Jeff Flake: You know that ‘Trump is Stalin’ thing I mentioned? Nevermind.
Not exactly a profile in courage.
Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake had a very important speech planned for this week. It was so important that he distributed excerpts to the media over the weekend and appeared on ABC News Sunday to build up interest in the speech.
The speech was mostly blah blah blah except for the one thing that garnered all the headlines Sunday.
That something special part of the speech was simple.
Because Trump used the phrase “enemy of the people” and calls the media Fake News:
TRUMP IS STALIN
Flake immediately was mocked and criticized, including by me Flake’s Law: The longer a #NeverTrump Republican keeps talking, the probability of a comparison of Trump to Stalin approaches one:
Arizona Republican Senator Jeff Flake apparently believes that Donald Trump responding to a press that issues an unprecedented volume false news reports, considers its job to be to elect Democrats, and openly cheers for Trump to be removed from office, is just like Stalin, even though not a single reporter has been arrested or a single newspaper or media outlet shut, and Trump frequently has sit-down interviews and holds press conferences with the media….
In other news, tens of millions of victims of Stalinism could not be reached for comment on Republican Senator Jeff Flake’s comparison of Trump to Stalin. Because they were killed in the forced collectivization of the Ukraine, the forced deportation of entire nationalities like the Crimean Tatars, the enslavement of captive nations, the Gulag Archipelago system of prison camps, the Stalinist secret police purges of intellectuals, academics and anyone who criticized the regime, and other acts of repression that went far beyond calling the press names.
David Harsanyi at The Federalist was a little less snarky, In Every Way, Jeff Flake’s Trump-Stalin Comparison Is Absurd:
Though it’s uncouth and damaging for the president — or a candidate — to demonize Americans as the “enemy,” it isn’t exactly unique and it certainly isn’t analogous to a tyrant making similar threats. Pretending comments like this are Stalin-inspired, a comparison purposefully used to evoke the menace of authoritarianism and tyranny where none exists, is just another example of the unfortunate state of our political discourse.
Brent Bozell was less kind:
“I think it’s stunning. If this were anybody else saying this about the President of the United States, and I think he would be thrown out of his office…But this is a man, Jeff Flake, who is working overtime to curry favor with the national press corps that despise Donald Trump and they’re loving that he says it,” Bozell began.
He wasn’t done though, adding that Flake is not only “an intellectual” and “political fraud,” but someone who “stole the title of Conscience of a Conservative, the best-selling polemic in history and made it his own” despite having been “elected by the Tea Party and immediately stabbed them in the back.”
Now Flake is walking it back. In an interview with CNN:
Sen. Jeff Flake’s plans to give a speech criticizing President Donald Trump for attacking the media as the “enemy of the people” — a term used by brutal Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin — has generated new wave of attacks from the American right.
In a Monday afternoon appearance on CNN International, Flake, R-Ariz., backed off any suggestion that he was comparing Trump to Stalin, who was notorious for having political enemies killed or imprisoned in forced labor camps.
“I am in no way comparing President Trump to Joseph Stalin,” Flake told host Christiane Amanpour. “Joseph Stalin was a killer. Our president is not. But it just puzzles me as to why you’d use a phrase that is so loaded and that has such deeper meaning, the press being the enemy of the people.”
Flake said if Trump really was like Stalin “people like me would be in Gitmo (Guantanamo Bay) or worse.” But the president’s attacks on the press nonetheless have implications for journalists around the world.
“So there’s no comparison there to the man, but it just puzzles me as to why any American president would use a phrase so associated with someone like Joseph Stalin,” Flake added. “It just doesn’t comport, and it’s not good for any of us.”
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He’s a Flake.
#flakenews
Among other things…
Wow, he is truly pathetic. He doesn’t even have the fortitude to be the groveling traitor he wants to be.
What exactly is this guys problem ?
If Barracula used the same language, would anyone who noted the use of the terms be castigated by anyone on the right as “equating Obama with Stalin”?
No. We would carefully note that the terms are similar, and dangerous in our democracy. We’d say it was wrong for Barracula to say that.
I know I would.
No one else believes it.
There is that little thing about the shoe fitting. But you likely lack the discernment.
Obola is just mad he didn’t have an OGPU and/or NKVD to do his bidding…
but he did his damnedest to set things up so that The FAB would have nearly the same thing…a weaponized federal law enforcement body where nearly every agency had it’s own police force and even SWAT teams.
and he set the Bundy’s up to be assassinated, just like the Weavers, but social media got in the way of that.
so yeah, the Chocolate Messiah may not have exactly been Stalin, but that was more do to his lack of cajones, and infrastructure than desire.
well, that and that pesky 2nd Amendment. cowing an armed populace ingrained in independence is harder than doing it to a population of serfs.
Please get this right.
First off, there was never any attempt to assassinate Cliven Bundy. If there was, he would be dead. How this stuff gets started is beyond me and that people actually believe it is even harder to understand.
As for Ruby Ridge, randy Weaver and his family are wholly responsible for what happened to them. Weaver was a federal fugitive for over a year. All of his family and friend, including those on the mountain with him, knew this. All of them were armed and, following the shootout on the trail, were presumed to be dangerous. Mrs. Weaver was most likely shot by accident when the bullet intended for Randy Weaver missed and entered the doorway of the cabin while Weaver was running toward the house. This occurred mere moments before the team assigned to arrest Weaver arrived at the homesite. Randy Weaver could have, and should have, turned himself into authorities long before the shooting incident occurred. But, he chose not to do so. He could, and probably should have, sent his family to safety LONG before the shooting incident occurred. But, again, he didn’t. So, his son and wife, both actively committing federal felony crimes by aiding and abetting a federal fugitive, end up dead. All of the fault lies directly upon Randy Weaver, his wife and son, not on the federal government.
Get this stuff accurate, please.
Mac,
You are absolutely wrong about Randy Weaver. The so-called hostage rescue team killed everyone there except Randy, including their dog. You get it right.
Wrong again. The only casualties of the entire year long stand off, were Weaver’s son and a friend, both killed at the shootout on the trail, along with the dog, by members of the US Marshal’s Service, several days before the arrest team went in. Mrs. Weaver was killed by an FBI sniper’s bullet, while she was standing inside the open cabin door, just before the arrest team arrived. I have no idea WHERE you people get your information, but, as you just exemplified, it is horribly incorrect.
Let’s not forget that the Marshal’s Service bent over backwards to work with Weaver, negotiating with him for nearly a year, before he broke off negotiations. All Weaver ever had to do was to come down the mountain, and turn himself in. No one would have gotten hurt. Or, if he wanted to play outlaw, he could have sent his wife, children and friends down the mountain to safety anytime during this time. HE DID NOT. So, when the SHTF, as it was going to do, sooner or later, they were all on the spot. Again, whose fault was that? Right, the Weavers. Now the question is exactly how long must a government wait to serve a valid arrest warrant for a felony crime? Does society have to wait until an accused is ready to show up in court? Should we stop arresting murders, rapists, drug dealers, child molesters, those who commit fraud and all other accused felons? Should we just send them a notice to appear in court, and if they do not appear, suspend their driver’s license? Inquiring minds want to know.
That rat traitor obama had the IRS do his homeland terror, as well as the FBI and other intel agencies he corrupted.
There were some people who warned that Barack Obama was very Stalineaque in the way he used organs of the federal government, or allowed them to be used, for unprecedented domestic surveillance and active attacks upon political enemies. The media just did not want to hear it and largely ignored it. Members of the media became worse than religious converts with respect to their “savior” Barack Obama. However, all that Trump has done is to point out that the MSM has been weaponized against the Trump Administration, and thereby, against the American people who elected him by publishing what have turned out to be totally false stories. And, the media has made absolutely NO attempt to stop this practice.
No, Obama is much more closely related to Stalin that Trump is.
The more Flake talks since Trump was sworn in, the less I think he is principled. I now fully expect his “retirement” from office to land him a high paying role next to other “Republicans” like Rubin or Navarro scratching against Trump and the more right leaning office holder’s like those in the Freedom Caucus. He already has proven no shame or remorse for having duped people like that to get their votes and elevating him to office. He’s cleat looking to cash in at the next level. Conscientious voice of rsistence in office, check! Book, check! Now he will be paid by CNN or NBC to prove the GOP is a bad party or evil motives. Next check!
Next week; Jeff Flake Joins the Mr. Bradley Manning for senate campaign (Team Cuck.)
Isn’t “cuck” an Alt-righter term, Tiki-boi…???
and here we thought it was your definition of manhood:
you’ll never make it…
The term was first applied by leftist journalists to describe compliant left-of-center republicans.
I really wish people would be honest about what Trump said. He specifically, with detail, noted that he was referencing a lying, fake news media that was the enemy of the people. And who would defend a lying, fake news media as being “good” for the culture and politics?
Two points…
1. there is a broad and perfectly acceptable swath of criticism of the Mushroom Media which does not suggest it’s lies are “good” while not going to the excesses that T-rump is inclined to go (against the same people he gives lengthy interviews to), and
2. if lying makes one an “enemy of the people”, what about Der Donald?
whataboutarra mwaaaaahahahahahahahahhahaahahaa….suck it up cry baby! Your beeeeotch lost, who was a TRUE enemy of the people hahahahhahahahahhaahhaaa 🙂
Get this flake off the stage.
Flake looked at his 18% approval rating among his constituents, and decided it was too high.
When will they learn? They are no match for the Big Dawg.
How come no one seems to have noticed that Henrik Ibsen wrote a play titled “An Enemy of the People” when Josef Stalin was 4 years old.
A play about fascism is timeless.
If Ibsen were alive while the obamas were in the White House, he’d title it “Enema of the People.”
Given the sedition on the part of the leftist news media and democrats in office, he’d be writing a sequel.
Why do I get the feeling that Flake went to Washington to join the “good olde boys club” with an eventual transition to lobbyist, only to find out that Trump is busy “chasing the money changers from the temple” ?
The press IS the enemy of the people.
And Flake is s traitor.
You’re telling it like it is:
Jeff Flake: ‘I’ll Take the Globalist Moniker, Thank You’
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/08/01/jeff-flake-i-will-embrace-globalist-moniker-thank-you/
That said, what do we now call obama, klinton, comey, schumer, durban, etc: SUPER traitors?
Who’d EVER thought benedict arnold would become a second tier traitor?
Swamp Sessions is under suspicion.
Wasn’t Benedict Arnold a war hero before he was a traitor?
“obama, klinton, comey, schumer, durban, etc:” do not even have that in their past. Your list is of people worse than Benedict Arnold as they never did anything positive for the USA–only negative.
In Saratoga, there’s still a monument to Benedict Arnold’s leg, which was severely wounded while he was still loyal to the Revolution, and leading an attack against the British. Only monument with his name on it.
Arnold was one of the most capable and trusted officers under Gen. Washington’s command, which made his betrayal all the more shocking.
My achy, Flakey heart. Don’t know much about this guy, but does he realize the media is aiding him in his dipshittedness? He will be a Democrat before I die.
And of course Rag defends media and Flake. Ahab will throw his own mother overboard to harpoon Trump.
Yeah, there IS something in me that sorta hates Maoist denunciation circles.
But, or course, you have to lie to attack anything I’ve said, and cannot deal with it honestly. Where did I “defend the media”?
Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Meaning that if you can’t call what is obviously a cigar a cigar, where does that leave you? If the media has become the propaganda arm of the Democrat Party, that’s dangerous. Is one not allowed to point that out?
I believe that Trump knows that in order to get his message to the American people that he can’t rely on the media to carry that message. So he says things that are outrageous, knowing the media will repeat it over and over again. It’s like Br’er Rabbit asking not to be thrown into the brier patch across the river. The media is doing exactly what he wants them to do – repeat his message over and over again. This is something the media would never do for Trump if he couched his thoughts in politically acceptable language. The media would never carry his messaging if he sounded reasonable. IF this is what he’s doing, it’s pretty slick.
Dave,
You’ve got it. Trump does it and he knows they just can’t help themselves.
Dave is SO right! Trump is living in their empty heads (plenty of room for the 6’2″ Trump!!) RENT-FREE!! He basically uses them to great purpose, and EVERYONE AROUND THE WORLD gets the message! That’s why the Deplorables of every other country on earth love this crazy wonderful guy, Trump!! His amazing penchant for perfect nicknames are, in their own right, almost up there with Charles Dickens when he named his amazing & colorful characters of mid-19th century London!! And even the great Restoration playwright, William Congreve, could share a bit of his platform with our less polished than, but nevertheless as witty as, that 18th century writer.
Exactly! Even – or maybe especially! – with the “shithole” comment.
Look at what the terms of the immigration debate are now – do we say that we need to take in people from “shithole” countries since we’re such good people, or do we stop and ask, “why do we have to take people from these shitholes?” NO ONE can get away from framing it that way anymore, because every media outlet is broadcasting “shithole shithole shithole!!” 24 hours a day. (i think someone counted CNN saying it on air at least 250 times on one day)
So Trump, once again, has set the terms of the debate, and the media have helped him do it. Do the open borders people (basically ALL dems) really think they can win American voters over to this side on this one???
If you think of our “free press” as just another giant corporation with interests other than journalism, it makes sense to call them out on it. For instance…Jeff Bezos owns the WaPo. Amazon has a contract with the CIA for $600M to provide private cloud data services. Anybody honestly think that the WaPo wouldn’t spike a story that jeopardized that contract? Or attack the POTUS with dubiously sourced stories because he might threaten that arrangement with say…anti-trust litigation by the justice department? Given the current state of our educational system, I doubt the majority of the electorate knows the origin of the phrase “enemy of the people”.
Fake Flake:
-a wanna-be member of the globalist elitists infesting our government and institutions who have hijacked our country, and now find themselves exposed and under assault by a majority of Americans wanting to take our country back
-as fake of an American conservative as traitor bradley manning was as fake of an American solider
-as fake an oath-taker as schumber, durban, obama or pelosi
-dumber than H. Rotten Klinton
Jeff Flake: ‘I’ll Take the Globalist Moniker, Thank You’
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/08/01/jeff-flake-i-will-embrace-globalist-moniker-thank-you/
Great. Another Senator trying to get in front of the camera. ZZZZ. No one gives a rat’s a$$ about your speech.
And who wants to bet that the millennials, Gen Xers and Yers, and probably more, had no idea that the term was associated with Stalin – if they even know who Stalin is other than a vague notion. Public and collegiate education doesn’t teach history, especially the evil history of these totalitarian, censoring dictators, who so resemble the totalitarian, censoring Left.
Still trying to stay relevant, eh Jeffe? Good luck, chump.
I have rarely been as disgusted with a GOP Senator – and this includes McShame, too! – as I have with that total flake, Jeff Flake! Thank God he’s existing the Senate this year, ’cause it will be wonderful not to have Flake to kick around anymore! And I hope he hides somewhere under a cactus plant in the most remote part of the AZ desert!!
When I use the term “enemies of the people,” I’m usually referring to the ruling class (aka the administrative state). So this was a little different, but not so different.
Flake is puzzled? Seems to me he is most puzzled about which party is his.
No problem for me if he wants to switch parties or become an Independent. What’s the problem is his hypocrisy in pretending to be a conservative when he so obviously is not.
The Flake is currently on the TV railing of the evils of President Trump and fake news,his version of Flake news.
How the heck did the people of Arizona elect this Commiecrat with the R after his name.
The moron keeps shooting himself in the foot.
In other news, Toldja:
Arizona Senate – Republican Primary
McSally – 31%
Arpaio – 29%
Ward – 25%
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2018/senate/az/arizona_senate_republican_primary-6235.html
I’m getting so tired of being right all the time.
Guy REALLY loves the taste of his foot !
And when I look at that picture of him, the only thing that comes to mind is a limp noodle!
Or mcmccain. Or boehner. Or mcconnell. Or ryan. Or miss lindsey.
He meant it the way he said it the first time. A pol doesn’t just say things like that without thinking them through.
He said it, he got approval from the people whose opinion he values (MSNBC, CNN, NYT, WaPo, DNC, etc.), now he walks it back to appease people he doesn’t really care about as long as they stay quiet–Republcans, the people who voted for him.
Been down this road so many times before with “mainstream” Republicans who know they have to lie to their base in order to get elected, but occasionally have a fit of telling the truth as they see it, despite themselves.
Regarding political opponents as enemies has always been off limits. Remember how outraged the press was when Obama said of Republicans: “If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun.”
A gun? Come on. Not even a tank? More like nukes and germ warfare if the press had its way.
The ‘press’ meaning the democrat media. It is important to understand the distinction.
“Enemy of the people” is an accurate term for what the legacy Media has become. No reason anyone shouldn’t use it.
Particularly so since CNN and others have often, and continue to, advocate violence against their political enemies.