Yesterday's obscene comments about President-Elect Obama by Georgia Republican Paul Broun were only less disturbing than his attempted apology for them. The Congressman stated that he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship.
"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force, that's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did. We can't be lulled into complacency," Broun said. "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 comments are beneath contempt and do not even deserve a response from those who support the President-Elect. But those who oppose him, and this nation needs those people as well, must speak out against Broun's remarks. The Republican Party is at a cross-road. Its leaders must decide if it will slip into four years of ugly heckling or actually make a responsible contribution to the future of this country. How they respond to one of their own is an important indicator of which way they want to go.
Clearly, Congressman Broun does not appreciate the grotesque nature of his words.
The apologies that he offered were characterized by an obvious lack of regret for the contents of his words. Instead he offered regret for any distress that his words caused others, remarking, "I apologize to anybody that's taken offense".
Precisely because we need Republican voices now more than ever, because a vibrant minority is crucial to a successful democracy, I hope that Broun's colleagues speak out. Responsible minority voices are the best corrective on what Tocqueville called the tyranny of the majority. I don't fear tyranny, but his point was valid 200-plus years ago and we can learn from it still.
In fact, he was preceded by 1,700 years about the importance of minority views by the sages of the Mishna. They too appreciated the importance of multiple opinions and the value of keeping even the losing view in play at all times. Now is the time to draw on these past wisdoms and assure that the change which this country seeks become something more than an ugly ideological battle.
The greatest follow-up to a presidential election in which unprecedented numbers of voters participated, would be four years in which an unprecedented number of opinions and views could be shared responsibly and respectfully across our nation. We'll see.
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Author, radio and TV talk show host, and President of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Brad Hirschfield is the author of 
"The Republican Party is at a cross-road. Its leaders must decide if it will slip into four years of ugly heckling or actually make a responsible contribution to the future of this country."
You mean you don't want the Republicans to treat Obama like the Democrats have treated President Bush? Bush has been crucified by the Democrats non-stop for at least 6 years. Bush has been mocked, called Hitler, a liar, a murderer, the most stupid president ever to hold office, continually ridiculed on every late night show there is for years, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. The attacks have been cruel and slanderous and vicious. I wonder if anyone on this blog site ever called for that ugliness to stop?
The Democrats and their sympathizers have succeeded in bringing us down into a cesspool of hate speech, and having established a new low on how we treat a president, at least in recent history, and you now think you're in a position to lecture Republicans on how they shouldn't be "ugly hecklers?" The left unleashed a monster over the past few years in an attempt to destroy a president, and that monster of vitriol and hate will not be easily tamed.
Then there is the whole issue of Democrats trying to undermine the war in Iraq, to foster defeat for their own political gain, and you have the gall to preach to Republicans about "making a responsible contribution to the future of this country?" Your hypocrisy is breathtaking.
I have an idea, why don't Democrats clean up their own house first before they preach to the Republicans about playing nice.
Conspicuously absent from Mr. Hirschfield's comments was any defense or explanation of Obama's call for a civilian national security force. A force, according to Obama, that should have the same funding and power as our military. Considering how much money we spend on our military, over a trillion dollars a year, the thought of a civilian security force with that much power staggers the imagination. As far as I know, Mr. Obama has not provided any addition light on the subject. This should lead any concerned citizen to wonder what Mr. Obama intends to do with such a powerful force.
This is a legitimate question that hasn't been answered, and Mr. Hirschfield himself scrupulously avoids it.
As was correctly pointed out by Mr. Broun, socialists have a penchant for civilian security forces, Hitler being only one example of a socialist who used them. Since Mr. Obama has only teased us with the idea, we are naturally left to wonder what he really had or has in mind. His motives may be completely innocent and legitimate, but you don't convince people of that by being silent on the subject.
Mr. Hirschfield's response to the issue is a classic dodge. He says "[Broun's] comments are beneath contempt and do not even deserve a response from those who support the President-Elect." Is that so? If you don't respond you will only generate more suspicion, not less. It also implies that you have no legitimate answer to the legitimate question "what are Obama's intentions with such a force?"
Mr. Hirschfield continued with this great put-down and discussion stopper: "Clearly, Congressman Broun does not appreciate the grotesque nature of his words." Grotesque indeed! How dare Mr. Broun point out the historical abuses to which civilian security forces have been put. How dare he mention that Hitler created such a force. How dare he point out the historical fact that Hilter was democratically elected as a member of the National Socialist German Workers' Party. How dare he ask what the socialist Obama wants to do with his national security force.
Mr. Hirschfield of course has no answers. He just wants to shut down any discussion and he would like Mr. Broun's colleagues to assist in shutting Broun up.
If Mr. Hirschfield really believes what he says about the country needing Republican voices now more than ever because of the need for a vibrant minority, then I would think that he would less dismissive of legitimate questions and instead provide some substantive answers.
Well the GOP has reaped what it sowed: the whirlwind. What was once a party with
a proud history has degenerated into a sectional party filled with idiots, racists, sexists, homophobes, religious fanatics, etc., ad infinitum.
One of my cousins used to live in Alabama and summed it up nicely (and the same
might be said of my home state of Texas): "In Alabama the Democrats are Republicans and the Republicans are scary."
Wow Trent,
Nice defense of a position, much like many Democrats. Ignore the facts and name call. So intelligent and mature.
Your name,
there's a saying about a pot and a kettle. seems to apply here to you, too.
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