Rick Santorum Denies Comparing Obama To Hitler

Rick Santorum is clarifying controversial comments about Obama once again.

When he likened the buildup to World War II to the election, the GOP hopeful left some wondering where Obama fit into the extended metaphor.

"Remember, the greatest generation for a year and a half sat on the sidelines while Europe was under darkness," Santorum said on Sunday at a megachurch in Georgia. "We're a hopeful people. We think, 'Well, you know, it'll get better. Yeah, he's a nice guy. I mean, it won't be near as bad as what we think. This will be okay. I mean, yeah, maybe he's not the best guy after a while, after a while you find out some things about this guy over in Europe who's not so good of a guy after all...'"

Santorum defended his comments Monday when asked whether he was comparing the president to Hitler.

"No, of course not," he told a National Journal-CBS News reporter. "The World War II metaphor is one I've used 100 times in my career."

Santorum has been on the attack against Obama, telling an Ohio Tea Party audience that the president's agenda stems from "some phony theology, not a theology based on the Bible." He insisted over the weekend that he was not questioning Obama's faith.

"I've repeatedly said I don't question the president's faith. I've repeatedly said that I believe the president's Christian," he said Sunday on "Face the Nation." "I am talking about his world view, and the way he approaches problems in this country. I think they're different than how most people do in America."

His press secretary, Alice Stewart, did not help matters when she slipped up Monday on MSNBC and used the phrase "radical Islamic policies" to describe Obama's stance on the environment. She quickly said that she had misspoken and regretted the mistake.

Also on HuffPost:

 

 

Comments

[Pastori Balele]

10:51 AM on 03/13/2012

Santorum is fake pope trying to win GOP nomination by invoking Catholicism as best political voodoo. I know GOPers are have strange way of thinking - dumb. What will people of other faiths see Santorum - Catholic radical - similar to Moslem radical or Jihadian? I am Catholic and I won't vote for anybody based on being Catholic or any other religion. You may remember Santorum in Iowa called us Blacks and poor people as food stamp suckers. I cannot trust this new fake pope any more. I hope Catholicism these days doesn’t teach things like that. After all people now have low opinion of religion including Catholicism. I am asking people of all faith to reject Santorum at the polls. Santorum - please keep the 1% ultra-Bible believers. For the 99% - Please join me to vote for President Obama in November.

[JohnBryansFontaine]

12:14 PM on 02/26/2012

Before any right-wing extremist revisionists attempt to bolster Santorum's view, they REALLY need to study history, especially the The stab-in-the-back legend ( Dolchstoßlegende ) which was the basic Lie that got Hitler and the nazis into power.

The stab-in-the-back legend "...is the notion, widely believed in right-wing circles in Germany after 1918, that the German Army did not lose World War I but was instead betrayed by the civilians on the home front, especially the republicans who overthrew the monarchy. Advocates denounced the German government leaders who signed the Armistice on November 11, 1918, as the "November Criminals"..."

"...Conservatives, nationalists and ex-military leaders began to speak critically about the peace and Weimar politicians, socialists, communists, Jews, and sometimes even Catholics were viewed with suspicion due to presumed extra-national loyalties. It was claimed that they had not supported the war and had played a role in selling out Germany to its enemies. These November Criminals, or those who seemed to benefit from the newly formed Weimar Republic, were seen to have "stabbed them in the back" on the home front, by either criticizing German nationalism, instigating unrest and strikes in the critical military industries or profiteering..."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stab-in-the-back_legend

[Michael Deangelo]

12:29 AM on 02/23/2012

Umm...Lets see, IS Obama like Hitler? Well, like Hitler, he has thrown Israel under the bus. Like Hitler, He wants to rule by "force" - Is interview a few weeks back he stated he been unable to FORCE congress to passing his agenda....The other day, LIKE HITLER, he said "If Congress doesn't act, Joe & I will"...That sound like a President of a Constitutional Republic or, a Dictator LIKE Hitler?....But, there is a bright spot here for OBAMA. In his book he did say, "I shall stand with the Muslim if the Political Winds turn ugly"...Now there he sounded more like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, but not Hitler!

[dk50b]

10:34 AM on 02/23/2012

I wasn't aware Israel existed when Hitler was around, I thought it came into being because he murdered 6 million Jews. Missed the part where Obama declared himself dictator, suspended the Constitution, violently shut down the unions and all opposition parties, required Jews to wear Stars of David on their clothes, deprived them of their citizenship, burned 10,000 Jewish businesses, placed them in ghettos then sent them to extermination camps, set up two vicious secret police forces that could arest and murder at will, sentenced 26,000 of his political opponents to death, and took actions leading to the death of 40 million people.
I guess a strong statement on acting where a do-nothing Congress has refused, a statement made by others such as Truman, is just like the preceeding list. And if you break the law in secret, as Bush did in his illegal domestic spying and countless other actions, it must be alright. This is the fourth time in this thread I've had to remind people of what Hitler actually did, so that these pathetic comparisons that spit on the memory of those he killed don't stand unanswered.

[tonytonmsn]

01:34 PM on 02/23/2012

Most need history lessons from our previous century. The old folks that are still alive and are aware, don't waste their last days of life blogging.....You are dealing with a young crowd mostly, and they don't know anything that happened before 1980. It constantly irritates me.
Someone said on here, They would leave America and live in Mexico if Santorum was elected....(to live in S. America...?)
We may be wasting our breath. Have a good day!

[JohnBryansFontaine]

12:04 PM on 02/26/2012

Obama is so much like Hitler that he got 78% of the Jewish vote in 2008. Obama is so much like Hitler that he had major threat to Israeli Osama bin Laden assassinated. And let's face it, Hitler would have been glad to provide Israel with at least $8.2 million each day FORCE Congress? Where's the decree?

It's only right-wing extremists like you who compare Obama to Hitler. Who was himself a right-wing extremist. As in a nationalist, racist, anti-semite, anti-liberal, anti-labor, militarist and pro-industrialist. Pretty much like Pat Buchanan.

[Watching rock grow]

05:14 PM on 02/22/2012

"...Yeah, he's a nice guy. I mean, it won't be near as bad as what we think. This will be okay...."

Thanks Santorum for giving us a heads up on the real you.

[rolavine]

11:06 AM on 02/22/2012

Apparently, Rick has not learned anything from our two trillion dollar fiasco wars in the middle east brought to us by another GOP chicken hawk.

[jonesengr]

10:26 AM on 02/22/2012

How many times does anyone need to explain what was said plainly and simply. Were I being ask over and over I would respond with no response. He answered that. It is done. Do they have another question? If not we are done. The left media are sick puppies.

[as400az]

11:06 AM on 02/22/2012

Just want the truth. Are you afraid of it. I think you are.

[jonesengr]

11:39 AM on 02/22/2012

What are you talking about? Am I afraid of what? Silly comment. Personally I am sick of the media asking silly questions. When explanation is given either accept it or move on either way. We need more serious debate on details of these methods suggested to balance the budget and pay off the Obama debt. I mean detail not rhetoric. The news people have no idea what to ask.

[adhocal]

03:19 PM on 02/22/2012

apparently he does...and so does his press secretary...and the reason he keeps getting asked to do that is because what he says is so beyond rational thought and where most of the citizens are, that they are trying to give him a chance to "clean it up"

[jonesengr]

08:33 AM on 02/23/2012

Extremely intelligent people have a problem when they express their inner most thoughts on a deep subject. That may be the problem here. Believe it or not there are extremely intelligent people in the Repub ranks. They then have a problem at times communicating with average people. If you listen to his remarks again and what has been said you may understand it better.

[Darrion Beckles]

10:23 AM on 02/22/2012

Have any of these people who've made these ridiculous Obama-Hitler comparisons lived under the Third Reich?

[buggeroffyou666]

10:12 AM on 02/22/2012

Ever notice that educated people of higher intelligence call the republicans fascist and people who have been shown to have lower I.Q.s and less evolved brains call everyone who is not them fascist?
I guess when you're not smart enough to know what a fascist is and not evolved enough for critical self examination this is what you get.

[randyfox]

09:53 AM on 02/22/2012

Rick he is much more like Stalin.

[Bill928]

09:27 AM on 02/22/2012

Another backpeddaler.

[eg8tr]

09:14 AM on 02/22/2012

Don't know and don't care if Santorum made this statement--I have been saying it for the past 2 years as Der Fuhrer has installed more and more control over the actions of those who oppose his views. A quick study of the rise of the Social Democratic Party in Germany in the early 30's will enlighten you. The Brown shirts(modern day unions) can do whatever they want, including physical assaults and threats while the opponents get trounced for minor and even imaginary offenses.

[larrysking]

09:32 AM on 02/22/2012

Crawl back into your hole!

[eg8tr]

10:00 AM on 02/22/2012

It is not my hole, it is the hole the IIC is digging at a faster rate than any of his predecessors. ABO in 2012----

[seekerseekingseeker]

09:55 AM on 02/22/2012

I bet your a graduate of Beck University !

[eg8tr]

04:16 PM on 02/22/2012

No, got my BS in Chemistr as well as my MD at the Univ. of Florida and attended Florida Law School for 2 years before I dropped out when I realized that our criminally unjust legal system could not be fixed from within. That said did you go to MSNBC loon school?

[harborislander2]

09:11 AM on 02/22/2012

Why deny it, Obama's regime is getting freaky close to the Third Reich in some of it actions !
I don't even care for Santorum but at least he has the guts to call BO to task !

[Darrion Beckles]

10:15 AM on 02/22/2012

Explain how this administration is becoming the Third Reich. I won't even debate with you, I'm just curious.... That's a serious statement.

[housecheck76]

04:21 PM on 02/22/2012

With statements like this :

"Now, whenever Congress refuses to act, Joe and I, we're going to act. In the months to come, wherever we have an opportunity, we're going to take steps on our own to keep this economy moving."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/02/21/remarks-president-payroll-tax-cut

and

"we can build an economy where everybody gets a fair shot, and everybody is doing their fair share, and everybody is taking responsibility, and everybody is playing by the same set of rules."

Whos rules? I am playing by the rules and insulted he insinuates I am not...who is not taking responsibility? Those that took loans and cant pay them back so mr obama is going to cut their principles to lower their payments while offering me to roll back my interest payments 30 years by re financing to his lower rate...no thanks. I am responsible, I go it covered Mr Obama. Doing their fair share? Mr. Obama I am working my fanny off with Ms Obama is lounging in a billionaires winter mansion in Aspen....tell me who, Mr Obama, is slacking? BTW hows the golf game sir?

[Kev Bat]

11:16 AM on 02/22/2012

Bush tapped your phone without warrant . Bush went to war without reason . He outed a spy .Bush allowed torture that violated of the Geneva convention . You missed the boat !

[mabelene]

01:57 PM on 02/22/2012

bush didn't just go to war in Iraq..he INVADED a tiny defensless country to prove his power...shamed this entire country(the part of it where truly patriotic american are anyway)

[Hutchbilly]

09:08 AM on 02/22/2012

Metastatic Obama Derangement Syndrome.....it's spreading throughout the GOP, and the only cure is moderate GOP antibodies rising up and taking back the party.....but it won't happen, they are willingly co-dependent

[jjtm562]

09:07 AM on 02/22/2012

He's a liar.

[thefacts22]

09:06 AM on 02/22/2012

What is the big deal? obama has said he was against gay marriage. We have the food patrol, the grammar patrol, the flag patrol, the race patrol, the political correct patrol, boy are we enjoying liberty under the liberals. Trust me, it will only get worst.

[mabelene]

01:57 PM on 02/22/2012

liar...typical republican

[housecheck76]

04:30 PM on 02/22/2012

He has a point ms Obama is probably now laying her plans out to control the nations food supply so fat people will get trim, doing this of course, in a mansion suppied by a billionaire in Aspen...I wonder if they are eating out at the Mac Donalds down the way...

he has a point, liberals are always correcting my bad speeling...it is one way to know a liberal from a conservative...conservatives can read between the lines...like seening a forest with the trees...and enjoying it.

yep every point he made could be construde as correct...the "brown shirts" on parade in America....who would have ever thunk it?

[thefacts22]

05:14 PM on 02/22/2012

mablene...they are taking the healthy lunches from the little kids and feeding them chicken nuggets and they have to pay $1.50 because mama's lunch was not good enough. They have a big problem funding the Unions, is easily seen.

[adhocal]

03:26 PM on 02/22/2012

you mean "wurst"....or are you just grammatically AND logically inane?

[housecheck76]

04:31 PM on 02/22/2012

see what I mean above LOL

[thefacts22]

05:23 PM on 02/22/2012

adhocal...do you mean brat wursts?