Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus is comparing President Barack Obama with the Italian cruise ship captain who allegedly abandoned his sinking ship.
Priebus said Sunday on CBS's "Face the Nation" that Obama was "our own little Captain Schettino," accusing Obama of abandoning ship in the U.S. and spending more time on his re-election campaign.
The comparison/analogy between Obama and Schettino is, of course, patently unfair and just silly.
Even Priebus’s predecessor, former RNC Chairman Michael Steele, told MSNBC the analogy was "unfortunate."
“I mean, people died in that situation,” Steele said on "Morning Joe."
Steele hit it precisely on the nose, although he should've taken it a step further. Steele should have said outright that the reason Priebus' comparison is so potentially offensive and hurtful is that it trivializes, and therefore, further victimizes the victims of a real tragedy.
The Costa Concordia ran aground Jan. 13, 2012, off the shore of Isola del Giglio, near the western coast of Italy, when the captain deviated from his planned route and struck a reef, creating a huge gash that capsized the ship. More than 4,200 terrorized passengers and crew were on board. Seventeen bodies have been recovered, while 16 people are listed as missing, including two Americans, with one body not yet identified. Schettino is facing charges of manslaughter and abandoning ship.
A 17th body is recovered from the Costa Concordia, but at least 17 more people are missing as weather hampers efforts to remove a half-million gallons of fuel. NBC's Michelle Kosinski reports from Isola del Giglio.
Do the families of the dead, the injured and the survivors think its appropriate to use their pain and suffering as part of a cheap political line? Doubtful.
Still, Priebus doubled-down today on his analogy. And 2008 GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee seconded it!
But this isn't even the most extreme example out there. On Friday, for example, 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin sharply criticized the Republican Party "establishment" for using what she called a "Stalin-esque rewriting of history."
"What we saw with this ridiculous opposition dump on Newt (Gingrich) was nothing short of Stalin-esque re-writing of history," she wrote on Facebook, obviously going a bridge too far.
Mrs. Palin, the former governor of Alaska, apparently has not heard of the Great Purge, which is perplexing because, after all, she "can see Russia from my house!"
OK, it was really Tina Fey doing an impression of Palin who said that, but Palin actually did cite the proximity of Russia as part of her foreign policy experience in 2008:
The Great Purge was a two-year period in the 1930s when Stalin used assassinations, intimidation, imprisonment and exile to eliminate anyone he considered an enemy. An estimated 950,000 to 1.2 million were killed:
And we've lost track of all the analogies that have been made between Obama and people like Hitler, Stalin, Lenin, Mao, Pol Pot and on and on. Most are made by crackpots, of course, and easy to dismiss. But some are made by public figures.
Even GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich used the Nazi/Stalin card against Obama as recently as 2010. Watch him squirm to explain what he said:
As Gingrich does here, defenders of these analogies usually say "aw shucks" they aren't comparing the people, they are comparing the policies or imagined policies (such as health care and gun control), but even those analogies are wildly inaccurate and over the top, of course.
Sure, many of us may have used extreme analogies at one time or another in order to shock somebody into seeing our point of view. But those were done in private and/or limited conversations.
For a politician or a public figure to use them in public is simply irresponsible. It says two things about them: they are desperate to get attention and very lazy about how they get it.
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if nothing else this little weasel needs to apologist to the victims first.
then to the country for showing his out right STUPIDITY!
but then again we just consider the source and his position.
Stupidity it is, no wonder why the GOP doesn't want to invest in education, they want sheep they can control.
so true.
they say the public school system has let us down.
I say BS we have let the public school system down!
Allen West of the Tea Party and elected representative of the United state wants President Obama to go to hell and to get out of this country. Throw West out for this hateful talk.......and his gathering that he is trying to draw votes from tiny little group. If you want to dismiss anyone, dismiss west and send him packing.
Extremest Crazy Talk. Throw the bumb out.
Pilot shark. Those are monumental words.
there is no excuse for name calling as priebus did. remember he is from wisconsin where he was associated with scottie-boy. I wonder if the John doe investigation will eventually lead right to scottie and priebus's doorsteps??
I hope Newtie builds his little rocketship and launches himself, Callista and all his nasty Rep friends like West and Priebus to the Moon so we never have to hear from them again.
Contestants. Is the following true or false.
Survey says ... true (ding).
I'm sure we've all noticed Preibus has NOTHING of any content to ever say. He spews right wing hate talking points, and every sentence he utters is an Obama bash. There's never any substance to anything he says. No plans, nothing about jobs, nothing about policy, all you ever hear from his is "Obama fail blah blah fail blah blah Obama".
Come November, the republican party is going to be sitting around, crying, wondering where they went so wrong. D'oh! With people like Preibus, Palin, West, Cantor, McConnell, that idiot up in Utah, Mike Lee...c'mon, this isn't rocket science.
PRIEBUS, And the GOP Tea ReTards are a dishonor to this Nation.
GOP, Stands for "Grand Old Pigs"
I once knew a guy named Priebus once, in the military, AND KICKED HIS A$$!
FOX is News for lowlifes, their network is disgusting.
Newt's one giant leap for mankind is putting dirtbags like Priebus on the moon !
Priebus is a racist ... La la la la la la ...
Priebus is a racist ... La la la la la la ...
Priebus is a racist ... La la la la la la ...
Say hello to the new face of the GOP.
Have you ever noticed Reince Priebus' name, if you take the vowels out, becomes an anagram that is quite revealing of his true nature?
RNC PRBS
Republican National Committee Public Relations B--- S---
BTW, sorry I haven't been around much...
Ever since Obama's nifty oration
That he rendered at State of the Nation,
I've been feeling quite tired
And just uninspired,
And I needed a little vacation,
You might notice, I've barely done naught
In the way of poetical thought.
As the Bard of the Blog,
Been a bump on a log,
But I've really been Reading a LOT,,,
http://www.baenebooks.com/c-1-free-library.aspx
Very witty!
David, Sure are glad your back we missed our poet .
For aficionados of West Virginia and European history, I would recommend 1632, 1633, Ring of Fire and Grantville Gazette... These are the first four books in the "Grantville" series by Eric Flint.
It involves the adventures of the citizens of a 2000 West Virginia town, Grantville, which is inexplicably transplanted in Time and Space to the middle of Europe in the year 1632, an era when most of Europe was being deveastated by the Thirty Years War... the era of Queen Elizabeth and Cardinal Richelieu, when William Shakespeare managed the Globe Theatre and Galileo was on trial by the Papal Inquisition for heresy...
How they survive, thrive and use their scientific and technological edge in an era of social horror and political intrigue is fascinating...
Pam, you should especially love these, since you are well acquainted with both areas...
David handshake glad to see you are back from your little vacation.
missed the poems.
Thank you David , They sound very interesting and I love history. The little town we lived in Germany was in the 30 yrs war. Saw where the farmers gathered . Also we lived inside the old walled city Memmigen, We would see a gate that still has cannon ball from the war.
Yes, welcome back David.
RNC chainman Tea Retard Sir Priebus should stepdown or be removed, this guy is a lowlife.
I know lifetime republicans who think the teapugs are destroying the GOP and they are planning on jumping the ship.
I am so disgusted that the Far Right are so blatantly disrespectful of President Obama! Yet they clutch their Bibles as scream I'm a Christian. Well if that is Christian I wonder what satanism is!
If going to church makes you a christian, does going to a garage make you a car?
I was going to use that same analogy only to say does STANDING IN A GARAGE MAKE YOU A CADILLAC? Feraltwinkie great mind. But we do have to get frustrated voters out to vote. enjoy your evening.
Michael Steele did say it, but he's a bit in the past and not the reflection of the new, racist, fraudulent party that the GOP is these days.
But don't expect any of these new cowards, daddy's boys like Romney to actually tell the truth, because for them truth is just another commodity and what matters is political gain.
I don't like Newt, but when it comes to nasty politics Romney is even worse, a complete fraud, a coward and a man who's greed is the only value he really respects.
What a sad picture of the GOP, liars and cowards!
If Michael keeps hanging at MSNBC we might turn him into a Dem yet! He seems to have softened lately. Even HE can see what a bunch of losers they are, he just can't say it! LOL
MJB it could happen a lot of the GOP are leaving their party.
If Reince does NOT make a public apology for his disrespectful analogy of our POTUS, then Speaker Boehner should show some leadership skill over his hateful causus called GOP and publicly insist that the so-called RNC chair Reince apologize. This will show all if Boehner has any backbone or just a puppet.
You can wait for the GOP to do the right thing while you wait for the tooth fairy.
It will NOT happen, they forgot what the right thing really means, they only know the "politically convenient" thing.
Yes that is a given about the GOP. However, by putting speaker Boehner on the spot of "right & fair" it shows naive people that Boehner is NO LEADER & he lacks morals for our Nation and the office of the presidency. Further, voters will KNOW that GOP should NOT continue in any form of authority.
If they haven't figured it out by now, they never will.
Hyperbolic comparisons show just how fanatical and desperate the republicans have become. They have to smear President Obama any way they can, because the nutjobs they have running for president are not uniting the party to win.
They have failed at complaining about policy, so now they stoop to personal attacks. Sheer desperation.
The GOP further confirm that God works in mysterious ways. Meaning, that the GOP have shown us they are NOT for average people and/or low income. They are so full of hate and disrespect for our African American president that they will do ANYTHING to derail our economy so naive people will blame pres Obama. So the rest of us must get out the vote to remove GOP from all source of authority. Reince lacks compassion even for the deaths that occurred on that cruise to even mention it with the captain. McConnell's number one goal is NOT jobs, only filibustering everything even though Sen Reid tried to trust McConnell. Boehner gained majority by telling naive people that he would creat jobs. To date it has been over a year, NOT one job bill has Boehner allowed to come to our floor in the House. He has only passed defunding/deregulating bills which people with common sense know, these are NOT job bills. Obama will be our blessing for 2012 re-election but we must get out the vote, inspite of GOP governors who are trying everything to suppress voting. God bless the USA and deliver us from GOP that are too full of hate but want naive people to believe they are CHRISTIANS.
They don't even believe the crap they spit out during the debates.
They talk about Reagan. Reagan raised capital gain to be the same as income taxes. Oh, but that would not be convenient for Mr. 1%, AKA Willard Romney... Reagan was also kind to immigrants and and thought twice before talking crap to heat up the rhetoric with the USSR. And again, you got Willard saying he'll bomb Iran right away.
They're frauds, nothing more, they don't believe in anything, specially Romney, a guy his co-investors describe as "a man without a core".
Romney...a man without a core. And people that have known Gingrich for decades describe him as completely lacking in morals....not immoral...simply amoral.
I don't know... we have a president who goes out to meet the people and learn first hand what he can do for them... would we rather a president (i.e. Reagan & Dubya) who spends umpteen weeks per year riding around on his ranch and, utilizing taxpayer dollars to finance AF1 trips back and forth?
Nope, he didn't ride, he was afraid of horses they call that a 4 letter word but I can't repeat it here. Suffice to say, Bush a poser and little more.
The statement by Priebus is one more confirmation that the republican party is void of any decency or true American values. Republicans reek of rancor.
President Obama exemplifies true character and dignity. The democratic party got it right by selecting him, now it is time to defend him.
Obama/Biden 2012
Considering how vehement and constant these attacks on his character have been, President Obama has exuded confidence and sincerity throughout his presidency.
Another term, please.
he has shown nothing but Outstanding Leadership! even in the face of Outstanding obstructionism and sabotage. even on things i don't like or disagree with him on. guess that's what makes a good leader.
to bad for the real republicans could use a leader right now, they are adrift on a sinking raft and they continue to poke holes in it.
Does the GOP have an ounce of shame in them? These people are going to bust hell wide open!
You are making too much of the statement which has nothing to do with any victims although Obama has left many victims including millions of taxpayers in his wake as he fled the ship. OBama has lost billions of taxpayer dollars given to his political cronies for favors such as Solyndra and he run from the helm of a very rudderless ship.
LOL in your face!!!!!!!!!!!!
its a cult troll fro the S.T.U.P.I.D program.
president bush has blood on his hands. he lied about the war in iraq, and took thousands of innocent lives. the war that he LIED about cost 800 billion dollars.
you people will say anything to discredit this president, and priebus looked really pleased with himself for saying such an ignorant comment. i have to say, nothing the repub party says anymore surprises me.
priebus is a smart ass. everytime i see him i wonder what his involvement is in the wisconsin scandal.
i think he should learn to zip it.
they have proven they will say anything. it will hurt them in the end.
Don't you righties check out any thing before posting stupid lies? OH, forgot facts and truth just get in your way.
Let me try to spk with "Obama loses n November" person that is unfortunately naive to GOP. Solyndra was first under Republicans let's do. Never mind this person is too naive for my time...buh bye.
A L,
the repubs don't care that solyndra was a company that the bush administration supported because SEVERAL OF THEIR CONSERVATIVE BUDDIES SIGNED ONTO IT.
they also don't care that they strongly supported the individual mandate, THEIR IDEA, before they were against it. when President Obama put it on the table to try to get repub votes for health care reform, they acted as if they had never heard of the idea. THEIR IDEA, the individual mandate, IS NOW A SOCIALIST IDEA, when Barack Obama puts it on the table. Mark Pauly, an economic advisor to H.W. bush, who supported the individual mandate is ashamed of the republican party for denying their own idea. he wonders how they will approach health care now that they have demonized THEIR OWN IDEA.
the repubs are unembarassable in their attempts to make President Obama a one term president, because that is what this is all about.
and reagan didn't raise taxes 11 times either (eric cantor, anyone?).
I was watching Face The Nation when he said that . If I could reached through the TV screen would smacked him. That was a disgraceful and heartless comment to use. So many went through living hell on that ship, there are dead and some not found. This was a horrible tragedy and for Preibus to make a statement like this makes him as disgraecful as the Captain of that ship !!!!!!!
maybe just makes him a republican!
until other republicans speak up they all have to wear it.
yes Steel did speak up.
Obama wins in November- why don't you don a diver's suit and go look for the victims if it isn't a big deal!
Even Morning Joe said it, Mitt Romney is an empty candidate, not even respected by his own team. There you go, and that's a real, ultra conservative guy.
Open whats been great is to see them attack each other. Well they have held the banner high for the PARTY OF NO ! They have No candidates fit to lead anything.
Newt can lead a clown show and Romney, well, Romney can't lead much of anything, he's just out there to make himself richer at any cost, even if that means lie, cheat, steal and behave like a play dough figurine.
Now that I think about it, they're like Fantasy island, Newt can be the little guy and Romney, with his hair, can be the host. Perfect for them, cheating people out of money and votes to live a lie! LOL
Obama/Biden have never left the Ship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They have been at the helm along !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There have been trying to steer us in right direction!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Away from this storm the repubs created!!!!!!!!!!!!
kutlass, Then they should put him on cruiseship!!!!!
Well this is strange I answered your post Kutlass and it was not this one. But this post I so agree with.
The House left the ship, the GOP left the ship the day Obama was sown in!
You got republicans praying for Obama to die and now you got one comparing Obama to the captain of a sunking cruise ship. Don't these nimcompoops know they are hurting themselves and helping the Democrates come election time. Such idiots!!!!
They are intent upon sinking the ship of state in order to change captains. What good will that do when we are at the bottom of the sea?
they don't care because they have been sucker into think the rich and corporation will though them a life vest.
smiling to bad they will fine out its full of lard and not money.
Certainly tells me something when even a staunch Republican apologist like Michael Steele can't/won't defend Priebus's hateful comment. Maybe there's some hope afterall.
In all fairness, I watch msnbc a lot, and when they have Steele on, he's pretty good about calling out the R party when they step in it. Compare him to that other guy, Ron Christie, would wouldn't admit the R party farted if it was on loudspeaker in Congress and gassed them all out for a day. Christie's toes are glued to the party line.
Michael Steele has spoken out against his party.
michael steele seems to have softened a bit since he started his stint at MSNBC.
Allen West is the perfect expression of the tea party radicals, paranoid, consumed by hate and greed, and completely delusional. What a sad, pathetic puppet.
And Romney talking about sacrifice? Is this a joke or what? How about paying your fair share of taxes Mitt, or keeping your money here, not in the Caiman Islands or elsewhere... Mitt, you're a COMPLETE AND PATHETIC MISERABLE FRAUD!
And Brewer now lying about what she said before? I mean, can they even tell the truth for once? WOW!
I'm impressed with the GOP, a bunch of LIARS and CON ARTISTS!
'Reice's' had pieces right in his analogy just the wrong names. Bush would be Capt. Schettino and Obama would be the Dutch salvage expert brought in to clean up the mess.
Very good analogy jimb!
There is no point in having someone from the GOP apologize for what was said, Most of us know the insanity talk the GOP speaks is in a different language other than english.
Ed, your two scholars Harris/Peterson are wrong when they say Reince does NOT need to apolgize to our POTUS. Now the GOP will point directly to these two brains and say SEE THEY AGREE WHAT IS THE BIG DEAL. That is NOT the point, the presidency has NEVER been so disrespected, until an African American named Barack Hussein Obama became our president. NO, Harris/Peterson just gave the likes of Reince, Allen West et al GOP haters a license to say NO BIG DEAL just ask the two African scholars.
I left a comment about priebie boy and their were 17 pages. The comment I left is "if he was put into a room with those who lost loved ones and they saw what he said, he wouldn't last 5 minutes." But what really irks me is that whats his name didn't call him out on the comment.
i think at lease 2 of the dead are American.
Al your don't understand. If Reince apologize then it's no big deal. And now it's big deal has it stand.
Why would a black or Latino ever vote republican, no dream act, kids put to work, just a total lack of respect of either!
The Arizona Governor and the head of the GOP showed in their actions that they are afraid of President Obama. They have belittled their positions to gain little. They have insulted the President of the United States. This is not just a person in a position, but a celebrated figure head that needs to be respected, even during the hard times.
Where is the Republican leadership in on all of this. I understand Priebus is the leader of the RNC, but his buddies should be telling him the comments he made were of poor choice. How old is this guy? Here's an analogy, "Your a poo poo head " are you serious? Is there another Party out there so I can at least have more than one serious choice come election day.
Scott, you probably won't have another choice. If the GOP did not denounce the lady who called Obama a Muslim and he cannot be POTUS. Then I doubt that they will not denounce what Priebus said. I'm a democrat and I sometimes don't like what they do but if you look at the whole situtation about everyone plays by the same rules, everyone paying their fare share, and everyone getting a fair shot, then the Democratic party is the most common sense choice. Just take a look at the GOP in the house and see what policies they have to help create jobs that won't just help the wealthy. I'm not against the rich but it is hard for any common sense person to tell a teacher or a policemen that in order for the economy to improve we have to lay you off to pay for the tax cuts for the so call "job creators"
Scott = NO - There Is Only 1 !!!!!! The gop-re-baggers Are A LOST Cause !!!!!!! Vote Straight Democratic Ticket 2012 !!!!!!