JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

GOP site apologizes for Obama-Hitler comparison

By Eric Fingerhut · June 30, 2009

The Baltimore Jewish Times reports that a Republican women's Web site in Maryland has apologized for comparing Barack Obama's health care reform efforts to Hitler's "blitzkrieg method."

The Republican Women of Anne Arundel County Maryland (RWAAC) organization has apologized for and taken down a comment from its website that compared President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform efforts to Adolf Hitler’s “blitzkrieg method,” according to the Baltimore Jewish Times. While the posting was still up last week, state GOP Party chairman Dr. James Pelura told the newspaper that he does not oversee the women’s group or its Web site postings, but indicated an understanding of the sentiment. “Would I have used that comparison? Probably not,” he said. He added, while not “supporting or disavowing it, I understand the context of the comparison.”

Joyce Thomann, president of the women’s group and author of the comment, was not available for comment, according to her husband, Charles Thomann. However, Mrs. Thomann subsequently issued an apology to the press for the comparison.

The reaction from Jewish groups and individuals involved in politics was swift and uniformly condemnatory.

Said Matt Brooks, executive director of the national Republican Jewish Coalition: “We believe it is an inappropriate statement to make and it ought to be taken down. We let the RNC [Republican National Committee] know about it and voiced our displeasure.”

Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold, a Republican who is Jewish, said a staff member brought the letter to his attention. “This is a most inept and insensitive comparison and a very unfortunate comment,” said Mr. Leopold, who knows Mrs. Thomann.