海角大神

Will the Hitler remark made by Hillary Rodham Clinton rebound against her? That鈥檚 what some Republicans are saying in the wake of Clinton鈥檚 comparing Vladimir Putin the architect of the Third Reich.

It isn鈥檛 that the GOP thinks the analogy overdrawn or approves of Putin鈥檚 occupation of the Crimea in any way, shape, or form. It鈥檚 that the 2016 Democratic presidential frontrunner was at the center of the Obama administration鈥檚 attempt to 鈥渞eset鈥� US-Russia relations when she was secretary of State.

If Putin鈥檚 Hitler, why try to make friends?

鈥淲补蝉 Mitt Romney right then in labeling Russia our greatest geopolitical foe?鈥� asks right-leaning (and Romney fan) Jennifer Ruin in her Washington Post 鈥淩ight Turn鈥� blog.

In case you missed it, this contretemps began on Tuesday when former Secretary Clinton, addressing a private fundraiser in California, said that Putin鈥檚 actions in regards to Ukraine were similar to those undertaken in Europe by Adolf Hitler prior to the outbreak of World War II. Hitler made a lot of noise about protecting enclaves of ethnic Germans in such places as the Sudetenland, and used that as an excuse to seize territory adjacent to Germany itself. Putin鈥檚 excused his move into the Crimea by saying he needs to protect ethnic Russians who are under attack by 鈥渦ltra-nationalist mobs."

Putin is a leader 鈥渨ho believes his mission is to restore Russian greatness," said Clinton, according to .

Republicans looking to build a case that Clinton鈥檚 foreign policy leadership was not great have seized on this as an unfortunate comparison. If Putin is Hilter, who is Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister whose appeasement of the German leader did nothing to stop the onset of war? Would it be ... Obama? Or Clinton herself?

鈥淭his ... invites obvious attacks on the Secretary of State, who long ago bragged of 鈥榬esetting鈥� relations with Russia,鈥� writes Mary Katharine Ham on the .

Not so fast, replied Clinton on Wednesday, in essence. In remarks at UCLA, she said that she was simply stating a fact of history, not drawing a larger comparison between Russia鈥檚 leader and the most infamous tyrant of the age.

After all, any newspaper reader in the 1930s would have known Hitler did indeed use ethnic Germans as an excuse for his territorial ambitions. In 2014, Putin鈥檚 talking the same way.

鈥淚 just want everybody to have a little historical perspective. I鈥檓 not making comparisons, but I am recommending that we can perhaps learn from this tactic that has been used before,鈥� .

If nothing else this flaplet shows how seriously Republicans are taking the threat of Clinton鈥檚 candidacy. In parsing her every word, they鈥檙e treating her almost as if she has won her party鈥檚 nomination. Either that or they are doing their best to dissuade her from running at all.

Also, she鈥檚 not the only one using 鈥淗itler鈥� in the same sentence with 鈥淧utin." Among those who have agreed with her sentiments? The GOP鈥檚 2008 nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, and 2016 Republican hopeful Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, between Hitler鈥檚 and Putin鈥檚 geopolitical actions.