nicely.

[IrishBuckeye]

12. I agree, keep pushing right tea baggers, I love it!

Only a matter of time the KKK endorses the tea party.

[Douglas Carpenter]

17. you are probably right about that - ordinary people will think it is batshit CRAZY!! My only fear is

that with several million people actually believing something so crazy - what might some of them do? As Rachel Maddow pointed out - most people today admire those who tried to assassinate Hitler. Just as if one seriously believed that abortion is the moral equivalent of murder or even genocide - it stands to reason that some of them would quite naturally believe that the use of deadly force would be entirely legitimate and even righteous to try and stop it. If someone sincerely believes that Obama is the equivalent of Hitler - what might some of them quite naturally conclude is the legitimate and even righteous action to take?

[Alcibiades]

18. You're right about that

And the more often this message of hate is preached, the more likely some unbalanced person is to try to attack the president.

The sad truth is, though, that the hatred against the president, and Democrats in general, has long been fueled by a nonstop am radio propaganda machine, with money-losing outfits such as Clear Channel Communications ratcheting up the hate. Against the backdrop of this, and the internet, one billboard more or less isn't going to matter.

[joebaur42]

7. My head hurts...

...from smashing against my desk. Why do some people think the way to change minds is to scare the crap out of them!?

[Old and In the Way]

8. Teapublicans are doing a great job discrediting themselves.

Cut through the veneer of hate, racism, and bigotry and you find find a collection of anti-social ignorant misfits. These public statements of political idiocy reinforce the message to the general public that these people are not to be taken seriously.

[caveat_imperator]

10. I wish more of the media would point this fact out.

[SemperEadem]

11. to hear that moron palin tell it, there are no racists in the tea bagger party

even when she is the captain of their cheer leading squad.

Anyone who would arrive at and endorse a conclusion that equates Obama with Lenin or Hitler is someone who is completely and willfully ignorant of European History and specifically, European History of the mid-19th to the late 20th centuries to the fall of communism in the former Soviet Union. They and their views do not deserve to be given any kind of credit.

[time_has_come]

13. WEEEEEEEE TEA PARTY!

I think the tea is spiked with something

[defendandprotect]

15. Tea baggers are bought and paid for by GOP/right wing ....and huge rw PR effort . . .

everyone has to understand that --

and Dems have to begin doing something about it -- like appropriately responding --

how about some hearings???

We've had 50 plus years of overt right wing political violence --

looks like they're trying to create more --

[Dangerman]

16. Double Standard...

They say it's not right to compare Bush to Hitler...

But it's right to compare OBAMA to Hitler.

God damn Republicans and their double standards.

:mad: