Billboard Linking Obama, Hitler Draws Complaints

(AP)  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 "Democratic 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.

But others in the tea party movement criticized the sign.

"That's just a waste of money, time, resources and it's not going to further our cause," said Shelby Blakely, a leaders of the Tea Party Patriots, a national group. "It's not going to help our cause. It's going to make people think that the tea party is full of a bunch of right-wing fringe people, and that's not true."

Blakely also expressed outrage at linking Obama to Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany who oversaw the killing of 6 million Jews and whose invasions of neighboring countries led to World War II.

"When you compare Obama to Hitler, that to me does a disservice to the Jews who both survived and died in the Holocaust and to the Germans who lived under Nazi regime rule," Blakely said.

John White, an Iowa coordinator of the Tea Party Patriots, said that he can understand the North Iowa group's perception that Obama is "Hitler-esque," but he thinks the billboard is offensive and unproductive. White said that he planned to discuss the matter with national tea party officials.

"I fear they may end up in some kind of trouble over it, because it's basically slanderous," White said. "I don't know that it's the message we want to send. I'd much rather see billboards that say 'Remember in November. Get Out and Vote."'

The billboard is owned by Waitt Outdoor of Omaha, Neb. Waitt general manager, Kent Beatty, said the company didn't have a problem with the message.

"We believe in freedom of speech," Beatty said. "It doesn't reflect our views, necessarily."

The White House declined to comment on the sign.

One person who welcomed the billboard was Dean Genth, a Democratic activist from Mason City, a city of 30,000 people just south of the Minnesota border, who said he thinks the sign lays bare the views of tea party supporters.

"I welcome them to continue to spew that kind of stuff because I think it's going to do a lot of good for the good Democrats around the state," Genth said.

[NO2NWO]

Funny how the only comments allowed are comments supporting OBAMA. Mainstream media censorship and mind control in action.Now they might post this to prove they aren't what i say they are(what about the other posts?)....we'll see.

[abbe91]

It's also useful to know what a word means before calling it a bad word.

The Nazis called themselves "National Socialists."
North Korea calls itself "Democratic People's Republic of Korea"

Marx was german and never intended his model to be applied to Russia.
The *communist* USSR system was than called Marxism-Leninism" to make for it.

If you call socialism "taking from some to give to others", how do you call "taking from some (us, taxpayers) to give to others (big corporations, health insurance companies)" ?

[steeepe]

These tea party wackos are driving down the nation's average IQ.

[abbe91]

It's also useful to know what a word means before calling it a bad word.

The Nazis called themselves "National Socialists."
North Korea calls itself "Democratic People's Republic of Korea"

Marx was german and never intended his model to be applied to Russia.
The *communist* USSR system was than called Marxism-Leninism" to make for it.

If you call socialism "taking from some to give to others", how do you call "taking from some (us, taxpayers) to give to others (big corporations, health insurance companies)" ?

[abbe91]

by Gun_Owner July 14, 2010 5:42 PM EDT
" I do think critically and I also study history. The way Obama rose to power is much like the way HItler rose to power. Don't take my word for it, do your own homework and you'll come to the same conclusion."

Then you need to study a bit more. Germany didn't have a two-party system. Hitler got first enough votes to get some power, not absolute.
It took the Reichstag fire for Germans to give him more power through
a so-called "Enabling Act", pretty close to our infamous "patriot act".
When you compare the Reichstag fire to 911, the comparison does not lead to Obama.

[abbe91]

Correct me if you think I'm wrong, but I don't recall that Obama's Grandfather had business with nazi Germany. He didn't work for
Brown Brothers Harriman (BBH), who acted as a US base for the German industrialist, Fritz Thyssen, who helped finance Hitler in the 1930s.
He wasn't the director of the New York-based Union Banking Corporation (UBC) that represented Thyssen's US interests.
The Obama family didn't build a fortune working for that bank after America entered the war.

[mongolianfireoil21]

Hitler was a foreignor to Germany who stole power. Obama is a foreignor to the US who stole power. Hitler was a power grabbing socialist. Obama is a power grabbing socialist. Hitler was a short little coward. Obama is a short little coward.

[steeepe]

Mongolian:

Go back to school and learn how to think for God's sake! Obama is a foreigner? Your comments are so utterly stupid that it's almost not worth responding to them.

[sneddog]

Obama is a socialist, socialism is about taking away from one person and giving it to another person. Obama said during his campaigne that he would spread the wealth by taking from some to give to others. If you need furhter evidence just look at the rammed through healthcare bill. It was and is obvious that a majority of Americans are against this legislation, but that didn't stop Obama and the Demomcrats from forcing it on the American people.

But to answer the question of what I think about this billboard, I may agree agree with the comparison on the billboard, but I wouldn't have done it, it was in bad taste.

[donnatn40]

I agree with the billboard....they are right on target. I also agree with the tea party.. all of you who think Obama is progress? get your head out of your rump.

[steeepe]

Learn to think critically and then decide if Obama is similar to Hitler.....

[Gun_Owner]

I do think critically and I also study history. The way Obama rose to power is much like the way HItler rose to power. Don't take my word for it, do your own homework and you'll come to the same conclusion.

[thanksgreed]

Pretty sad they've let the nuts take over.

[mongolianfireoil21]

Who's they? I want to kick they's butts seeings they's let obumba take over.

[wdrussell1]

What does the TeaParty actually tell people?
If you vote against you own best interests, sooner or later it will benefit you.
You will be trickle down on any day now.

[actornaught]

This is a valid reagan connect, and polls show ronnie is the TP's most revered prez. But if you take the TP's at their stated goals of balanced budget and smaller governement, they should revile reagan (and Bush and bush), and instead show support for Bill Clinton. Try to catch one of them at THAT.

Hypocrisy.