House GOP Candidate Spoke At Hitler Event

Candidate For Indiana District Defends Speech At American National Socialist Workers Party Event Celebrating Nazi's Birthday

(AP)  A congressional candidate is defending his speech to a group celebrating the anniversary of Adolf Hitler's birth, saying he appeared simply because he was asked.

Tony Zirkle, who is seeking the Republican nomination in northern Indiana's 2nd District, stood in front of a painting of Hitler, next to people wearing swastika armbands and with a swastika flag in the background for the speech to the American National Socialist Workers Party in Chicago on Sunday.

"I'll speak before any group that invites me," Zirkle said Monday. "I've spoken on an African-American radio station in Atlanta."

He compared his speech to other politicians appearing at Bob Jones University.

George W. Bush, then a candidate for president, was criticized eight years ago for speaking at the South Carolina school, which teaches students that Catholicism is a cult. Also at the time of the speech, the school banned interracial dating, a policy that has since been dropped.

"Some people are going to impute motives and say things that I mean, but many of these people have never even talked to me. So their ability to say what I intended is not very credible," Zirkle said.

He said he did not know much about the neo-Nazi group and that his intention was to talk on his concern about "the targeting of young white women and for pornography and prostitution."

Local Republicans condemned Zirkle's appearance.

"I cannot believe that in 2008 anyone could think so backward," Luke Puckett, another 2nd District GOP candidate, said in a written response.

Chris Riley, Republican Party chairman for St. Joseph County, said he found Zirkle's comments "nauseating and repulsive."

The event was not the first time Zirkle has raised controversy on race issues. In March, Zirkle raised the idea of segregating races in separate states. Zirkle said Tuesday he's not advocating segregation, but said desegregation has been a failure.

Zirkle received 30 percent of the vote in the 2006 primary, losing to incumbent Chris Chocola, who was defeated in the general election. Zirkle said Tuesday that winning the election is not his primary goal.

"My primary purpose is to educate and inform," he said.

[andylance1]

There are crazies on both sides of politics - far- left and far-right. Wright is on the other extreme side.

It is unfair that Wright started the Obama cult.

It is unfair to the victims of 9-11 that he blames us for this dastardly deed.

It is unfair to African-Americans to have to take this constant, never-ending victimology.

Either you are a victim or in charge of your own destiny. Wright is wrong and will set back a whole generation of racial progress after Dr. King.

Rev. Wright and Tony Zirkle have a lot in common.

[rhs648]

''''A former member of the Weather Underground Organization -- a radical group responsible for a string of bombings against federal buildings such as the Pentagon in the early 1970''''s - Ayers was a privileged kid turned domestic terrorist. Ayers is now an education professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, an informal advisor to Chicago''''s mayor and a contributor to the Obama campaign.''''

-- Huffington Post

Huffington Post - Apparently there is some hope for criminals. Can you imagine Charlie Manson getting another chance?

[akesling]

What morons voted for this guy in the first place???

[neoconrcrazy]

this dude is definitely shock & awe....probably got bushit''s wadoo up his arse...

[daytonbear]

Doesn''t he know that Republicans aren''t supposed to show their true colors?

[smashwl7]

He''''s an infinite insult to "inbreds" and "goobers".


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Posted by ApprxAm

I am still laughing dude that is funny as hell

[zertrat]

One view of this dude and Hitler would have ethnic cleansed him.

[tryhonesty]

I agree, what is news about this nut. Ahh, this guy can join his "brother" Karl "Nazi" Rove,
Trent Lott, and all of the other RepubliCONs building a better Soviet America for everyone. Lets flush these NeoCON morons out of office this Fall!

[apprxam]

He''s an infinite insult to "inbreds" and "goobers".

[donbl1]

Another opportunistic politician. They are all the same.

Some join large racist churches for votes. Others seek votes in Nazi organizations.

[apprxam]

GOP? Nazi? So what''s the news part of the story? Look at the guy''s haircut. Who the hell is shocked.

[stevex47]

Fine representative of the republican party. The embodiment of all they stand for.

[mike91953]

A Repbulican a racist. Now there''s a surprise!

[ubrew12]

Article: "[Tony Zirkle said] he appeared [at a party to celebrate Hitlers birth] simply because he was asked. "

Could someone ask him to a party in Baghdad? These ''cant say no'' guys can be put to good use.

[randynason]

God- What a goober. Maybe he can be hired to speak on behalf of the National Inbred Society at thier next luncheon.

[bobmarisol]

''A former member of the Weather Underground Organization -- a radical group responsible for a string of bombings against federal buildings such as the Pentagon in the early 1970''s - Ayers was a privileged kid turned domestic terrorist. Ayers is now an education professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, an informal advisor to Chicago''s mayor and a contributor to the Obama campaign.''

-- Huffington Post, April 23, 2008

[bobmarisol]

Funny that CBS makes a big deal out of this but it ignores Obama''s friendship with William Ayers.

For those of you that dont know, Ayers bombed the Pentagon and other federal buildings. On September 11, 2001 Ayers wrote an article in the NY Times stating that he wished he had done more bombing.

Barack Obama later attended many political events with Ayers, served on boards with Ayers, and now says that Ayers is his ''friend.'' Obama is friends with Ayers, an unrepentant terrorist who hates the USA.

[byeneocons]

I don''t understand the uproar. He''s only displaying in public what most republicans say in private.

[lindaredtail]

In defense of singingrick he usually is a good poster. It''s usually the rightwing extremist posters calling the Dems Naziis,bootlickers, commies, pinkos and the like. Name-calling is their way of life. It''s hard sometimes not to nail them back. I know that I do. Someone on here told me I was a hothead which in real life I''m a hothead so today I''ve tried to behave and calmly address people who insult me. It''s not easy though and even sometimes it gets really meanspirited. A good example was yesterday. I was talking about wealth and how American companies go to third world countries and get small children to make soccer balls for two cents a day and how morally wrongful that is. (it is) The person answered me by saying that the Bible says the poor will always be with us. So that makes it okay to exploit children. I about blew a cork. I''d take a guess that singingrick has had it for today. Am I right?

[wangbang]

That guy is the most imbred looking person ever.