GOP senator compares Democrats to Hitler

GOP senator compares Democrats to Hitler

By John Byrne | RAW STORY

Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) compared Democrats' attempts to keep the filibuster to Hitler's moves in 1942 in a floor speech in the Senate Thursday afternoon, RAW STORY has learned.

On March 1, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) made a reference to Hitler in a speech about the nuclear option. Santorum lashed out at Byrd for his remarks. From the 3/11/05 Charleston Journal:

Byrd roused the ire of many Republicans when he tangentially referred to Adolf Hitler during a speech on March 1 defending cloture and the right to debate.

[Snip]

Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., asked Byrd to retract his comments, stating they “lessen the credibility of the senator and the decorum of the Senate.” The Anti-Defamation League also criticized Byrd.

What a difference 10 weeks make.

The following is a transcript of the particular section of the senator's floor speech, from the closed-captioned text taken by the Senate.


AND WE SHOULDN'T GO MUCKING AROUND IN THIS INSTITUTION AND CHANGING THE WAY WE'VE DONE THINGS,
PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE BALANCE OF POWERS BETWEEN THE THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT. AND THE INDEPENDENCE OF ONE OF THOSE BRANCHES OF THE JUDICIARY. WE MUST TREAD VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE WE GO RADICALLY CHANGING THE WAY WE DO THINGS THAT HAS SERVED THIS COUNTRY WELL, AND WE HAVE RADICALLY CHANGED THE WAY WE DO THINGS HERE. SOME ARE SUGGESTING WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE THE LAW, WE'RE TRYING TO BREAK THE RULES. REMARKABLE. REMARKABLE HUBRIS. I MEAN, IMAGINE, THE RULE HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR 214 YEARS THAT THIS IS THE WAY WE CONFIRM JUDGES. BROKEN BY THE OTHER SIDE TWO YEARS AGO, AND THE AUDACITY OF SOME MEMBERS TO STAND UP AND SAY, HOW DARE YOU BREAK THIS RULE. IT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF ADOLF HITLER IN 1942 "I'M IN PARIS. HOW DARE YOU INVADE ME. HOW DARE YOU BOMB MY CITY? IT'S MINE." THIS IS NO MORE THE RULE OF THE SENATE THAN IT WAS THE RULE OF THE SENATE BEFORE NOT TO FILIBUSTER. IT WAS AN UNDERSTANDING AND AGREEMENT, AND IT HAS BEEN ABUSED. IN A SENSE, WHAT WE SEE HERE ON THE FLOOR OF THE UNITED STATES
{16:30:35} (MR. SANTORUM) { NOT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT }