Is It “Insensitive” To Call

Is It “Insensitive” To Call Republicans Nazis? – Yes. According to a front page story in the Washington Post today, “Townsend [Dem. candidate for governor of Maryland] Fires New Strategist for ‘Nazi’ Remark.”

The remarks:

“Bobby Ehrlich is a Nazi. His record is horrible, atrocious,” [Julius] Henson said in a telephone interview. “In Prince George’s County, we’ll define him as the Nazi that he is. Once we do that, I think people will vote for Kathleen Kennedy Townsend…. He should be running in Germany in 1942, not Maryland in 2002,” Henson said.

That definitely wasn’t a nice — or, as it turned out, politic — thing to say, but — call me perverse [I’ve been called worse] — I find the comments of the Democrats in firing Henson about as offensive as his offense.

First, Townsend’s campaign spokesman, Peter Hamm, labeled Henson’s remarks “insensitive and irresponsible.” Insensitive??? That strikes me as expressing all the outrage of, say, calling the WTC terrorists “insensitive” for killing so many people, or at least so many women, children, and minorities. On the other hand, Hamm is a Democratic operative, and insensitivity is about the worst sin in the Democrats’ moral code.

Next, Karen White, director of Henson’s actual employer, something called the Democrats’ coordinated campaign, issued the following blistering denunciation: “Those comments are unfortunate, and we will not be able to consider Mr. Henson for employment at this time.” Maybe later. The incompletely closed door on Henson’s employment with the Democrats suggests that Ms. White may have found the storm caused by the reporting of his comments more bothersome than the actual comments.

Finally, there is influential Democratic Maryland Congressman Albert Wynn. Wynn,

who initially recommended Henson as “probably the best field guy in the state,” said he is encouraging White to reconsider the decision to fire Henson. “I think she should keep him,” Wynn said. “Perhaps an apology to Mr. Ehrlich is in order.”

But perhaps not. Ehrlich, after all, is a Republican, and all Henson did was call him a Nazi. That’s not much, if any, worse than what the Democrats paid Henson to say about Ellen Sauerbrey, the Republican candidate for governor, four years ago. Perhaps if Wynn reflected upon the fact that Republicans in Maryland are an embattled minority (Gore carried the state by 17%), he might be more, well, sensitive.

Say What? (1)

  1. Briton Rice September 11, 2004 at 11:39 pm | | Reply

    Hello to all, (I’ve just copied and sent this message to many friends in college and government).

    Yesterday, the acting director of public safety at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, called me to their office and ordered me about, rudely telling me to sit down, that I was no longer a student of the college!! Then I was told me to sign a no tresspassing document which I definitely refused!

    When I went to the campus center and then the bookstore directly afterwards, Officer Brooks told me not to return my books because I was still a student of the college. By the way, I was not returning my books, though it appeared that way, he did not admitt he was mistaken. But smiled down on me with delight:-(

    During the meeting, when I told him how absurd these measures against me were, that the “problem” derived from taking one shower in Lewis Quad, one time, and that one of the people residing there who also happened to walk past me after I was clothed and drying, cooling down putting on my shoes. The person who walked past was the one who was also rude to me in the spring. Very mean to me in history class when I spoke about Thomas Paine and John Locke eventhough I remember talling her upon occassion, once about how smart she was in class that day;-)

    I recall coming to Linda right after that episode and then to Jeannie and Don, perplexed although I sadly understood what was said and occurred. I did not wish to be a part of the class any longer and it seems since it was toward the end of a great semester the peson lashed out at me.

    During the meeting yesterday, the acting director of public safety said he didn’t care that I acted like someone breaking into a home in Lexington Park, using their shower!! Come on! Get real!! So, I simply explained various reasons how these circumstances were different. But only shook his head vigorously at me, while emphatically smiling. He did’t allow the friend I brought from the point news in and acted very angry. The news writer who had just wrote the history of the issue while I waited for the third of such meetings in the last week. After writing most of it down they agreed to join in on this meeting. The student was also kind enough to reschedule his classes, emailing their professor to attend the meeting with me and interview PS as well.

    When I asked the other officers sitting in, they automatically said I would have to make any complaint to Tony Brooks, both of them looked mystified. I told him he wouldn’t get away with doing this if there were a jury and other students present… not just the one who has been continually try to prevent me from succeeding at St. Mary’s.

    This is not right! It is not what it appears or how PS is going to present it! Dean Freeman was also harrassing me in prior meetings with Brooks. They actually harrassed me about walking in front of the statue, from one road to the next, closest to the boat house, on the way to a meeting with the Dean and Tony.

    How do I proceed with my education with this type of infringement upon our civil liberties?

    Before, I am banned from going to class and finishing my education partically speaking, I should be heard!!

    Do I need to write Ted Kopple, once my next door neighbor, or Governor Erhlich, William Donald Schaffer, and Kathleen Kennedy Townsend too?

    Thanks for your time and consideration!

    Briton Rice

    please call me at home in Bel Air, Maryland 410-836-7254

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