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New York GOP Politician Apologizes For Comparing Jewish Assembly Speaker To Hitler, Anti-Christ
Eric Kleefeld | October 28, 2009, 5:27PM
Erie County, NY, Executive Chris Collins (R)
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Chris Collins, the Republican county executive of Erie County, New York, appears to have seriously damaged his profile for any statewide race -- with a joking comparison of the state Jewish Democratic state Assembly Speaker to Hitler, and saying that he might be Anti-Christ.
The Buffalo News reports that Collins, who is exploring a run for governor, made some interesting comments about Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver at the county Republican dinner this past weekend:
Collins has already apologized for what he called "a poor joke," delivered during a speech at the county Republican Party's annual fundraiser in the Adam's Mark Hotel.
That's when the county executive referred to French seer Nostradamus' prediction that the world would experience three Antichrists in conjunction with the Apocalypse, whose origin is the New Testament's Book of Revelation.
Collins then said it's generally accepted that the first was Napoleon, the second Hitler, and that he was "pretty sure" the third is Silver, an orthodox Jew from Manhattan.
Collins released this statement on Monday:
"Saturday night, I made a poor joke regarding the Speaker of the Assembly Sheldon Silver. I want to extend my sincerest apologies to him for my comments. I have placed a call to the Speaker's office to offer my apologies directly.
While we may disagree strongly on policy matters, my statement had no place in our political discourse and I am truly sorry to both the Speaker and to anyone else who I may have offended."
Collins spokesman Grant Loomis told TPM that Collins' statement was not meant to be serious: "It was a joke, it was not a part of the prepared remarks. Ot was a joke that was regrettable, and the county executive has apologized."
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lousgirl84
October 28, 2009 5:42 PM
These people are really wayyyy out there!!! Unbelievable.
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hotspur
October 28, 2009 7:08 PM in reply to lousgirl84
Oh, man, get real. This one's pretty clearly meant as a joke.
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commie atheist
October 28, 2009 5:44 PM
"...and to anyone else who I may have offended."
The typical Republican apology caveat.
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pmukh
October 28, 2009 6:24 PM in reply to commie atheist
Typical caveat for EVERY public apology, not just from GOPers. I just wish someone would come out and say, "I apologize to everyone I offended."
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UTMark
October 28, 2009 6:01 PM
Republicans are pretty humorous, but it's usually not intentional.
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GayIthacan
October 28, 2009 6:01 PM
"Collins then said it's generally accepted that the first was Napoleon, the second Hitler..."
Apparently his knowledge of history is as bad as his theological education......
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pmukh
October 28, 2009 6:30 PM in reply to GayIthacan
I was under the same impression. Have the Nostradamus specials on the history channel been lying to me?
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slb
October 28, 2009 6:05 PM
If this guy thinks he can make anti-Semitic "jokes" at a public function and not take a beating at the polls in a statewide election in New York, he's too stupid to hold the office in the first place.
What is wrong with these people? Are they missing some fundamental connection between their mouths and their brains? We already know that most of them are missing hearts and souls.
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11A7E
October 28, 2009 6:34 PM
Well, that's the end of that career. The question comes to mind though. If he's apologizing to anyone who was offended, who wasn't offended by a statement like that, and would you want to know them?
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midnight rambler
October 28, 2009 6:35 PM
I thought the third one was Joe Bruno, actually.*
But seriously, on the scale of offensive Republican attempts at humor, this one is pretty low on the scale. I actually thought it was kind of funny; Silver is kind of mousy and obviously nowhere near evil enough to be considered an Antichrist, even in the diseased mind of a wingnut. Lighten up guys.
*For those not familiar with NY politics, Joe Bruno was the Republican leader in the State Senate whose fights with Silver led to stalemate for a long time.
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tedski
October 28, 2009 6:56 PM
Ya know, I am so glad that New York Republicans are so much more moderate, reasonable and sophisticated than Republicans in my state.
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jeffgee
October 28, 2009 7:00 PM
But they're real good with money!
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unknowncitizen
October 28, 2009 7:06 PM
I guess enough people walk around in this country with unacknowledged prejudices, or such a deep seated automatic sense of the righteous superiority of their own religion and race that this whole "it was a joke" defense bears absolutely no analysis.
For some social gaffe to be excused as "a joke" (and not a slur against one's race or religion) doesn't it require the utterance to be funny in some other way other than the obvious humor it would evoke from bigots?
What's funny about a Christian equating a Jew to Hitler and the anti-christ?
I've read many liberals compare Bush to Hitler - I really believe those people think Bush is like Hitler. I don't think it's funny, in fact I think it's quite inappropriate and it also harms the debate significantly. For me to say those people were "just joking" would mean I could see what could be found funny about it, right? That would mean the only thing I found wrong with it was the people I oppose heard it.
Why is anti-semitic or racist speech acceptable when it's walked back as "a joke"?
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Buffalopundit
October 28, 2009 10:14 PM
Word has it that Loomis is misinformed. A local media outlet in Buffalo has apparently confirmed several prior instances where Collins used the same "joke". All we're looking for now is audio or videotape.
Because when you say, out loud, "Chris Collins compared Shelly Silver to Hitler and called him the anti-Christ", it sounds 100 times crazier than when you just read it.
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balliwick
October 29, 2009 3:36 AM
Do yall outraged persons genuinely believe he was saying the speaker was the third anti-christ after napoleon and hitler? Honestly curious. Seems pretty obvious this is a case of ironic juxtaposition. I don't see why you would 'have to be a bigot' to get that.
Maybe the political discourse would be better if there was indeed actually room for jokes which are incredibly mildly over the line.
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commie atheist
October 29, 2009 5:12 PM in reply to balliwick
I heard a rumor that you blow goats for kicks.
Hey, relax, I was only joking! Where's your sense of humor?
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leeincoltsneck
October 29, 2009 11:53 AM
Looks like Collins is going to be the next governor of
New York.
Single-payer
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