Republican Congressman Tom Cole reportedly claimed (PDF) that a vote against the re-election of President Bush is like supporting Adolph Hitler during World War Two.

“If George Bush loses the election, Osama bin Laden wins the election,” Cole is quoted in this week’s edition of the Yukon Review which covered the recent meeting of the Canadian County Republicans where Cole was a speaker. The newspaper says Cole claims if Bush loses his re-election bid, the enemies of the U-S will interpret it as a victory for bin Laden.

Later, he did try to backpedal, but weakly.

Hello? Abraham Foxman? On January 9th, I wrote an article for JewSchool saying how cynical I thought it was of you to use the holocaust to promote partisan Republican interests. Well here’s your chance to be even-handed. A Republican congressman has now said that a vote against Bush is like supporting Adoph Hitler. Does this not cheapen the Holocaust ? I await your condemnation of the Republican party now.