Solarbaby in rare agreement with the AFA

I just got an alert from the American Family Association (a very conservative group who I like to keep an eye one. See my comments below the alert.

Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second highest ranking Democrat in the Senate, speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, compared American troops at Guantanamo Naval Base to Hitler, the Soviet gulags and Cambodian mass murderer Pol Pot.

Hitler murdered two million Christians and six million Jews. Nearly two million prisoners died in the Soviet gulags. And Pol Pot slaughtered as many as ten million in Cambodia.

Durbin compared the American troops to Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot because of alleged mistreatment of prisoners held at Guantanamo. What earned these American troops the disparaging remarks by Senator Durbin? He said that some prisoners’ air conditioners were turned down too low, some had their air conditioners turned off making the room hot, and loud rap music was played in a room where there were prisoners.

That a U.S. Senator would compare American military men and women to Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pott is beyond belief. Does he not remember 9/11?

When asked to apologize, he refused. He said it is the military that should apologize for how they were treating the prisoners of war.

On this rare occasion, I have to say-- I agree with the AFA here. It doesn't make sense to compare US soldiers to Hitler, Stalin, or Pol Pot. After all, Hitler et al. were the LEADERS of their respective countries. And, so, the more apt comparison would be between Hilter, Stalin, Pol Pot and George W. Bush. I'm sure that's what Senator Durbin meant to say. He probably just misspoke.


Update: well, I should have known better than to believe the AFA-- Durbin compared American soldiers to Nazis. It's a little extreme, and not a comparison I would make (at this point), but at least it's symmetric.