Urquhart Goes On Godwin Overload
There is a curious new YouTube video showing Glen Urquhart, one of the Republican candidates for Delaware’s congressional seat, transforming Thomas Jefferson into Adolf Hitler.
This is not a spoof. Urquhart, a Sussex County developer, is seen at a Republican candidates forum in April in Greenwood. He is discussing how the phrase “separation of church and state” came to be.
Urquhart contradicts an unseen speaker trying to say — correctly — that Jefferson used the wording in a famous letter he wrote in 1802 to the Danbury Baptists in Connecticut.
“That exact phrase was not in Jefferson’s letter to the Danbury Baptists,” Urquhart says.
“The exact phrase ‘separation of church and state’ came out of Adolf Hitler’s mouth. That’s where it comes from. The next time your liberal friends talk about separation of church and state, ask them why they’re Nazis.”
Celia adds some nice blogger snark: So that would explain why George Washington had to talk Betsy Ross out of designing the Stars & Stripes with a field of blue decorated with 13 little swastikas.
Here is the relevant text of the Jefferson letter:
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should “make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” thus building a wall of separation between Church & State
As you can tell, Thomas Jefferson is some kind of communist. You can see why Texas wanted to cut Jefferson out of their textbooks, his plain words are inconvenient to people pushing theocracy. Urquhard is demonstrating the kind of deep intellectual analysis that we expect from Fox News Republicans. It’s Godwin’s Law on steroids, which has been an epidemic lately.
Tags: Celia Cohen, DE-AL, Glenn Urquhart
There is just too much stupid – which isn’t surprising coming from a party that sneers at intelligence.
And I was hoping that he would give Miss Jamaica 1963 a run for her money in the primary. Guess that’s over with.
How the f**k does somebody so stupid get so much money?
So he was correct when he said “that exact phrase is not in Jefferson’s letter to the danbury baptists.” As quoted above, Jefferson’s letter says “of separation between Church & State.”
Where’s the gaffe?
So he was correct when he said “that exact phrase is not in Jefferson’s letter to the danbury baptists.” As quoted above, Jefferson’s letter says “of separation between Church & State.”
A distinction without a difference. Urkel was a moron for trying to use that parsing to – wait, what exactly was he trying to accomplish? A state religion or something?
Urk says: “The exact phrase ‘separation of church and state’ came out of Adolf Hitler’s mouth. That’s where it comes from. “
Hitler spoke English?
I love how anon treats anon1’s comment with all the respect it deserves. Bravo!
I doubt Urquhart was trying to use parsing here. He’s part of the religious right’s attempts to rewrite history. It’s obvious the concept of separtion between church and state came from Jefferson and is enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
The real issue isnt where the phrase comes from, but what it means. Separation of church and state doesnt mean that the two cant co-mingle, rather it means they cant be one and the same.
Where’s the hat tip?
Separation of church and state doesnt mean that the two cant co-mingle, rather it means they cant be one and the same.
We don’t need any more lessons from idiots on the Establishment Clause today.
Let me put it this way: Would you rather your daughter co-mingle with her loser boyfriend, or be separated from him?
I’m curious. Can the teabaggers really catch the fox catchers of Greenville sleeping? Urkel is going to b throwing some haymakers. One might connect.
Thread hijacking in progress. Don’t fall for it.
Nancy, the first two words of the post are “Celia Cohen,” and it’s also one of the tags.
Hitler spoke English? Nein nein nein……..
“Staffy” (Jason’s name for him) did some thorough debunking of the supposed semantics and timeline being offered as a justifying excuse for what is being called a gaffe (I think that is a less-stinging word than what should be used for his ‘moment’).
“Let me put it this way: Would you rather your daughter co-mingle with her loser boyfriend, or be separated from him?”
Your analogy is faulty. To be relevant to this argument, you would have had to have said, “Let me put it this way: Would you rather your daughter co-mingle with her loser boyfriend, or be him?”
He wasn’t too far off. “Politics do not belong in the Church.”
“The Church must be separate from the State.” Were two catch phrases used by the Nazi’s to persecute pastors who opposed them.
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/fischer/080119
David, please don’t. I actually hurt when I read your reply. You come on my blog and opine that I diminish racism by my bringing up the subltle, veiled, and unintentional forms of racism, but then you justify someone who is quoted, in part from this video: “…ask [your liberal friends] why they are Nazis.” How can you think I diminish the impact of racism when, in fact, here is someone you just defended, that diminished the scarring effect of Nazism on this planet, by incorrectly and certainly without any merit whatsoever, lumping our fellow Americans who happen to be liberal, with one of the worst death squads known to man? Please tell me you don’t support that notion.
“Church and state are, and must remain, separate.”- Remarks of President Ronald Reagan, Oct. 26, 1984, @ Temple Hillel
I wonder if Glen ever had the opportunity to ask Reagan why he was a Nazi back in the day when he worked for him?
I addressed the issue brought up. I did not address your question of should we use Nazi. analogies.
Anything can be excused, as long as you are opposed to taxing the rich.
That’s the most offensive thing David has ever linked to. But at least now we know where Glen Urquhart gets his information — from the same place David Anderson does.
The above has been self-censored to remove 48 citations of the word “fuckwad.”