What Jan Brewer didn’t say

by David Safier

The Accidental Guv lied/stretched-the-truth/misrepresented her father's service during World War II and the nature of his death to add heft to her outrage at being compared to Nazis. (See posts below for details.) The Nazi references hurt her beyond measure, she said. "They are awful . . .  It hurts. It's ugliness beyond anything I've ever experienced."

Here's something else she might have said, if she had an empathic bone in her body.

"I realized, when I saw those posters of me with a Hitler mustache, how hurtful similar posters of President Obama must be to him. And while I've only had to suffer through this for a few weeks, he's had Hitler and Nazi references hurled at him since the beginning of his term. You know, I think I'll call Glenn Beck and my other good friends at Fox and tell them, 'Enough with the World War II references to Obama. They're meaningless, and they hurt.' And while I'm at it, I'll call Trent Humphries down in Tucson and say, 'See what you can do about toning down the Nazi stuff at your tea party rallies.'"

But I don't expect her to say that. Empathy isn't in the conservative DNA.

AN "I'M NOT BEING A HYPOCRITE HERE" NOTE: In case anyone is preparing to write a comment saying, "Oh yeah, then why didn't you say something when your side made Brewer into Hitler at rallies" — I did complain, right here on El Blog.

Here's a quote from a post I wrote soon after the May Day marches.

I attended the May Day march in downtown Tucson and was buoyed by the numbers, energy and commitment I saw there. It was a wonderful event. But Brewer with a Hitler mustache? The "Z" in Arizona turned into a swastika? That's way over the top.

I considered (tongue firmly in cheek) starting a group, "Jews Against Gratuitous Nazi References." Anyone wanting to compare something happening in the U.S. to World War II Germany would have to appeal to a group of Jews, half Republicans and half Democrats, who would decide whether the comparison could be used. I figure that would eliminate 95% of the references. Poor Glenn Beck would have to cut his show down to 5 minutes. (Oh happy day!)

On this one issue, at least, my credentials are impeccable.