LePage says IRS 'new Gestapo' in radio address

pressherald.com ^

[Sub-Driver]

LePage says IRS 'new Gestapo' in radio address

By Steve Mistler smistler@pressherald.com Staff Writer

Gov. Paul LePage used his weekly radio address to blast President Obama's health care law and described the Internal Revenue Service as the "new Gestapo."

The IRS description was a reference to a provision in the Affordable Care Act that requires most Americans to buy health insurance or pay an annual penalty when filing their tax returns. The provision, known more broadly as the individual mandate, was the subject of a multi-state lawsuit, but was recently upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

LePage said the court decision has "made America less free."

"We the people have been told there is no choice," he said. "You must buy health insurance or pay the new Gestapo – the IRS."

The debate over the mandate has become a political flash point since the health law was enacted. Republicans maintain that the requirement is an unfair tax. Democrats say the mandate was originally a Republican idea borne from the conservative Heritage Foundation, which introduced the measure in 1989 as counterpoint to calls for a single-payer health care system.

The Gestapo were Nazi Germany's official secret police under Adolph Hitler, who imprisoned and murdered thousands of people without cause.

Maine Democratic Party Chairman Ben Grant, responding to LePage's remarks, said, "We've come to expect a bunch of nonsense from Gov. LePage, but this is a step too far. There appears now to be no limit to the extreme language he will use to misinform, degrade and insult people. Somebody needs to explain to him that he's the governor of a state, and not a talk radio host. I demand a full apology on behalf of all those who suffered at the hands of the real Gestapo."

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[spodefly]

It was legal under German law at the time. If Roberts were there he might have ruled that it was not the job of the courts to protect the German people from their own polital decisions.

:)

[Spok]

Reminds me of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and Masada. American high schools should dedicate a semester to studying each of those events.

[Secret Agent Man]

No. You may have/gooten the wrong idea.

I am saying there were reasons, there were procedures and rules and the nazis followed their rules and laws in doing their evil. To say it was done fo r no reason ignores the fact the government actually had reasons for doing what they were doing and according to the government they were legal and valid reasons.

Only when they were brought to trial for justice they were no longer able to hide behind government rules and laws saying what they did was legal and just following orders.

[Christian4Bush]

Alex S. bump