News Roundup for 7/14/10

Obama's a Socialist -- like Hitler!

-Headline of the day-
"Obama-Hitler Billboard Covered Up In Iowa."

Anyone who reads this blog with any regularity knows that I like to make fun of teabaggers by saying they march around with signs that say, "Obama's a Socialist-- like Hitler!" The joke is that they really don't seem to understand the differences between Democrats, Socialists, Communists, and Fascists. They just seem to use them all interchangeably as synonyms for "the darkest evil." After all, Fascism was founded to counter Communism and it was a Democratic president who beat the hell out of the Nazis in WWII. And a later Democratic president began the arms race that marked the beginning of the Cold War with the USSR. History kind of shows all these ideologies don't really get along all that well.

But for teabaggers, facts are stubborn irrelevant things. And so it was that the North Iowa Tea Party put up a billboard that seemed to put Barack Obama, Adolph Hitler, and Vladimir Lenin all on the same side of the argument. Which was weird. Hitler is marked as a National Socialist -- which is accurate, if misleading -- Obama is a "Democrat Socialist" -- which is something they made up -- and Lenin is a Marxist Socialist -- which I'm guessing they think is redundant. Anyway, this sign lasted about a week until everyone -- North Iowa Tea Party included -- agreed it was stupid. So the sign's being covered over with a public service announcement about buckling up or spaying your dog or something.

And here's the thing; the teabaggers thought it was stupid for the wrong reason. According to the report, "Some Tea Party members criticized the sign" because comparing Obama to Hitler is offensive "and North Iowa Tea Party co-founder Bob Johnson acknowledged that the pictures overwhelmed the intended message of anti-socialism."

So there you go. The sign basically said, "Obama's a Socialist-- like Hitler!"

And the teabaggers don't think that was the problem with it. (NPR)


-The most frightening video you'll see today-
You ever wonder what people who listen to Glenn Beck are really like? Well wonder no more! Here's Robin Potwora, spokesperson for Main Street Bites Back, a group that's circulating a petition to get Glenn Beck to run for president:

Ok, so you've got your happy clowns, your sad clowns, your hobo clowns, your laughing on the outside/crying in the inside clowns -- and now you've got Potsie, the terrifyingly deranged clown. If you want to give your kid a complex, I think she does birthday parties. (YouTube, via Huffington Post)


-Bonus HotD-
"Idaho Republicans Hate Word 'Fiesta' For Reason You May Suspect."

There really isn't any explanation needed here, is there? (Wonkette)