The Nazi and Hitler Card

In this past week two people used the Nazi or Hitler card.

Tom DeLay. In his new autobiography he was lameting the fact that criminal charges had been brought against him. After all, he is a good Christian and an honest man. In fairness, however, the only person I've ever heard refer to Tom DeLay as being honest was Tom DeLay himself. However, despite the fact that he ventured into criminal behavior, and despite the fact that he was charged with a crime by a Grand Jury, and despite the fact that appeals courts upheld the charges, Tom DeLay is saying that the charges against him are liberal persecution of him. Then he said it.

"By charging this big lie, liberals have finally joined the ranks of scoundrels like Hitler."

Tom DeLay. There it was. People who are opposed to him are like Hitler and and Nazis.

But then Tom Coughlin (must be a Tom thing of late), who is the coach of the New York Giants (football team) decided that he too had to use the Hitler card.

Tom Coughlin is not beloved by NY Giants fans. I happen to be one. I've been a Giants fan since Fran Tarkenton was their quarterback. I saw Rocky Thompson play live. I've watched them from bleacher seats in Yankee Stadium as well as numerous other places. I'm a diehard.

Tom Coughlin's NY Giants were, last year, at one point 6-2 and ended the season 8-8. The players hated him. The fans hated him. The press was critical of often very foolish calls on his part. But the Giants gave him a one year contract extension. The owners of the Giants have been largely the Mara family, some of the kindest souls in existence and they didn't want to be unfair to their coach. His job was saved by the act of very gracious owners.

But Coughlin had been roundly critized and then he said it.

"I hear some of it and I see it," Coughlin said in response to a question about the criticism he received last season. You know (VP of communications Pat) Hanlon tells me about it, what's going on . . . Hitler and then me, in that order. Unfortunate, but it is."

Which means that the only person in history who has been criticized more than Tom Coughlin was Adolf Hitler.

So, to Mr. DeLay. You, sir, have been indicted. You sir, have been one of the most notorious partisans who has ever been on Capital Hill. You sir, are one of those dreadful people (both parties have them) who puts party over nation. We sir, are better off without you in Congress. Go to trial and see what happens. But please, never compare those who opposed you to a man who gave the order to exterminate 6,000,000 Jewish people for the simple crime of being Jewish. Never mind the countless people who survived the concentration camps, those who died in combat saving the world from his maniac, as well as the countless others who died as a result of Adolf Hitler. A corruption charge against you, which looks quite valid, does not compare to this.

So to Mr. Coughlin. First, I hope that the Giants fire you for your comments. They should. Hitler was critized as perhaps the worst human being in all of history. Valid criticism. You have been criticized by people who follow the NY Giants for being a lousy coach. For your information, Allie Sherman was criticized more than you. We even sang "Good bye Allie" to him at games. But to state that you are the second most critized human being in all of history, just behind a person who did all of the above mentioned things, you, sir, are an eggroll shy the #3 luncheon special.

Either people have a bad sense of history, or are just plain stupid, using Hitler or the Nazis as a comparison should be used judiciously and sparingly, at best. They were a blight to civilized people and we ought to remember that before we start throwing them around.

These are two Toms who need to find their rock and crawl back under them.