Oklahoma Republican Tom Cole started feeling a little heat yesterday afternoon when news reports surfaced explaining that he said a vote against Bush is tantamount to supporting Hitler in World War II. Cole reportedly added, “If George Bush loses the election, Osama bin Laden wins the election.”
Cole’s office issued a release yesterday afternoon responding to the growing controversy, explaining that the initial reports “mischaracterized” some of his remarks.
According to the release, Cole did say the following:
“I promise you this, if George Bush loses the election, Osama bin Laden wins the election, it’s that simple. It will be interpreted that way by enemies of the United States around the world.”
“What do you think Hitler would have thought if Roosevelt would’ve lost the election in 1944? He would have thought American resolve was [weakening].”
“What would the confederacy have thought if Lincoln would have lost the election of 186[4]?”
The same statement explained that Cole continues to “stand by these statements.”
I wonder if he realizes that the explanation for the remarks don’t actually make them sound any better. Cole still equated support for Kerry as a “win” for Osama bin Laden and still equated voting against for Bush as voting for Hitler in the 1940s.
How many congressional Republicans who were outraged by Corrine Brown last week will be calling on Cole to resign from the House? Yeah, I thought so.