Earlier this week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made news when she accused protesters against President Obama’s government-run health (s)care of brandishing swastikas.
But evidence of these swastika-wielding protesters have been hard to find. In fact, Kevin Aylward at the Wizbang blog declares that “Pelosi’s Swastika Claim Is a Crock,” supported by the following research of the Left’s main blogs:
[Note: Links are to search results that will change over time. Anything dated after 8/5/09 is an after the fact post or comment that would, in effect, be Astroturfing for Pelosi's statement.]
Daily Kos (Stories and Diaries) - 2 results, 1 related. The related report (about defending liberal turf on health care) contains no report of health care protest attendees wearing swastikas. Verdict: No corroboration
Think Progress - 1 result dated back to 2008, unrelated. Verdict: No corroboration
Firedoglake - 3 results, none related. Verdict: No corroboration
Google Blog Search - None related, one post calling B.S., and there was this from a recent Austin, Minnesota immigration reform debate, where an actual member of the Socialist Party is said to have worn a t-shirt with a swastika. Verdict: No corroboration
But finally, the comment sewer at Daily Kos did reap a reward...
Daily Kos Comment Search - Mostly non-related, but there is one comment which appears to be the source of Pelosi's contention. Here we find the one and only reference to someone (a kid) supposedly wearing a swastika to an event in Austin two weeks ago. Verdict: Possible source […]
Today, over a day later, Sam Stein at The Huffington Post gets sent a thumbnail showing a female with a sign containing a swastika.
His interpretation of the sign is a little odd, it seems pretty clear that the crude message of the sign means, "no nazism" or "no socialism," and the "? Obama" subheading wonders whether Obama supports socialism or nazism. Honestly it's a pretty weak poster.
Indeed, this is the only picture with a swastika that has allegedly appeared at a government-run health (s)care protest. This is the smoking gun? And even this picture might not be legitimate. Read on:
I did a little more digging and found over 130 high resolution photos of the event in this gallery. I looked through all 133 pictures with a fine tooth comb for the lady with the sign that someone sent to Sam Stein. I found the right where she should be...
Guess who is missing, from these and every one of the other 133 pictures?
The lady with the swastika sign...
Are we noticing a pattern?
So, the swastika claims of Nancy Pelosi (and anyone else so in the tank for Obama and his government-run health (s)care plan) is questionable at best and pure unadulterated bullsh*t at worst.
But not to fear, Nancy! I think I’ve found your swastika pictures!
Oh wait, these aren’t ObamaCare protesters. They’re left-wingers protesting against George W. Bush on October 26, 2002 and February 16, 2003 in San Francisco. (Hey, isn’t that Pelosi’s very own district? Why, yes it is. What a coinkidink.)
The October one, incidentally, was attended by Congresswoman Barbara Lee of Oakland/Berkeley. I wonder if this is this what San Fran Nan and Harry “The War Is Lost” Reid would classify as “grassroots” or “Astroturf.” Hmmm …
Maybe it’s these photos that Nancy’s referring to:
Oh wait, these aren’t ObamaCare protesters. They’re left-wingers protesting against the war in Iraq on September 24, 2005 in San Francisco. (Hey, isn’t that Pelosi’s very own district? Why, yes it is. What a coinkidink.)
Maybe it’s these photos that Nancy’s referring to:
Oh wait, these aren’t ObamaCare protesters either. They’re left-wingers protesting the “Gaza War” (Wha???) just seven months ago on January 10, 2009 in San Francisco. (Hey, isn’t that Pelosi’s very own district? Why, yes it is. What a coinkidink.)
So let me see if I have this right: One photo with one swastika shows up at one ObamaCare protest, and Pelosi denounces it on national TV. But several photos of several swastikas show up at several anti-Bush, anti-Iraq-War, and anti-Israel protests in her own district, and San Fran Nan couldn’t care less?
You got it.
Incidentally, how did I come to find these swastika signs? They were at websites linked to at this Washington Times article by Kerry Picket. And how did I find this Times article? It was linked to at the L.A. Times politics blog where one Brendan Bigelow defended Ms. Pelosi, yet chastised Rush Limbaugh, who on Wednesday’s show noted an eerie resemblance between the Nazi symbol with the ObamaCare logo.
Thanks, Mr. Bigelow.
Seriously, one would be hard-pressed in modern times to find a more detestable, deceitful, and hypocritical character in high office than Nancy D’Alesandro Pelosi.
But don’t worry, Ms. Pelosi. Your defenders in the press no doubt got your back.
P.S. I posted a comment to the L.A. Times blog post which, as of this writing, has not been published. Other comments written after me, however, have been. ‘M just sayin’.
UPDATE 8/15: The ZombieTime blog, from which some of the above pictures are taken, has a bigger montage of Bush = Hitler posters from around the country.
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