The Truth Is Just a Minor Inconvenience

In a question regarding the so-called "grassroots" movement in opposition to President Obama's health care plan, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) replied last week by stating "I think they're AstroTurf. You be the judge -- carrying swastikas and symbols like that to a town meeting on health care." Well, on Thursday, the blowhard known as Rush Limbaugh provided these comments on his radio show: "The Speaker of the House accusing people of showing up at these town hall meetings of wearing swastikas -- that is not insignificant, folks. This woman is deranged. They are unraveling but that is not insignificant. You have the Democrat Speaker of the House saying that people, citizens who are concerned about health care, are now wearing swastikas. She's basically saying that we are Nazis. She is saying that the people who oppose this are Nazis."

First of all, you pathetic windbag, Pelosi did not imply that your fellow conservatives were "wearing" swastikas, only carrying signs containing those symbols. (This is in addition to posters of President Obama with an Adolf Hitler mustache and hanging dummies of Democratic members of Congress in effigy.) Second, there is not one mention of or any comparison to the word Nazi in Pelosi's entire statement. I can read it back to you, Rush, if you would like. (I would like to reiterate that I am not a big fan of Pelosi so sticking up for her is not one of my favorite things to do.) But just when you thought that Limbaugh might have been finished with his incorrect and offensive ramblings, unfortunately he continued:

• "This party, the Democrat Party and where it's taken this country, the radical left leadership of this party bears much more resemblance to Nazi policies than anything we on the right believe in at all."
• "You will find that the Obama health care logo is damn close to a Nazi swastika logo."
• "There are far more similarities between Nancy Pelosi and Adolf Hitler than between these people showing up at town halls to protest a Hitler like policy that's being heralded by a Hitler like logo." As before, Pelosi made no mention of Adolf Hitler or Nazis in her comments.
• "You want to start talking, Ms. Pelosi, about ties to the Nazis? Let's focus on your party and some of the greatest heroes in your party that you hold up. And let's look at your policies, Ms. Pelosi. Your policies come dangerously close to some of those policies that Hitler forced on the German people. This is outrageous stuff for her to be running around saying these are unruly mobs with swastikas."
• "Adolf Hitler, like Barack Obama, also ruled by dictate. His cabinet only met once, one day. That was it." This is a tremendous point by Limbaugh, considering the fact that President Obama has clearly conducted numerous meetings with the members of his Cabinet. You definitely have to hand it to Limbaugh--he has certainly never let the facts stand in his way.