Landes refuses to make apology
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Del. Steve Landes speaks Aug. 29 in Fishersville...
Watch video of Del. Steve Landes' speech at a Republican picnic Aug. 29 in Fishersville, where he compares the White House to the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. That portion of Landes' remarks begins...
TNV File photo
Del. Steve Landes speaks recently at Ridgeview Park, where he was presented the 2009 legislator of the year award from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Prodded by his Democratic opponent and three local party chairmen, Del. Steve Landes, R-Weyers Cave, refused Thursday to apologize for comments he made at a Republican picnic last month comparing White House tactics to those used by the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.
“I’m not going to apologize for speaking my mind,” Landes said. “The last time I checked the First Amendment protected my political speech.”
Landes said his comments were taken out of context when they surfaced last week in a report by The Washington Post. Landes provided a full video clip of his remarks that is posted on NewsVirginian.com.
“When you’ve got a White House that’s keeping names of people that don’t agree with them, that reminds me of what went on in the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany,” Landes said during a roughly 15-minute talk Aug. 29 at Tinkling Spring Presbyterian Church in Fishersville.
Greg Marrow, Landes’ challenger in the 25th District, demanded an apology from Landes in a letter issued to him and forwarded to local media Thursday. The letter was also signed by Democratic chairmen Chris Graham of Waynesboro, Tom Long of Augusta County and Lowell Fulk of Rockingham County.
“To associate the duly elected President of the United States who won in November of last year with 53 percent of the popular vote, to Adolf Hitler who threw the entire world into war and persecuted and murdered millions of people, is an insult to our democratic process and the United States of America,” the letter said.
“We therefore call on you to recant your ill considered and divisive words, and issue an immediate public apology to the President of the United States, to this country, and to the constituents of the 25th District to whom you took the oath of elected office to represent and serve as a member of the Virginia General Assembly.”
Kris Coratti, a spokesman for the Washington Post, said the comments were reported “for a weekly feature that typically runs later in the week and our reporter was in attendance and recorded the speech. The story otherwise speaks for itself.”
Landes told a group gathered for the GOP picnic that he’d spoken with a Waynesboro woman who told him she feared posting Republican signs in her yard and affixing bumper stickers to her car. “And they’re afraid because they’re afraid their neighbors are going to tell on them,” Landes said.
Applause broke out when he followed with the reference to the White House and the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. Beneath the applause, Landes can faintly be heard saying, “And that’s exactly what’s happened.”
Landes said he never mentioned President Barack Obama or anyone who works in the White House.
Marrow dismissed this: “When you mention the White House, you are talking about the sitting president,” he said.
Landes contended the fears he cited are real. On four or five occasions in the past couple of months, he said, he has been told by Republicans in Waynesboro that they are afraid “that the other side is using intimidation.”
During months of campaigning, Marrow said, he has knocked on hundreds to thousands of doors and “I have heard no comments … about fear of Republican signs or bumper stickers .”
“He’s making these implications and there is no intimidation out there,’’ Marrow said. “It’s egregious and I have an issue with him implying that. I want proof. I don’t want to hear ‘what I heard while I was canvassing.’ That’s conjecture. That is absolute conjecture.”
Still, Landes said, “the White House is checking on whether they support the president.”
Specifically, he said, groups related to and in the White House are tracking what is being said about the White House. That, he said, deters people from participating in the political process.
Fears in conservative corners have grown since Macon Phillips, the White House director of new media, posted a blog last month on the White House Web site directing people to e-mail . reporting “fishy” information spread through e-mail and on the Web about health care reform.
“There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there …” the Aug. 4 White House blog reads. “These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to .”
The White House directed requests for comment to a staffer who did not respond.
Reader Reactions
Over the past several election cycles the Left has shown us on the right a “road map to power” for the new millennium. With groups like Code Pink who show up at every televised rally or governmental event that they can get into; they’re very tenacious and resolute in there beliefs and seem to be everywhere. Community groups like Acorn who until recently have built a strong support structure in minority circles; even if it does go under; there’s 10 more “Acorns” to take it place. You have Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, PETA, Greenpeace, moveon.org, the list is endless. That’s before you factor in all the giant media outlets like CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, Washington Post and Salon.com; we had Fox News, Rush and the NRA. It’s clear that we in the “opposition” parties are trying to play catch up as fast as we can; over the past decade we have had new radio personality emerge like Glen Beck, Mark Levin and Sean Hannity to complement Rush’s over all message, the Fox News Channel routinely beats the other cable news networks nightly in viewer rating and we have learned to use the Web and social networking sites like Facebook and twitter as a vehicle to drive our message out too the “wired” generation. Still, we have never used the “mass demonstration” until now. There have been peace rally for decades, civil rights marches, global climate change demonstrations and animal right rally in Washington my entire life; it seemed the left had a monopoly on these types of actions. Was it because they cared more about their causes then we did? No, they were just better at getting folks together; the majority of us on the right have careers and families to take care of. It was difficult to just jump off on a moments notice and drive hours for a rally in some major US city. Were we scared of being labeled a “racist” or “redneck” someone not intellectual enough to grasp progressive thought. Until the Tea Parties, we just sat back and voted, maybe. Listened to the radio and talk at church or some sport bar about our ideals, we paid our NRA dues, read the Drudge report and complained. We never took the next step; very few have ever called our congressman or even attended our own city or county government sessions. But we were the first to complain when taxes went up and the services went down.
During the past few years we came to notice our voices can be heard in Washington whether our elected officials like it or not. When the “amnesty bill” was being debated we jammed the phones and web servers in Washington like never before, the “inside the beltway” establishment was stunned .The “amnesty bill” died and we felt like we had made a difference for the first time in years, what happened? We were told by a vast majority of the media that we were all racist and bigots; so we got quiet, it even seemed that some leaders in our own party were embarrassed by our expression of free speech.
Now the Tea Parties, again we were angered by what we see as wasteful spending by our State and Federal governments. We marched and rallied all over the country which is our right, it was amazing. But how has it been reported? Hillbillies, Klansmen and idiots; God and gun nuts running amuck in the streets, racist extremist full of hate because the President of the United States happens to have and African father. We cannot let them quiet us down this time; we must keep the movement moving forward.
The Tea Parties were a good start, but that’s just what they were a start. It’s going to be an up hill battle all the way as we on right learn to organizations and try to combat the non-stop bombardment of the leftist media, Hollywood and special interest groups like the Trail Lawyers lobby.
This movement must gain in magnitude and scope; national, state and local Tea Party groups must continue to play in the “now” climate of the 24 hour media cycles and instant information age. We must stay organized and on target; not get sidetracked by distractions the left will throw at us like a decades old college thesis written in the sprit of academic theory.
Make no mistake the left is intent on imposing an EU style socialist government, we must stand up now and say no more. They have controlled the direction of the political climate for too long, we must win the hearts and more importantly minds of our fellow citizens locally first and foremost. That is why I have started this blog and why I am pondering whether to enter the “blood sport” that can be local politics.
FREE SPEECH PEOPLE!! AND HE IS RIGHT TOO!!!LIBERALS ARE NOTHING BUT LYING POWER HUNGRY FOOLS!!
It is simple. Marrow would be a hypocrite for not publicly condemning Waynesboro Democratic Chairman Chris Graham (also co-signer of the Marrow Letter condemning Steve Landes’ comments) for his words if he truly believes comparing Barack Obama to Hitler is an unjust association.
http://augustafreepress.com/2008/01/10/id-like-to-think-were-smarter-than-that/
Add to the criticisms in the column - read it, it was one of my more incisive - the fake drama of yesterday’s corporate-arranged tea-party protest in Washington, D.C.
Thanks so much for bringing this column to the attention of readers. Makes it kind of hard to peg me as a partisan hack when you see me offering comments and observations critical of Democrats.
I am glad there was quite a bit of discussion about Chris Graham- the Waynesboro Democratic Chairman and co-signer of the Marrow Letter asking Delegate Steve Landes to apologize over remarks he made that had been taken out of context.
Not only does Chris Graham throw out comparisons to Himmler and labels conservative Christians “fascists,” he has also directly compared tactics used by Barack Obama to the ones Hitler himself used. Graham wrote in January of last year that the choreographed crowds chanting Obama’s name “reminds me more of those propaganda movies in the ’30s that Hitler used to put out to show how revered he was in the Motherland.”
http://augustafreepress.com/2008/01/10/id-like-to-think-were-smarter-than-that/
Marrow would be a hypocrite for not publicly condemning Chris Graham for his words if he truly believes comparing Barack Obama to Hitler is an unjust association.
“True Patriot” Are you on meds? You’re the one who accused Landes of being a “corporate sponsored, white christian supremist”..it’s in your post after mine. Also, I’m retired USN, 20 years service…wasn’t interested in the Air Force as having to use a bathroom that’s referred as the “powder room” is not my cup of tea. I was eligible for the Coast Guard as I am over 6 feet tall (in case the boat goes down I can wade into shore), but I wanted to go more than just a mile from the beach when at sea! Last, we both know you’re not a 10 year military veteran…maybe 10 days, then you started crying for Mommy and quit boot camp. So maybe you need to change your screen name to “False Patriot”...there, that sounds much better! Heh, heh, heh!
True Patriot,
Okay, you got me on one point: Chris Graham is a nobody. His endorsement of Greg Marrow is good for one vote… his.
Thanks for pointing that out.
And it’s good we’re talking. That’s the way it should be.
Listenup,
I appreciate your comments (truthfully) even though we disagree on several points, at least we’re talking. That being said, I do disagree with your comment about Landes’s “first amemndment rights.“ If he was speaking as Steve Landes then yes, he is entitled to his own opinion. But as Delegate Landes, he has a responsibility to have more couth and class.
When our elected officials talk nonsense like Landes did then it makes us all look bad. There is reason why we are the brunt of stupid redneck jokes, and Landes perpetuates that.
again, I repeat, I’m not justifying graham’s comments, just trying to see them in context. To me, a comment by graham is not nearly as socially applicable as a comment by Delegate Landes. Likewise, Landes’s comments aren’t as relevent as say, Sen. Webb’s or Sen. Warner’s.
Respect the hierachy, Graham is a nobody, Landes is not, therefore his opinion caries more weight.
As for Graham and his endorsement of Marrow? I know nothing about Graham, and even less about Marrow, other than to say I’ve looked at his website and have spoken to people who like him. I’ve never met either guy.
Just to re-cap:
Steve Landes is being challenged by a credible candidate with great credentials who is strong on real issues which affect the area, and Landes is scared.
Steve Landes has no record of accomplishment despite having been many years in the Va General Assembly.
Steve Landes is so poorly regarded in his own party that he cannot even get GOP support to allow the subject of rest area closures to be discussed during the recent special session, despite telling his constituents that he would bring it home.
Steve Landes knows his only chance is to distract Valley voters by distracting them away from his miserable record so he tries to point them to national issues using the phrasing of Beck, Limbaugh, Boortz et al…
Landes’ supporters try to muddy waters even further by making absurd statements and comparisons.
Landes is weak and you know it. Why don’t you talk about what he has done for the area? Why don’t you tell the voters why he deserves to be re elected?
Why don’t you tell us in this district why we should give him any more of our good faith and trust when he won’t talk about the issues we face here instead of pandering to fear about the president?
Just to re-cap:
Greg Marrow accepted the endorsement of Chris Graham, the W’boro Dem Party chairman. Graham called a letter writer on the NV site a fascist. He compared a Christian talk show host who was in the area for a dinner to a Nazi mass murderer. He also suggested another letter writer here, who referred to Obama as an “infidel,“ be reported to the Secret Service (and he says the Obama administration is not to be feared!).
Then he says that the Christian woman he insulted has denigrated the “mainstream” of his faith. The people he is talking about are homosexuals, transgenders, drag queens, etc., those who believe in no restrictions on abortion, those who believe Jesus is not the only way to the Father, and so on. He says he is a Christian (going as far as to put the word in quotation marks when speaking about Ms. Parshall, but not when speaking of himself) while claiming that these people represent the MAINSTREAM of his faith. Is that Christianity?
Then when asked to clarify his position, he refuses to respond directly.
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