Erie County, NY – A leading Jewish group rejected an up-state Republican’s apology for comparing Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver, the Orthodox Jewish speaker of the state Assembly, to Adolf Hitler and calling him an anti-Christ.
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The Simon Wiesenthal Center issued a statement saying the mea culpa by Erie County Executive Chris Collins, who is eying a run for governor, “is small solace.”
“This was not an off the-cuff remark made in the heat of political debate or battle, but during remarks made and prepared for a public audience at a fund-raising event,” said Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder and dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
Collins tried to call Silver yesterday, but did not get through and did not receive a return call.
As was reported yesterday that during a GOP dinner in Buffalo, Collins compared Silver to Adolf Hitler and called him an anti-Christ.
Collins through a spokesman said he made a “poor joke” and extended his “sincerest apologies” to Silver.
A Silver spokesman declined to comment for a second straight day.
A guy like that, should loose his right for public service.
What a disgrace!
typical ignorant republican
I don’t understand why the newspapers seem surprised that Silver’s staff doesn’t want to comment on this? Why should he comment? Why should he even give this person the satisfaction of an answer? The comment was disgusting. People disagree on things politically. That’s the nature of politics. That doesn’t give you the excuse to compare someone to Hitler, particularly someone of the Jewish faith. If I was Silver I would tell my staff not to waste time on this guy. Let the public have at it.
As a Jewish person who lives in the south I encounter this attitude from far right-wingers and Republican’s on a daily basis, it seems to me it is slowly sneaking up on Jewish Republicans in the metro areas, let’s see how the Jewish religious Republicans will handle it. I know Millhouse will have all the excuses in the world.
he should save his money and time he will never win statewide office. are there no jews in his county if there are he might not survive the next election
1,2 If you read the whole joke it is just a stupid joke. I live in Erie county and this guy is not an antisemite. He has done a great job as a county executive and would be a great governor.
i am a republican and would vote for him. the difference between the republican and the democrat is the republican will tell it to you in your face and the democrat will go behind your back
No point talking about old time Republicans. The Republicans of today are a different breed. Milhouse is proud to take Nixon’s middle name as his nom de plume, and Nixon was the father of modern Republicanism. Yiddin should understand who they are and vote for those candidates who show derech eretz–in almost every case they are Democrats.
Did anyone laugh on this “joke”?
It doesnt even sound like a joke.
He should move to South Carolina to be with last week’s shmegegge Republican county chairmen who wrote a letter to the editor about how good the Jews were at watching their pennies.
Charlie – you’re right. The Republican Party has lost it’s mind. Not to mention its manners. The Republicans have changed – many of them quite a ways, because a lot of them used to be Democrats. When Pres. Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act (which also protects our right to religious practice) he told his advisors that he was “giving the South to the Republican Party for the next generation.” It wasn’t just the South, it was bigots all over the country. They don’t like Blacks or Jews, so they joined up with the “other side.” Many moderate Republicans have become Independents, because they were unhappy with the way the country was run for eight years – not to mention the economic crash, which happened as a result of Republican policies.
So, yes, unfortunately this dodo repesents a seriously large slice of the Republican party membership. Too bad – the Republicans have some meaningful things to say, even if you don’t agree with them. Our system is founded on having two healthy parties, so I hope the Republicans get their heads on straight again soon.
Oh, and the next time you leave early on a winter Friday – remember Pres. Lyndon Johnson and the Civil Rights Act.