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June 19, 2013
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 GOP Senate Candidate Compares Smoking Ban to Hitler PolicyPosted on Apr 19, 2012
U.S. Senate candidate John Raese, a West Virginia Republican, thinks banning smoking is the “same thing” as Adolf Hitler’s policy of forcing Jews to wear the Star of David. Raese made the comparison at the recent Putnam County Lincoln Day dinner. Said Raese: “I have to put a huge sticker on my buildings to say this is a smoke-free environment. This is brought to you by the government of Monongalia County. OK? Remember Hitler used to put Star of David on everybody’s lapel, remember that? Same thing.” He later stood by his comparison, declaring: “No, this is not a standard line, nor a misstatement.” Raese has a history of making controversial statements, which may help explain why he has lost three previous U.S. Senate races in West Virginia. —TEB Click below to see and hear Raese in action at the Lincoln Day event: Advertisement Previous item: Psychiatrist Repudiates His ‘Cure-for-Gays’ Study Next item: Taxes, Riots and Prostitutes New and Improved CommentsIf you have trouble leaving a comment, review this help page. Still having problems? Let us know. If you find yourself moderated, take a moment to review our comment policy. |
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By Maani, April 21, 2012 at 2:34 pm Link to this comment
Sen. John Raese compares smoking bans to Hitler. Rep. Doug Lamborn all but calls Obama is a “tar baby.” Rep. Allen West, echoing Joe McCarthy, rattles a sheaf of papers supposedly proving that up to 80 members of Congress are communists.
This is among the most disturbing trends we’ve seen in some time. Wonder if it will get worse before it gets better….
Report thisBy berniem, April 21, 2012 at 12:37 pm Link to this comment
That not all republicans are bad people but the vast majority of bad people are republicans is proven multiple times a day! FREE BRADLEY MANNING & TIM DeCHRISTOPHER!!!!
Report thisBy EmileZ, April 20, 2012 at 1:25 pm Link to this comment
However…
Just because this guy is a moron, it doesn’t mean that smoking bans can’t go too far at times.
Banning smoking in government-subsidized housing being one example of a smoking ban going too far.
After a long hard day at your crappy minimum-wage job, you ought to be able to go home and smoke a cigarette.
Another example… banning smoking in all bars.
You can always go to a non-smoking bar, and no one is forcing you to work there (if someone really wants to throw a fit about it… allow employees to wear gas masks if they so choose) You could argue that jobs are scarce, but that is an entirely different issue which is unfortunately not being addressed.
Report thisBy SoTexGuy, April 20, 2012 at 1:17 pm Link to this comment
Many so-called conservatives in his district likely already support him. He may lose a few votes based on his ‘freedom’ to kill yourself and others politics.. So what?
He has cemented the vote and support of every smoker who sees or hears of his position. Smokers are irrational addicts… at least on the subject of smoking. Few, if any of the people who disagree with him on how he frames the smoking issue are his constituents in any case. It’s smart politics and it’s no different from Obama doubling down on security and terror and the military and all that jazz in a election year.
Obama (correctly) believes most anybody calling themselves a liberal or a democrat will not vote for his challenger.. he has nothing to lose by making himself more palatable to the fear and security junkies.
Adios.
Report thisBy Jim Yell, April 20, 2012 at 7:02 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Smoking is a matter of health. I don’t think that Hitler did what he did because sitting in a room full of Jews would give people CANCER. This is one of the stupidist things to be said by a party that seems to have distilled the most ignorant part of our population.
If I peed into your scotch and water it wouldn’t endanger your health, as much as you smoking into the air we all have to breath. What a jackass.
Another thought, “how much did the tobacco industry pay him to, make himself sound so stupid?” And, yes this statement by this GOP candidate is disrespectful to the Jews were were murdered by Hitler.
Report thisBy prisnersdilema, April 20, 2012 at 5:25 am Link to this comment
unfortunately during presidential election years, there is a tendency for rocks and trash
to be turned over, so that the public can decide what needs to be hauled off to the land
fill.
No matter how much entomology one studies, it still may be difficult to identify insects
when they slither from their hiding place into the sun, for a brief moment, before they
return to their hiding place.
sometimes they can be particularly poisonous, as in the case of Ted Nugent, and some
times they are only capable of making an annoying buzz.
I always just reach for my fly swatter,and if that fails there is the bottom of my shoe.
That’s really all the attention they deserve.
Report thisBy G W Vreeland, April 19, 2012 at 1:07 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Wow, who voted in someone with such twisted logic?
Nazis forcing non-nazis to wear something is nothing like the State telling us to do something. It’s much much closer to smokers forcing non-smokers to breathe their carcinogens.
The state telling us to do something that on balance creates a healthier, safer or more productive state describes this law, thousands upon thousands of our other laws, and many of the Ten Commandments.
Let me counter Mr. Raese’s silly hyperbole with a bit of my own: “If Mr. Raese is against laws intended to benefit society, he must also be against the Ten Commandments”. There you go, Mr. Raese, a ready-built platform for your re-election bid.
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