County Commissioner Brings Swastika Sign To US Rep. Schauer Health Care Rally

Chris Savaged reported from Jackson, MI as part of HuffPost's Eyes & Ears Town Hall Watch. Join the citizen coverage by clicking participate at the bottom of the article.

UPDATE: Although some have defended Commissioner Phil Duckham's swastika sign by saying it had a cross through it and was not comparing President Obama to Adolf Hitler or the president's policies to Naziism, the reality is not so straightforward. Duckham arrived at the rally with his sign simply displaying a plain swastika and later added the cross through it. These photos by Amanda Ross tell the tale.

A protest rally planned by anti-health care reform forces in Michigan's 7th Congressional District was upstaged by a pro-health care reform rally staged an hour earlier in front of the offices of freshman Representative Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek). Organizing for America staff report that 355 people signed in at the rally with many more in attendance who did not sign in. The anti-reform protest drew only about 50.

Schauer came out to speak with the crowd through a bullhorn while most attendees chanted and waved signs in support of H.R. 3200.

The Jackson Citizen Patriot is reporting Jackson County Commissioner Phil Duckham attended the rally carrying "a sign with a swastika on it, and compared Obama to Hitler". They also have a photo of him doing so.

"This is how Hitler started out," Duckham said. "First, Obama took over the auto industry, then the banking industry. We don't need him to take over the health care industry."

The Battle Creek Inquirer article on this event shows another anti-reform protester with a swastika sign as well.

The large turnout to this event was a surprise to organizers after a similar town hall held in Romulus, Michigan last week by Rep. John Dingell (D-Detroit) brought in many more anti-health care reform protesters than it did supporters. Abigail Clark, a former staff person for President Obama's Campaign for Change in Michigan arrived at Schauer's office right as the rally was scheduled to begin.

"My friend was using her iPhone to figure out where we were going so we wouldn't miss it," Clark told me. "Then I looked up and just said 'I think we found it'. It was amazing. There were literally hundreds of people all up and down the streets and everywhere. There's no way we could have missed it!"

The evening of the rally, Rep. Schauer reached out to 100,000 of his constituents inviting them to a teleconference town hall on health care. These types of town hall events are becoming increasingly popular this summer as protesters continue to disrupt the public events with rude and sometimes hostile behavior.

Schauer's rather gerrymandered district was formerly represented by far-right Tim Walberg who was defeated by Schauer in 2008. Despite not currently holding office, Walberg is apparently holding "health care town hall meetings" of his own throughout Michigan, an unusual move for a defeated candidate.

Rep. Schauer's spokesperson, Zack Pohl, responded, "It's unfortunate that Mr. Walberg would rather turn this issue into a political football at a time when families and small businesses in Lenawee County are hurting. It's also ironic that the same former congressman who once said those without health insurance can just go to the emergency room now wants to talk about health care reform. We are engaged in a serious debate about this critical issue, and now is not the time for political gamesmanship for personal gain."

 

 

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Comments

[nailinpalinnow]

Duckham is dead wrong about how Hitler started out. I have been specifically educating myself on this subject. Start by reading anything by Mettleman, Bella Fromm's Blood and Banquets, a book called Hitler's Children, and go from there.

Hitler actually rose to power because the old guard, the rich aristocrats whose power had been taken away in WW1 were willing to back him, thinking they could control him. They had no problem or not much of a problem with his racist tendencies.

Sound familiar? An old guard, racist leaning group of wealthy people willing to unleash mob tactics thinking they could control the masses this way? So who is really taking a page from the rise of Facism in Germany? Fill in the blank.

[PoliSci2008]

IF YOU WANT PUBLIC OPTION, THEN HAVE SIGNS THAT READ "WE THE PEOPLE WANT PUBLIC OPTION". STOP YOUR HATRED. It's a damned shame that these types of Americans, the Militias, would twist Obama's attempt to reform Healthcare to Hitler's world domination and the eradication of undesirable country men.

They're are so anit-government that their thinking is irational. They accept they MUST have auto insurance to drive a car, but not for their own health. Never-the-less, the President is rational enough to accept their wishes to make healthcare optional. Hitler would not have listen to the opposition, he would have sent the SS to destroy the opposition with milita tactics!

[LeftOfCenter44]

AS i PREPARE THIS MORNING TO GO TO THE DOWNTOWN PHOENIX TOWN HALL MEETING WHERE OBAMA IS GOING TO SPEAK I've made sure my shirt is printed correct and my sign in order. The message is clear people. REFORM with a PUBLIC OPTION!

www.LeftOfCenter.yolasite.com

[kemstone]

Yeah, Obama is totally taking over. The auto industry, the banks, and now health care.

What kind of bizzaro-world are these people living in? Obama = Hitler? Obama is too timid to even repeal DADT, to impose real regulations on Wall Street, or to draw a line in the sand regarding a public health care option. It just doesn't make sense that anyone can see this guy as some sort of all-powerful demagogue who wields control over every aspect of society when he can't even control the debate over his own policy proposals.

[Vicks123]

If you have a photo - Where is it????

Even if you do - WHO CARES?!

Last time I checked this was America - and people are free to express their political views ...

[JDoorjam]

The article has not one, but two photos in it. And while, yes, anyone is free to say anything they'd like (which is why the media isn't trying to get the personal info of most people making such silly comparisons), we hold elected and appointed officials to a higher standard, and weigh the wisdom of the statements they make and the stances they take.

[ssfahrer]

The problem is that the fairer comparison is to Lenin and Stalin (and Communism) than Hitler and Fascism. Protesters should be bringing the hammer and sickle, not the swastika, to protest against Obama's turning this country into the U S S A.....

[Wendy Johnson]

HuffPost's Pick

Did you get that from a talking point? Obama's not even left-wing for a liberal, he's so far from socialism he'd be the first one up against the wall if there ever was a revolution.

Read some history. Read some Marx. Christ.

[alisonv]

It is amazing to me that Obama is perceived as "far left" by those on the right. He's much closer to a centrist--but one who cares about the American people and thinks the rest of the government ought to care, too. I live in Italy and Italians just think it is bizarre and absurd that anyone in America could remotely call Obama "a Fascist".

[jrjones529]

I wonder if Hitler had this many people comparing himself to Hitler when he started reforming that nations health care system when he started out his attempt to take over the world....

[skmbho]

Or who was the comparative ogre? Attila the Hun? Can't you see the signs! Hitler the Hun!

[allalone]

Republicans would be going after any Democratic holding the White House, HUGE difference is that at age 65 what I've witnessed last week on government controlled and corporate run television, is a level of racial hatred that I've not witnessed since the 1960's. President Bush and the Republicans would not and did not allow any dissent of his policies by screaming and if anyone had the balls to show up toting a gun he would still be in prison. Hatred against President Obama was fomented during the pre election campaign. That Alaskan Governor, the main cheer leader with the palling around with terrorist comments, etc.
My grandfather, father, and uncles fought for our nation too and we are black Americans and voting citizens and we all know race hate when we see it. It is tangible, it can almost be touched when you have grown up with the knowledge that no matter how much you accomplish or how much success or fame that your garner, as soon as you walk into a room your skin color is the first thing that is noticed above your fame and successes. Town hall white faces are familiar to us black folks like em or not. They are still as dangerous as ever with their faux superiority due to the DNA of their skin as proof of such. SAD.

[skmbho]

This is what I recently explained to my 20 year old daughter. It is hard to remember, but the Rethugs were just as vitriolic, if not more during the Clinton administration. They compared Hillary to Matahari, Tokyo Rose, or the bride of Frankenstein. The rethugs had the majority then, so they spent $50 million trying to convict one or both of the Clintons of criminal activity, of which they never got anything to stick. The rethugs of the day, many of whom are either still in Congress or serving as pundits today held witch hunts of everyone associated with the Clintons, and still never proved anything. This is the right-wing playbook. If they are in office they make the rich richer and the poor poorer. If they are not in office they block any progress that might correct the corruption that they perpetuate while they are in charge. It is historic and the people fall for it every time.

[sherwoodforest]

Yes, exactly and that 50 million was our tax money too- where was the concern for the grand kids back then- or back with the Iraq war or the tax hand out to the rich?
Go back even farther in time and you have the Re-thuglicans working against Medicare and social security.
Hell- they were against seat belts ( it would ruin the auto industry), bottle deposits and the clean water act.

[Cynthasis]

Whenever anyone wants to smear someone they call him Hitler. In using that term they identify themselves as like-minded fascists.
I have doctors, nurses, teachers, politicians and coal miners in my family. All of them need to be covered by a decent health care plan. Canadian, British, Swedish, Belgian, German, Spanish and Swiss friends have some of the best health care in the world. They seem to have done it and not collapsed or become police states. Some Americans bring up the "socialist" or "fascist" arguments whenever there isn't enough fact to flesh out their diatribes.
I was a school teacher for 33 years and I have health insurance for which I worked HARD. Millions of people work hard and don't have it. It seems to be un-American NOT to cover everyone.
Mark Schauer is a decent, fair and honorable guy. For a councilman to show up with a swastika at a health care rally just shows the councilman's level of ignorance. Schauer won in a district that has been traditionally right-wing Republican. It is a testament to the widespread appeal of Schauer's work and views that he was elected. The Battle Creek Enquirer (that's with an "E" and not an "I") which is pretty conservative has even supported some of his views.
I'm glad that there were more people there FOR health care reform than against it. Having been a patient of American health care many times I KNOW it's time for reform.

[Steven Anderson]

I don't know about the health care of the others you mention except that as a Doctor I worked in the Swedish health care system for years and it was a total joke! When I sent a patient out for X-rays it took 2 months, another patient who was close to 70 that clearly needed a hip operation was refused because the surgeon told me "why should we waste time on giving an operation to a person who is no longer a productive member of society" or yet another doctor that was taking for ever to get back to me tests on a patient that I had ordered and he said "Hey, I get paid whether I see 2 patients a day or 20...I am not going to push myself". Then you had the 100's of scam patients coming in whom wanted me to sign off their "sick notice" so they did not have to go to work when they were clearly health and according to Swedish law, at least then, you could these perpetually if you had a friendly doctor that would give them to you. Now for all that great service, when I was there, the top income tax bracket was 90% and now it is cheap at only around 50%...with one of the main costs...Sw­eden's superb healthcare sytem.

[sherwoodforest]

Funny- what does Sweden have to do with swastikas being referenced in the health care debate? Your story is anecdotal but not verified.

[trisha08]

Playing with matches is all fun and games until the spark ignites a fire......­.....and then the fire get out of control and people are hurt.


The GOP seems to be pleased as punch to stir this pot and, and are encouraging this hate language to grow.

Their silence if deafening. In fact, it's the opposite.

We can hear what they are "saying"..­..loud and clear.

[trisha08]

Thank you for this piece. I am so disturbed at these actions----on so many levels.

Does the GOP really think that this help help them in the long run? They just spit on Latino's and now the use of Naz_i language and signs is a huge huge slap in the face to the Jewish community. They are pandering to the fringe element of the party using Palin's hate and division to throw red meat to the crowds from the safety of her facebook page.

She is even dividing the GOP since she attacked two Republican's who co-sponsored the part of the bill she is attacking.

I am beyond disgusted at the behavior of Americans at these rallies.

[JazzyJim]

The fact that they believe "Palin" is representative of "anything" American is disgusting. The GOP a fringe cult - their leadership reports to "The Family" on C Street - and the project for "A New American Century" - they have taken, unfortunately, the playbook of Goebbles and Hitler in their hunger for power - and have turned it on Liberty and Democracy itself. The frightful part of this is they're using the tactics of that evil empire as a "smear campaign" against those of us that would call them on it. In essense, trying to present it as a 'push'.

As it was correctly used to describe the Bush administration, whom decided they didn't "need the support of the American people" because he was "the decider" our pacifist nature as a progressive civilizati­on/society allowed a dark minority of fringe fanatics to a) over-take a political party through "religious" fringe views and b) propaganda via Rupert Murdoch's network of TV, Radio and newspapers. It's time to stop this nonsense before we are facing the type of RNC president originally conceived in "The Dead Zone" or 1930s Germany.

[keepemhonest]

To Chris Savage,

In May 2009, Frank Luntz wrote a memo for all the rightwingers title, "Health Care Language 2009." Luntz's memo was a talking points memo for rightwingers to use to stop health care reform.

Keep in mind, in May 2009 the House Bill (HR 3200) had not even been introduced ... hmmm ..... yet the very talking points in Luntz's May memo are the EXACT talking points the rightwingers have been yelling at Town Halls.

Another curious thing is the first set of Senate Town Halls, the drooling hords were yelling Luntz's talking points & the senators had to EXPLAIN (& educate) the hords that the senate Bill has not even been introduced.

It took the droolers a few days & they finally got their marching orders from their rightwinged leaders to blather Luntz's May talking points exlaiming HR 3200. (It should be noted here that many of the droolers did not know that HR stood for a House Bill)

The point to this comment is this: Could you please write an article reminding the "people" about Luntz's May talking points memo & how it is filled with L I E S that the rightwingers are using currently - even though - NO BILL HAD BEEN INTRODUCED when Luntz wrote & issued that memo.

I think a reminder on Luntz's memo will go a long way in educating people about the manipulation tool and might even make some of the droolers feel they have been "HAD"

Thanks

[JazzyJim]

Good Point. Luntz is a "poller" whom "twists" some of the wording in the RNC polling excercises to favor RNC candidate or ideas. His "smugness on Fox" kills me, because he clearly knows he's manipulating his "focus" groups of hand selected sheep. The real deal is, you know anyone working for FOX is making RNC/Lobbyist money.

[keepemhonest]

To Phoebe Caulfield,

YOU wrote, "Any one of those 50 million uninsured can walk into the hospital in my city and get open heart surgery TODAY if they were to have a heart attack???"

& YOU wrote, "How many more DRs, Nurses, Pharmacists etc. will we need to treat these 50 million????"

****** My comments to YOU****

** You recap the GOP Emergency Room Health Care Plan very well.

** But, I must ask you, how many cancer patients - who have been dropped from their insurance companies - can go to the ER & get chemo?

** Also, the dude getting emergency "open heart surgery" - will that dude be able to go to the ER for the required post open heart surgery physical therapy ?

** Also, I can not believe you are complaining that more doctors, Rn's etc will be needed under a new healthcare policy. Ever hear the term "job creation?"

You, Phoebe, are OPPOSE to a policy that will CREATE MORE JOBS!

Hmmm .... why am I NOT surprised that the rightwingers are oppose to Job Creation.

[MarkieBee]

WOW, Phoebe is as clueless as the rest of the Repubs...t­hat dude going to the ER and getting open-heart surgery...­who pays for that ultimately? We all do and a hell of a lot more thatn if the dude was screened by a regular doctor and prescribed some medicine so he doesn't go that far and suffer a heart attack. Even if he needs emergency surgery at least he's covered at a better rate than having no insurance. What part of DUH! don't you understand Phoebe?

Yeah, more doctors and nurses is ALWAYS a bad thing...My GOD, where do the Republicans get these people? Oh that's right...th­ey're Fox News viewers..

[BrotherOrchid]

The First Jewish President, or the first Hispanic President, or the first Asian, or Muslim president would have also been portrayed as an evil villain by right-wing “patriots”, and viewed as an “outsider”, and therefore unfit to be President. Because while the rest of us see the red, the white, and the blue. . . . . . they see. . . .only the white.

[madisonhack]

Yup...Kenn­edy had the KKK enraged because he was a Catholic.

[keepemhonest]

Brother,

I agree with you but ... I also think that any and all Democratic Presidents are painted as e v i l by the rightwingers.

Look at all the garbage they said about Bill Clinton - they said he had people k i l l e d ....

I think of gladiator mentality when I hear/see the rightwingers.

[bluecollarblogger]

HuffPost's Pick

I remember days setting around my grandparents as they told stories of how hard life was as they said, during the war. When grandfather fought the krouts as my grandma would say. I think of the days in the cold, the years he spent away from all of us, never knowing if he would ever come home or not, the sacrifice that he and so many others made. He never had anything good to say about Hitler, he was so proud of our country, he loved her so much. I think if he was alive today, he would be so ashamed, so angry, so disappointed. He fought that we all could have freedom, he would be ashamed that the blood he shed, for the government and constitution which he fought so hard to protect was being blasphemed with the name of Hitler. Have we sunk so low in our struggle for a better nation, for a better republic that we will do anything to defame the other in our debate? I believe those who use the names of these tyrants and dictators that shed so much innocent blood do not deserve the blanket of freedom which my grandfather provided..­..........­....i know though what he would say.......­..he fought for them too

[trisha08]

Well said. THIS is the message we should be getting from the media rather than than repeating Palin's divisive facebook messages or showing these mobsters non-stop as if they represent most American's. They don't....a­nd they need to be called out.