Yes yes, by now, you all know that Rick Santorum sauntered down to the Senate floor and said:
“Some are suggesting we're trying to change the law, we're trying to break the rules. Remarkable. Remarkable hubris.
“I mean, imagine. The rule has been in place for 214 years that this is the way we confirm judges. Broken by the other side two years ago, and the audacity of some members to stand up and say, ‘How dare you break this rule?'
“It's the equivalent of Adolf Hitler in 1942: ‘I'm in Paris. How dare you invade me? How dare you bomb my city? It's mine.'”
I think folks are missing the point. The real beauty of these remarks is in the image of Rick Santorum in his office, late last night, desperately searching for an apt metaphor. Could've used Hussein and Kuwait but, nah, too over the top. Could've used America and the Indians but, nah, that came out in the Democrat's America's favor. Could've used a hypothetical kid who takes over a hypothetical neighbor's sandbox but, nah, too abstract. Could've used a robber protesting the cops when they try and take his freshly stolen good but, nah, too urban.
So Rick, racking his tiny little brain, came up with Hitler. Hitler asking the allies not to bomb a city they never bombed because it was the occupied capital of a friendly nation. So, right there, you have the analogy's first problem: no one did bomb Paris, meaning we should keep the filibuster. Then you have your second problem: Hitler happens to be the single allusion out of bounds in American public life. Any other is fair game, but not the H man. And at this point you realize that poor Rick Santorum deserves your pity -- he's just not a bright guy.
Update: I like how John Cole's comments put it: "In Santorum's defense, he is really, really dumb."
