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Ron Paul on Huckabee Holiday Ad: "When Fascism Comes...It Will Be Wrapped in the Flag, Carrying a Cross" [VIDEO]

Posted by Will Thomas, Huffington Post at 5:27 AM on December 19, 2007.


The ad features a bookshelf in the background that appears to some like a "floating cross."
Ron Paul on Huckabee Ad:

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Mike Huckabee is bringing his Christmas cheer, and his Baptist minister roots, to Iowans this election season. His recent ad, "What Really Matters," features the former governor offering citizens a Merry Christmas.

This isn't your ordinary Happy Holidays event. Huckabee let's loose the Christian spirit, saying "what really matters is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ." The ad also features a bookshelf in the background that appears to some like a "floating cross." The ad is a not-too-subtle play to Iowa value voters, who cringe at what they view as an increasingly secularized holiday.

Asked about the ad today, Ron Paul decried Huckabee's religious iconography with his own veiled reference on Fox and Friends:

"It reminds me of what Sinclair Lewis once said. He says, 'when fascism comes to this country, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross.' Now I don't know whether that's a fair assessment or not, but you wonder about using a cross, like he is the only Christian or implying that subtly. So, I don't think I would ever use anything like that."

Mike Huckabee's campaign today denied that the bookshelf/cross was an intentional reference. Iowa Director Eric Woolson responded:

It's the window frame in the background... Once you've got it in your head that it's a cross, it's a cross.

See the original ad below and Ron Paul's response to your right.

Digg!

Tagged as: fascism, christmas, religion, huckabee, paul

Will Thomas is an Associate News Editor and Political Reporter at the Huffington Post. Previously, he worked as a researcher for Talking Points Memo and TPMmuckraker. He lives in New York.


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View:
Never thought I'd see it...
Posted by: dover23 on Dec 19, 2007 6:20 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
A presidential candidate using the F word on Fox news.

Great link Alternet!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Somebody needed to call Huck out
Posted by: lamar on Dec 19, 2007 6:57 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I'm glad somebody called Huckabee out for trying to sneak in a cross without officially holding a crucifix in the air. While Ron Paul's comment was probably overkill for the situation, it is disgusting how Huckabee is selling God. He lets rapists and murderers go free, but he's got God!

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» actually i have met Ron Paul Posted by: goatini
Ron Paul's is as dangerous as Huckabee
Posted by: sausage on Dec 19, 2007 6:57 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
And every bit as nuts. And this is a case of the kettle calling the pot black.

Pauls' vision for America is to gut the federal government of its last vestiges of regulatory control over pig corporations.

Granted, after twenty-seven years of Reagan, Bush I, Bill Clinton and now Bush II, the guy who makes James Buchanan look like an adroit politician, services and regulatory agencies designed to serve and protect the average citizen from the depredations of the "free market" capitalists are pretty shaky.

Paul and his ilk would just as soon let the poor starve and die in the streets as make the wealthy shoulder their fair share toward making a civil, democratic society function.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Do you know the definition of fascism? Posted by: rfrancis@godisdead.com
» RE: Change Corporate Law Posted by: channing
» He IS popular on Stormfront. Posted by: medstudgeek
» RE: He IS popular on Stormfront. Posted by: screwjack2000
» RE: I beg to differ Posted by: rfrancis@godisdead.com
» RE: I beg to differ Posted by: sausage
» RE: I beg to differ Posted by: channing
» wrong on the middle class Posted by: KaptainSpiffy
» Try logic, sausage Posted by: lamar
» RE: Try logic, sausage Posted by: screwjack2000
When
Posted by: JoshuaLudd on Dec 19, 2007 6:59 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
When you are selling your religion as THE state religion... when you want to discount all other holidays that occur around the same time... the Haj, Chanuka because YOUR religion is the one WE celebrate.. when you are so clearly and completely devaluing all those who do not share your particular set of beliefs and are clearly trying to mix your religion into government, then there is nothing to call what you propose but the creeping steps of fascism.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: When Posted by: tap17x
» Well... Posted by: JoshuaLudd
» RE: Well... Posted by: carbon-based
Govener Huckabee is certainly not selling fascisim...
Posted by: Dale Dressler on Dec 19, 2007 7:10 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The host is certainly missing the point of the Sinclair Lewis quote. There is no doubt that Hitler thought he was doing what was right for his religion and his country. He was wrong. There is no doubt that Huckabee is doing what he thinks is right for his religion and his country but he is wrong. Neither person was trying to sell fascism but the results may end up being eerily similar.

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hemnebob the radical
Posted by: hemnebob on Dec 19, 2007 7:19 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
huckabee is just one more hypocritcal christian that not only passes judgements but deems himself as some sort of savior for this country.
he is smart as a fox (conservative fox network)and knows how to play his cards to appeal to those freaked out bushites. his colors are surfacing and this commercial is just one step closer to who he really is...

huck sucks.

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Fascist Italy
Posted by: imbabci2 on Dec 19, 2007 8:34 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
History Lesson: Mussolini had to foster good relations with the Roman Catholic Church because, regardless of his dictatorship, the Roman Catholic Church was such a powerful institution in Italy. While Mussolini governed the political side of Italy, the Roman Catholic Church governed the spiritual side. In this sense, Mussolini could not afford to anger the Roman Catholic Church.

Mussolini had recognised this as early as 1920 when the fledgling future leader of Italy had said that the pope "represents 400 million men scattered the world over…….(this was) a colossal force."

Once leader, Mussolini had to decide on whether to take on the power of the Roman Catholic Church in Italy or to work with it. He chose the latter. In this way, Italians did not have to have divided loyalties. Therefore, Mussolini worked to get the Roman Catholic Church to accept a Fascist state while he planned to offer the Roman Catholic Church what it wanted.

In particular, Mussolini and the Roman Catholic Church clashed over who should control education. To ensure that children grew up as good Fascists, Mussolini wanted the state to control this - as it did. However, the Roman Catholic Church felt that it should have this power. Both sides worked for a compromise. The attempt to settle this dispute started in 1926 and it took until 1929 for agreements to be signed. These were the Lateran Treaties. They covered areas other than education.

The Papal States,the name given to land previously owned by the Roman Catholic Church in Italy, had lost all its land in the 1870 unification of Italy. The Roman Catholic Church received £30 million in compensation in 1929 and the Church was given 109 acres in Rome to create a new papal state - the Vatican. The pope was allowed a small army, police force, post office and rail station. The pope was also given a country retreat called Castel Gandolfo.

Another part of the treaty was called the Concordat. This made the Roman Catholic faith the state religion - this was a fait accompli anyway. The pope appointed his bishops, though they had to receive the government’s blessing. Religion had to be taught in both primary and secondary schools. The Roman Catholic Church was given full control of marriage.

When these agreements were signed in 1929, Mussolini’s popularity was at its highest. He had got what he wanted - the support from the members of the public who may not have supported the Fascists but who saw the Roman Catholic Church working with the Fascist government, and that by itself created a tacit acceptance of Mussolini’s government.

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» RE: Fascist Italy Posted by: imbabci2
» RE: Fascist Italy Posted by: channing
we border living in a theocracy
Posted by: Howard_Beale on Dec 19, 2007 8:41 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
No, the window pane( my wife says its a bookshelf) highlighted as a cross was not an accident, or unintentional. Anyone who buys into that I have a bridge for sale if youre interested. This Slug is trying to appeal to the religious right, you remember them marching behind King George? The guy is a Fascist though he doesnt think so. Why the hell a Babtist minister is a good idea as a politician I havent a clue, Arkansas finest I suppose. As far as Im concerned he might as well had a swastika floating behind him as he wished us a Merry Kristalnaucht. Google it if you were sleeping in history class. Fascism will come to America wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross, and the likes of Billy O'Really, and that Pig Sean "Squealer" Hannity (pithy reference to Animal Farm) cheering the arrival of better days to their viewers and listeners as they open their minds wide at the sewage pipe of television. Wake up, get in the political process! We have the internet and we can find out every skeleton these S#%t weasels have in their closets.

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The Constitution and what it means
Posted by: PatriotOne on Dec 19, 2007 8:52 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Its sad days in American when a Presidential candidate is running on the founding principles of the Constitution then to be called "radical" or "Kooky" That is sure testament to how far we have moved away from freedom and liberty. You can only guess the direction we are moving in now.

If you really care about other people, then you have to look good at how the free markets work. We havent seen a free market in decades.

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Damn... WHAT an amazing statement!
Posted by: aka_bozo on Dec 19, 2007 8:52 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Sadly, most (all?) of the Democrats are too spineless to address this.

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» damnit, you stole my post! Posted by: hurricane hugo
K. Rove Goebbels, at your service...
Posted by: channing on Dec 19, 2007 9:31 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
You seriously don't think K.R. Goebbels is twiddling his thumbs in those deep shadows right now do you, out of touch with the RNC and all? Almost without question he's coordinating the entire RNC field (with the exception of PAUL who's appears to be getting no help whatever from RNC.

This "coordination" results in schmuckabee's campaign being allowed to go off-the-charts fanatical-religious in order to gain the spiritual-faith of the already-blind Crustian-Right, so they can all move like a good little herd in one vote-block to prayerful, sincere, schmeckabee endorsement yet to come... and since their favored-fascist, Ghouliani, keeps a-slidin' look for the big money to move very soon, and wherever that money moves, watch for the endorsement of schmuckabee, and the Cross to follow...

Uh, that would be the Cross with the Constitution Nailed to it!

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I will choose...
Posted by: clickron on Dec 19, 2007 9:33 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Huckabee wants to make smoking illegal. I WILL CHOOSE WHAT I DO IN MY OWN HOME, I WILL CHOOSE MY OWN RELIGION...EVEN IF IT'S MORMON...this guy is unethical and dangerous. Who does he think he is, dictating my life to me? I don't go to my church to hire employees, I hire the best, most qualified person. I won't vote for someone who preaches a religious message, sure, we can pray together, but now, GO HOME HUCK.

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The incredible Ron Paul
Posted by: James W. Harris on Dec 19, 2007 9:40 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
THIS is why we love Ron Paul! What an amazing statement that was. Liberty, limited government, and peace are ALWAYS forefront in his mind. He sees thru the crap that pols like Huckabee churn out. And he calls them on it.

Today's real political battle is not liberals versus conservatives -- it's a fight between pro-war, anti-civil liberties, pro-force authoritarians, versus anti-war, anti-State, tolerant civil libertarians.

It's anti-authoritarians of all political stripes versus a statist, fascist, blood-drinking Establishment.

And Paul and Kucinich are leading the charge.

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» Goatini makes no claims! Posted by: CUnknown
» RE: Goatini makes no claims! Posted by: screwjack2000
» RE: Goatini makes no claims! Posted by: goatini
» thanks jg66 Posted by: goatini
» Libertarian 'dogma' Posted by: CUnknown
» RE: Libertarian 'dogma' Posted by: goatini
The well-being of the poor and middle classes
Posted by: JiveDadson on Dec 19, 2007 10:02 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Ron Paul is a gentle and compassionate man. I invite those who think he would "let the poor starve and die in the streets," to listen to this recent essay Dr. Paul, read by Professor Floy Lilley:

http://mises.org/multimedia/mp3/
audiobooks/MisesPersonalView.mp3

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Take back the nation for Christ.
Posted by: mickrussom on Dec 19, 2007 10:07 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
In 1998, then-Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee spoke at the National Pastors’ Conference, explaining why he entered into politics:

"I didn't get into politics because I thought government had a better answer. I got into politics because I knew government didn't have the real answers, that the real answers lie in accepting Jesus Christ into our lives. I hope we answer the alarm clock and take this nation back for Christ."

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» RE: Take back the nation for Christ. Posted by: saradinicola
» RE: Take back the nation for Christ. Posted by: screwjack2000
Huckelberry is a well-known conductor.....
Posted by: reval on Dec 19, 2007 10:23 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
........... on the Looney Bin Express.

All aboard! Next stop Moronsville!
Rev. El
Pastor, WVCSR

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Paul has nerve calling anyone fascist
Posted by: nechayev on Dec 19, 2007 10:40 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I have yet to find a Paul-bot who can explain to me why Paul is so popular with David Duke, or why Paul took $500 from Don Black, organizer of Stormfront, one of the largest neo-Nazi organizations in the US (and would be blatantly illegal in Germany) and wouldn't give it back when called on it, or why Paul had a column for some time in the newspaper American Free Press run by Willis Carto, a holocaust denier and anti-semite white supremacist, or why Will Williams is allowed to operate as a campaign operative in Tennessee, when he used to work for the National Alliance Party (vestigial remnant of the 1968 George Wallace campaign) of William Pierce, author of the Turner Diaries, favorite book of Tim McVeigh, Oklahoma City bombing hero, a true patriot if ever there was one...Paul-bots must not be as big fanatics as they seem at first glance, since fanatics always have all the answers.

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» RE: More Guilt by Association Posted by: rfrancis@godisdead.com
» RE: More Guilt by Association Posted by: nechayev
» RE: "Many of the people posting here" Posted by: screwjack2000
» troll Posted by: dover23
» disingenous distractor Posted by: goatini
Are you freaking kidding me???
Posted by: theswedes on Dec 19, 2007 3:05 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I can't believe all of the bullshit I am reading on this blog.

SCARY THOUGHT FOR THE DAY #26:
Huckabee and Guiliani have nothing for the economy compared with Romney's business and economic acumen. Will you still be complaining about Romney's faith when they lay you off and foreclose your home? Get real, and don't get me started about Huckabee as a foreign policy disaster. Huckabee and Ahmadinejad sitting across at a table???? That's classic, what a nightmare.

Take all of the t-shirts mocking Bush you see at the mall and insert Huckabee's face. That's what college kids may be wearing until 2012. Bush haters are going to LOVE Huckabee, what a goober...there's a good image for the Republican stigma. Are you kidding me??

Why don't we all vote for an inferior candidate merely because he's not LDS. Evangelicals are going to ruin this nation...Piss off!!

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Ron Raul Will Re-Legalize Liberty
Posted by: left_libertarian on Dec 19, 2007 3:12 PM   
Current rating: 1    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
The Democratic Party has done NOTHING to stop the criminals Bush and Cheney and don't deserve your vote.

The Democratic Party is soft on the criminals Bush and Cheney.

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Democratic Party: Soft on the Criminals Bush and Cheney
Posted by: left_libertarian on Dec 19, 2007 3:15 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Democrats = Spineless Democrats = Spineless

Democrats = Spineless
Democrats = Spineless
Democrats = Spineless
Democrats = Spineless

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Huck you
Posted by: DeaconJ on Dec 19, 2007 5:29 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Huckster's campaign is nearly broke so why is he able
to put out so many ads? Why is everyone ignoring the
19 million dollar Ron?

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Not a word about Kucinich?
Posted by: Roverton on Dec 19, 2007 8:26 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
He shares lots of Ron's good views without all the negatives.

Simply having seen a UFO puts him in the same club as several revered Presidents in our recent past.

I don't care about his height because I'm an adult.

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» RE: Not a word about Kucinich? Posted by: genefire
» RE: Not a word about Kucinich? Posted by: CUnknown
More Distractions from FOX news...
Posted by: genefire on Dec 20, 2007 6:05 AM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
No one picked this fact up yet? They are trying to dumb down Dr.Pauls message. Instead of talking about why we support him they pulled him into this mainstream media gossip circle. SO what there is a cross in the background.
People see what they want to see, commenting on this alone has shifted the message to religion.
Lets wake up and demand some real dialog are we will continue to chase our own tail(tale) here.
Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich are the only two candidates that are for "We the People" anyway so why talk about Huckabee.
Don't Let the mainstream Media derail the message to their court
Way past time to end the war, repeal the Patriot Act, independent investigations into 911,voting machines overhaul, repeal the Federal Reserve Act of 1913, return to the gold standards, End the War before any of the above. These are the answers I want to hear from a candidate...Not his personal beliefs or family life because I could care less.

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A Reply and Open Statement to Ron Paul's supporters of all varieties.
Posted by: yellow on Dec 20, 2007 7:10 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Many of you claim to be supporting Ron Paul because you believe he will restore the integrity of the US Constitution at a time it is threatened by "big government" and extra-legal encroachment. In some ways your hearts are in the right place. In some ways your trust of Ron Paul is misplaced and your understanding of his politics misunderstood.

The Big Government that threatens our society is not economic but Security/Police State in nature. It is Orwell's "Big Brother." It is the fear mongering politicians that want to force you to relinquish freedom for "security." The threat is fro