Congressman Admits 9/11 Error

Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., Compared WTC Attack To Nazi-Era Reichstag Fire

(AP)  The nation's first Muslim congressman said Tuesday that he erred in comparing the Bush administration's response to Sept. 11 to an event that led to Adolf Hitler's consolidation of power in Nazi Germany.

At an appearance before a group of atheists in Minnesota on July 8, Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., called Sept. 11 "the juggernaut" that led to war, tolerating torture and increased discrimination against religious minorities.

"It's almost like the Reichstag fire, kind of reminds me of that," he said. "After the Reichstag was burned, they blamed the Communists for it and it put the leader of that country in a position where he could basically have authority to do whatever he wanted."

Hitler used the 1933 burning of the Reichstag, the German parliament building, to suspend constitutional liberties.

"In hindsight, I wouldn't have used that reference point," Ellison told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Tuesday. "It was probably inappropriate to use that example, because it's a unique historical event, without really any clear parallels."

Ellison said he remains harshly critical of the Bush administration.

"I believe that they have exploited the fears that grew from 9/11, in order to pass legislation and even start wars they could have never gotten away with but for that tragedy," he said.

Ellison said he had gotten a call Tuesday afternoon from the Anti-Defamation League, an international group that opposes anti-Semitism, regarding the Hitler comparison.

"They told me they understood the point I was trying to make, but they didn't think it was the right way to use that historical example, because they thought any sort of comparison to the modern world we live in in some way diminishes the horror of the Nazi era," Ellison said. "I told them I feel they're right."

The ADL released a statement Tuesday calling on Ellison to apologize for his comments. The group's national director, Abraham H. Foxman, called the comparison "outrageous and offensive to all Americans."

"Whatever his views may be on the administration's response to 9/11 and the conduct of the war on terrorism, likening it to Hitler's rise to power and Nazism is odious and demeans the victims of 9/11 and the brave American men and women engaged in the war on terror," Foxman said. "Furthermore, it demonstrates a profound lack of understanding about the horrors that Hitler and his Nazi regime perpetrated."

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum also issued a statement Tuesday, saying: "Nazi Germany committed unprecedented crimes against Europe's Jews and others. Invoking the Holocaust to make a point about the United States is unfounded, minimizes the evil of Nazism, and is an offense to its victims."

[extremophil]

Golly Gee....What a smart man. Let's get more Muslims in Congress, since he is setting such a good example.

[ammermantm]

He made a comparison, probably not his best choice, but all the comparison was is that after the Reichstag fire everyone in Germany hated the communists becuase they were to blame for it and it gave Hitler much more power. This is very close to how much Americans Hate(d) all muslims now after 911

[oakishpines]

i was so dismayed:

i said go stuff prisons full with poor minorities, and off went, of all people the authorities

i said go slave the immigrants twenty to a closet, and off went, of all people, the authorities

i said go dare all the school kids, and off went, of all people, the authorities

i said go war all the middle east, and off went, of all people, the authorities

i said go dress all the little naked kids, and off went, of all people, the authorities

i said go cure all the gay folk, and off went, of all people, the authorities

i said go re-career all the prostitutes, and off went, of all people, the authorites

i said go offer new hobbies to the perverts, and off went, of all people, the authorities

i said go reform all the lazy, ignorant, profane kids, and off wnet, of all people, the authorities

i said go dance get sick soon tax the world first strikie on the trail songs, and off went, of all people, the authorities

i said go dance get well soon feed the world first aid on the trail songs, and nobody blinked


if i can do all that, i don't want to imagine what the enemy's got all their loyalists doing

[mcvet]

Golly Gee....What a smart man. Let's get more Muslims in Congress, since he is setting such a good example.
Posted by Extremophil at 10:49 AM : Jul 18, 2007
+ report abuse

No lets elect more Southern Fascist and Repigs, they don't know how to say they made a mistake. Instead they just continue to kill our troops!! Sieg Heil Bush!!

[prinzowhales]

9-11 was Bush's Reichstag Fire. The comparison between the false-flag operation of the Reich with that of the Neo-Cons is very appropriate just as it is appropriate to point out that Hitler was influenced in his racial policies by the Eugenics movement in the United States and financially backed by the Bush family and their allies in Anglo-American finance.

Just as the Nazis Enabling Act increased the power of the Hitlerian state, the 'Patriot' Act furthered the Bush police state.

Foxman and his Zio-nazis use the Holocaust as a political weapon to cast a cloak over all of the other evils of Hitlerism and the worldwide network of finance capitalists who supported its rise and sheltered many of its leading scientists and theorists in its demise, just as they supported the rise of Fascism in Italy under Mussolini. The Zionism of Abe Foxman is linked body and soul to Chamberlain and the racial theorists in England, the National Socialist racial theorists of Germany and the Eugenicists of the United States. Nazi support for Betar--the Jabotinsky Revisionists whose successors have governed Israel since its inception--is documented by the Zionists themselves. These policies are evident in the mass murder and maiming of thousands of Sephardic children by the Ashkenazi elites in Israel--the so-called "Ring Worm Children"... killed outright or suffering and seeing their children suffer from the crimes of Zio-nazi Israel. Rot in 'ell Abe Foxman!

[gunownerdan]

"Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifist for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country."
-- Hermann Goering, Hitler's Reich-Marshall
at the Nuremberg Trials after WWII

[ammermantm]

Posted by GunOwnerDan at 10:56 AM : Jul 18, 2007


If that isn't a blue print for today and this administration, wow.

[gunownerdan]

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN BUSH & HITLER
* Bush has the Religious Right - Hitler had the German Christian Movement.
* Bush claims to work for God - Hitler claimed to work for God.
* Bush used 9/11 to get the Patriot Act - Hitler used the Reichstag Fire to get the Enabling Act.
* Bush claims since we are being attacked we must go on the offensive - Hitler claimed that since the Nazis were being attacked they must go on the offensive.
* Bush is building huge new detention camps as we speak(Halliburton, Jan. 24, 2006 News Release) - Hitler built huge detention camps where millions were murdered.
There are many more similarities. TOO many. Those who do not learn from history WILL REPEAT IT!!!

[why_ma_raner]

This a very good analogy, actually. Bush blamed the Iraqis for 9/11 like Hitler blamed the communists. Both leaders blamed an entity other than the real culprits in order to consolidate power and pursue a personal agenda. This not saying that Bush is as evil as Hitler or that his agenda was as calculated. I think Bush really does lump all of the 'axis of evil' countries together and was unable to distinguish the difference between the Al-Queda/Taliban Afghanis from Saddam's Sunni gov't. In his mind, the US was attacked by 'those people' and he was determined to take them out. The really sad thing is that how subjectively biased and historically ignorant all of these special interest groups are about what Ellison said. It is so pathetic that his very astute point was totally lost by the ADL and the rest of that faction because of their satanification of Hitler. The only difference between Hitler and every other dictator before and since who has levied a campaign of ethnic cleansing is that he was a very smart man who also knew very well how to consolidate power. Countless other dictators would have killed the same or more had they had his abilities. The dialogue here should be about the Reichstag analogy without getting distracted by the word Hitler. Personally, I have always thought that a better analogy for 9/11 and the events that followed and would be Bismark united the German city-states in the late 1800s.

[gunownerdan]

Halliburton is building nearly $400,000,000 worth of new "detention facilities" in America. Soon we will be forced to have national ID cards(RealID) just like Nazi Germany - complete with police checkpoints. "Show me your papers" will become a common request for the average American citizen.
Police-state here we come....

http://www.halliburton.com/default/main/halliburton/eng/news/source_files/news.jsp?newsurl=/default/main/halliburton/eng/news/source_files/press_release/2006/kbrnws_012406.html

[gopack443]

I'm very disappointed that he apologized for speaking the truth. I guess all politicians are scared of there next campaign, maybe that's the real problem.

[SIDNEYWILLIAMSMD]

Ellison is a dangerous man. The district he represents is dangerous, and not loyal Americans but rather believe in instituting the Law of Sharia across the US replacing the Constitution and installing a Caleph. Predict that the next home grown acts of Terror will have roots in that congressional district. Recruits from this District and islamic community in general are not suitable for service in the Armed Forces due to disloyalty to fellow soldiers. Remember the nut who fragged his own unit members with grenades rather than go against Saddams forces at the start of the present war?

[prinzowhales]

Now we have "I love England" drwho4, telling us that the American citizens in an entire congressional district are disloyal...even McCarthy did not think of this.

The danger to American freedom and prosperity has always come from the Anglophiles of this country--whether it be the sons and daughters of the old Tory and Federalists who longed to kiss the arse of a king and then owned and operated many of the ships who carried opium for the East India Company and sold themselves as English agents of influence in this country. Those like J.P. Morgan and Woodrow Wilson who bought into the racialist message of Rhodes and Rothschild. Those who worked to get us into war and provide the muscle and finance for a British Empire failing on multiple fronts. The dirty little traitors like Henry Luce of TIME and those of 'the Room' who worked to influence the US on behalf of the City and well as those who have latched on to the Zionist front of the City and its mytho-religious ideology for the colonization of the Middle East.

It is the war-mongers and interventionists, the merchants of death and the financiers and oil barons who are the deadliest enemies of America...and I'm sure they thank you heartily for your support of their cause.

[ammermantm]

b48151, doctorwho4:

Get Bent, I live in his district, and I will vote for him again.

[gunnerv1]

GunOwnerDan, Would you please direct me to where the nearest "detention camp" is being built so that I can see it with my own eyes.

[oleander8]

I don't know why the congressman is apologizing - the similarities are there for anyone to see.

[navyretired2]

I can see it coming now...maybe from Singinrick or some other "devout" on these boards:

Ellison is the Anti-Christ and the RealID system is the mark of the beast!!

IT'S REVELATIONS!

As for Ellison, I really don't know enough about his policies and performance to make any judgements, aside from the fact that he just went totally against what he believes in the face of special interest pressure. Additionally, on apology should've been required if he was truly representing "the people" in his district and what they also believe. I see he's a muslim. Well he must not be a "true" muslim else he'd be killing a buncha folks in his own district...you know...the ones that will not submit themselves as his slave or convert to islam.

As for the RealID system...depending on how far the constraints go regarding the system, I kind of like the idea of a national ID system (the Military has used it for ages, and all states have an ID requirement anyway). I'd only be worried about the system if I had things to hide.

[cantshutup]

Take back that apology Mr. ELlison!!! YOU WERE ON THE MONEY AND WE ALL KNOW IT!!! 911 IS EXACTLY LIKE THE FIRE AT THE REICHSTAG!!! F*CK all those jews trying to control the truth from coming out of your mouth...!

[ioweign]

Nazi Germany is now registered and copyrighted by ??

[sosyomomma]

The group's national director, Abraham H. Foxman, called the comparison "outrageous and offensive to all Americans."

Not to THIS American. I apreciate all that the ADL does and stands for, but they should stand for ALL Americans. This administration is destroying our democracy. Take a step back and stop thinking of yourself as a Jew or a Christian or a Muslim or a Hindu or whatever, and think of yourself as an American. Religion aside, our holy book is the Constitution. Read it sometime.

[l8c6]

I went to Dachau last summer and one thing I could see amongst the myriad of nazi memorabilia is that the nazi 3rd reich was da*mn good at getting their opposition to apologize. I remember the picture of the Jewish man being led through the streets of Munich, his pant legs cut off forced to carry a sign stating he would never go against the police again. He was an attorney representing a man who had been tagged by the nazis as a non-loyalist.

How many times have the right wing fascists in this country spread absolute distortions of truth. Committed terrible acts of public deceit and never, never, never an apology? Sociopaths never have to be consistent nor do they have to apologize or be fair, but they demand it of others.

Personally I hope the christian fundies are right about the existence of hell and a just God cause there is alot of baggage amongst the right wing fascist neo cons that is need of long term storage.

[sirreal7]

ellison is an *** . as are all muslims . as are all religious zealots . let us not forget why the founders of this country were inspired to act in 1776 . they were ridding themselves of religious fanatics . islam has suicide bombers . suicide bombers are very scary because they are religious fanatics on the ultimate ego trip . they think they are ordained by god to go to heaven after they blow up christian women and children . the mind doesn't get any sicker than that . the ultimate goal of every insane muslim - including ellison - is to destroy every institution of authority on the planet except the ones run by ground kissing towel heads from arabia .

[l8c6]

The man said almost. He noted the disaster and opportunity to create and exploit an enemy. The nazis were good at intimidating and demanding an apology.

Shame on any zionists that are returning volley with corrupt methods. It would prove you never cared for your brethern who died at the hands of absolute corruption and evil.

This country and its right wing fascists remind me of the nazis. Hitler did start by gassing people. He had to gain enough power and the right wing has a legion of lemmings forking more and more of their blind trust to one ideology.

Shame on them for their failure to think.

Think people, rise up, think. Power to the people.

[sosyomomma]

sirreal - you're ignorant and a bigot. May God forgive you.

This coming from a Christian - just so you know.

[sandycat2]

Yes there is no parallel at all between Hitler and Bush whatsoever,whether it's the Reichstag fire or anything else Hitler did. So why did that comparison come out of Elliston's mouth? Because so many other Democrats have compared Bush and the US to Hitler and Germany. I am sick of these so called Americans saying these untruths. If you don't like Bush's policies after 9/11, then by all means, feel free to criticize his actions. And Ellison's appology not accepted/

[ioweign]

Ellison is a dangerous man. The district he represents is dangerous, and not loyal Americans but rather believe in instituting the Law of Sharia across the US replacing the Constitution and installing a Caleph. Predict that the next home grown acts of Terror will have roots in that congressional district. Recruits from this District and islamic community in general are not suitable for service in the Armed Forces due to disloyalty to fellow soldiers. Remember the nut who fragged his own unit members with grenades rather than go against Saddams forces at the start of the present war?
Posted by doctorwho4 at 11:29 AM : Jul 18, 2007

Where are you getting your info about this man, this distinct? How do you know that they are not loyal Americans? This happened during WW2 to loyal Japanese, German and Italian Americans. In fact, they enlisted and made up some of the most decorated units during the war.

Oh Really? No parallel? This apology sounds vaguely like Whittington's apology to the Cheney family after Dead eye *** shot him in the face. The parallel is uncannily accurate as are the way too numerous other parallels including the very distinct fact that the Military Industrial Complex seems to control Congress. By the way, Business and Government being one and the Same (Cheney/Halliburton, Carlyle and Congressmen) is the EXACT definition of Fascism....wait for the knock on your door coming soon, and the congressmen and women who oppose this Administration look out for the "Night of the Long Knives". Chertoff's stomach has good reason to be rumbling as another 911 is on it's way since it's becoming all to obvious what these guys are about. Then it's no constitution at all and no elections in 08. Police state is already here just not being exercised. Things are very, very bad....

[l8c6]

sirreal7

I don't know about Ellison other than I read what he said. Our going to Iraq even at the time didn't sound right to me and time has proved so.

Smart people defend themselves with their brain. Stupid people start swinging wildly till their offender puts a bullet between their eyes.

Jewish people do not own the horrors of nazi Germany. How dare them, shame on them. They shamefully ignore the many others who died at the hands of the nazis. History and the anti-defamation league forgets them. Shame on them who bully and badger with an attempt to own the horrors of the nazi era for their own political/socioeconomic advantage.

[homespunlady]

From above:
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum also issued a statement Tuesday, saying: "Nazi Germany committed unprecedented crimes against Europe's Jews and others. Invoking the Holocaust to make a point about the United States is unfounded, minimizes the evil of Nazism, and is an offense to its victims."

So, we should make pretend that Hitler was a one time aberration?
How CLOSED MINDED can people that MIGHT have a tie to previous victims be??
Let's FORGET all the murder and torture since??
POL POT LEFT BEHIND ROOMS FULL OF SKULLS AND MILLIONS DEAD. China just doesn't talk about the horrors that have taken place there. Remember the stories of African families tortured babies torn apart and families murdered and thrown wholesale into rivers? What about Darfur?? Starvation, rape and murder doesn't count because it's NOT ONE PARTICULAR GROUP???? We never hear how the GYPSIES were ALSO PERSECUTED.
Wasn't it the ARMENIANS that were wiped out to near extinction?
Claiming that GENOCIDE only happened ONCE and CAN'T HAPPEN AGAIN is just INVITING a repeat of those horrors.
Whatever happened to free speech? I may not agree with all the Congressman said but I WILL DEFEND HIS RIGHT TO SAY IT!!

[finewoven]

"I believe that they have exploited the fears that grew from 9/11, in order to pass legislation and even start wars they could have never gotten away with but for that tragedy," he said.

I wonder who "they" are? The Republicans? And why would "they" break with their normally fiscally responsible ways, and create such an enormous budget deficit to enrich the wealthy and expand their war effort?

Because by controlling for so many years the Administration, the House and Senate, and the Judiciary, --THEY CAN.

[diverinnl]

If we're trying to lay parallels here, why not compare 9/11 to Pearl Harbor? Wouldn't that be a more realistic parallel or is it to inconvienient for the run and hide argument from the far left?

[sosyomomma]

Come on, people. Ellison had no reason to apologize for anything. What Bush is doing is instilling a culture of fear to gain control. Create an artificial enemy, create fear, gain control. 15 of the 19 involved in 9/11 were Suadis. Bush Sr. was watchng 9/11 happen sitting next to a member of the Saudi royal family. It's not about Muslims or Islam. Who's the real enemy? i say Bush and Cheney.

[homespunlady]

diverinnl Pearl Harbor sounds good to me as a comparison. Didn't we break the Japanese code and didn't the Japanese ambassador attempt to notify our leadership. Weren't there warning signs in retrospect that were ignored? And look whee it led - Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Yep, may be appropriate. Here comes WW III and all the population reducing horrors it will entail.
All because of POWER HUNGRY ELITISTS.

[tdj42]

Hey did anyone see that plane that crashed into a fuel depot in South America? They were haulling fried bodyes out really sad...
Did anybody see the plane that crashed into the Pentagon, me neither. 911 truth.

[diverinnl]

No Parallels ..... A country's entire Navy fleet was involved at the start before we finally repelled them - i still remember how we defeated them too and it wasn't by attacking CHINA ......
Posted by parrot2 at 12:36 PM : Jul 18, 2007

Oh, I get it now, it's the size of the enemy that matters, not the American lives lost. Silly me for not understanding that. How do you suggest we beat this enemy? Where's the front line?

[finewoven]

"they think they are ordained by god to go to heaven after they blow up christian women and children."
Posted by sirreal7 at 12:18 PM : Jul 18, 2007

The extremists kill men, women and children who are Muslim too. They rationalize it with brainwashed ideas that they get 17 virgins in heaven.

I agree with little you say sirreal7, but I acknolwedge that the Muslim/Islam fanatics support suicide and murder more than any other religion. I don't think I've seen anything close to this except the Buddhist monks who committed suicide during the Vietnam war--but they killed no one else, nor did they say that their actions were going to get them into heaven.

[diverinnl]

homespunlady, that is my exact parallel. Had we paid attention to all the warning signs, we could have either thwarted their intent or at least met them out at sea and protected or national interests. The NSA, the CIA, the FBI, etc... all missed the boat big time on 9/11 because they all wanted to control their own little thiefdoms and never shared any data with each other.

[diverinnl]

parrot2, How is your life in anyway compared to those that suffered under Nazi rule? I see no parallel and to try to draw wan is either you being EXTREMELY melodramatic or minimizing what the holocaust victims endured.

[sosyomomma]

It seems that perhaps the parallel here is to Bush/Cheney and Hitler... not to Muslims and Jews.

[jbbuzbee]

Funny...I don't think I can recall too many American Muslims speaking out against the fanatical Jihadists. If they are...they aren't doing it loudly enough. Wonder why?

[diverinnl]

sosyomomma, you're really reaching. I'm not saying that I agree with the invasion of Iraq but I still down see a comparison between the two. Bush may not be the best President in our history but he's certianly nowhere near as bad as Hitler. He just a dip-whit.

[sosyomomma]

maybe it's because they're scared to death to let their neighbors know their Muslims.

[diverinnl]

maybe it's because they're scared to death to let their neighbors know their Muslims.
Posted by sosyomomma

Or maybe their scared to death of other Muslims attacking them as not devout enough or true Muslims. You guys think of that?

[sosyomomma]

diverinnl,
ok - point taken. But the estimate is around 650,000 Iraqis dead because of W's invasion. Not 6 million, granted, and not for such a disgusting reason, no doubt. I just see a similar mind set. Create fear and build unprecedented power. The man scares me.

[homespunlady]

diverinnl
After WW I the German people were stuck with reparation for inciting that war. Their life became even worse when the currency was devalued - a lot less controlled but similar to some extent to the American dollar's drop recently - it took a while before they realized how their country's economic problems were affecting them and it made them ripe for Fascism (also known as Corporatism). The fascists a"rescued" the economy by starting a war with a country that they believed did them wrong and justified it by saying GOD WAS ON THEIR SIDE. Watch some of the original Nazi propaganda. It's eerily familiar.
It wasn't until the hardcore fascist Germans were losing that they got second thoughts.

[infidel_us]

"I believe that they have exploited the fears that grew from 9/11, in order to pass legislation and even start wars they could have never gotten away with but for that tragedy," he said.

It would have been the same fears espoused by Gore, both Clintons, Kerry, and the rest of the usual two-faced suspects.

In truth, the UN mandate gave us the authority to do what we did...regardless of 9/11. And besides, he's wrong.

[sosyomomma]

homespunlady, Amen, sister

[infidel_us]

But the estimate is around 650,000 Iraqis dead because of W's invasion.
Posted by sosyomomma at 01:02 PM : Jul 18, 2007

What left wing Rosie O'Lardass blog did you get that figure from?

[diverinnl]

homespunlady, I see your comparison there. I'll give you that one. Also, sosyomomma has some good counter points as well. When he makes statements like "I am the decider!", even I step back and think "Well no, I am. I'm a voter."

Good arguments guys!

[walt1944-2009]

SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!