The Nazi death camp that Barack Obama's great-uncle helped liberate

Barack Obama, at a Memorial Day event in Las Cruces, N.M., credited his great-uncle, Charlie Payne, as being among the U.S. troops who liberated the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz.

The trouble with that bit of history -- as the Republican National Committee pointed out today -- is that the Soviet Red Army was the military force that liberated the World War II death camp.

The RNC seized the opportunity to fire off a news release, saying that “unless his uncle was serving in the Red Army, there’s no way Obama’s statement yesterday can be true. Obama’s frequent exaggerations and outright distortions raise questions about his judgment and his readiness to lead as commander in chief.”

The Obama campaign soon acknowledged that the Democratic candidate made a mistake. It explained that Obama’s great-uncle was in the 89th Infantry Division that helped liberate another notorious death camp, Buchenwald. Obama, the campaign said, “is proud of the service of his grandfather and uncles in World War II -- especially the fact that his great-uncle was part of liberating of one of the concentration camps at Buchenwald.”

All of which raises the question: What's worse, Obama's apparent gaffe or the RNC pouncing on a Holocaust-related historical mistake for political advantage?

-- Stuart Silverstein

Comments

[Midwest Common Sense]

The RNCorporate Media has again sunk to new depths, ridiculing and trivializing a pivotal moment in the history of our Greatest Generation over yet another absurd technicality. Those of us who are regular and proud Americans will continue to honor those who served and saved the world from fascism, even as the Chicago Tribune and other elite mouthpieces degrade their memory, just as they ridiculed the Roosevelts mercilessly during the family's years of military service overseas during WWII! Read "As He Saw It" by Elliott Roosevelt (FDR's son, an Army major in WWII) to discover the real truth about our corrupt corporate media...

[Franklin]

Who cares what Obama's great uncle did back then! Why look in the past to try and take down a great candidate for presidency over some technicality? The past is important but the future is inspiring.

[McCain is Bush]

The Republicans are quick to send our youth to their death in a country we have no business being in.

The Republicans are quick to cast aspersions on a true war hero for political gain.

The Republicans are praying that you do not hold them accountable for the Bush administrations incompetence.

In November, show the Republicans that our youth are our highest valued treasures.

In November, show the republicans that a war hero is a war hero in Auschwitz or in Buchenwald and they cannot defame him.

In November, show the republicans how much we resent the Bush administration and those who would continue those policies.

[Barry Prager]

Charlie Payne? Sounds a lot like a white mans name doesn't it.

[Daniel]

Reading horrifyingly deluded comments posted here and elsewhere cause me to lose faith in America. With a voting public this stupid, no wonder McCain has a chance at winning.

[Jeff]

As for the "uncle" vs. "great uncle" issue, give me a break. Obama was raised by his grandparents, no doubt he called the guy uncle.

[Mr. B]

Don't columnists have more important political news, like a politician's stance on important economic and social issues? This is crappy journalism, reporting on unimportant sensationalism... useless reporting.

[dude]

I don't understand how Obama's great-uncle helping to liberate a death camp--no matter which one--confers any honor on Obama. What does it mean? He's proud of his uncles' and grandfather's service? So what? What does that have to do with HIM?? Does that fact make him qualified to be president--or the nauseatingly overused "commander-in-chief"??

[Brian]

The point to this whole thing that no one ever makes is simply this: if you want to be successful in politics, you must be good at playing politics. Him saying Aushwitz instead of Buchenwald makes no political sense. What benefit would it have to his goals? The fact that he said it a few days after McCain began his early Florida campaign, land of many Jews, that is the issue. But why should he not benefit from that tale, even if he never knew the man or not even most of his story? His great uncle was an American who fought for this country, that's the point that he was making and the point the McCain camp wanted you to miss. Barak may be different from the rest of these guys, an honest man, but you can't win a dirty game if you stay clean. Let him play his politics, McCain has proven he's not that good it. If he can somehow pull out the upset, then we'll see if his words will amount to something or if their as empty as most of the other career politicians. Only time will tell. If you must choose from these shady three and their old time games of treachery, Barak at least offers hope of change, the one thing he speaks of with complete certainty.

[walt]

American citizens, not directly involved do not, as a rule, recall precise geographically references. That fact will remain that someone was there and did arrive to make a rescue. This is not to be mis-construed with a rescue attempt...but a real and bonafide rescue. John McCain has been celebrated as a war hero when in fact all he did was honker down, take beatings, who knows what intelligence he shared under duress, a prisoner of another unjust war, didn't do shit but wait to be rescued, but now speaks as though he has leadership potential. NEWSFLASH!.....He ain't the only kid from Viet Nam that went through this kinda crisis. He was one of a many of whimps who caused a tremendous amount of casualties due to his willingness to coorperate with the Viet Cong. Ask him what really happened on Hamburger Hill !

[Judy Kilgore]

For Obama to be the "intellectual" that so many claim him to be, he appears to be woefully ignorant of history. Evidently, he passed on this bit of family lore in an effort to prove himself a true American patriot by inheritance, but unfortunatly, he didn't care enough to get his facts straight. This makes me wonder if he has even bothered to read the history of the Holocaust. I'm no historian, but even I knew the difference between Auschwitz and Buchenwald and who was responsible for liberating both. If I hadn't known, though, before I spoke of either I would have made sure to get my facts straight. You can be sure that Obama would correctly quote facts about slavery --- or would he?

[Stephane MOT]

And how should the Reps label this "gaffe" ?

The "I-confused-Buchenwald-and-Auschwitz-gate" ?

Come on.

I second Michelle : the more they raise the issue, the better for Obama's image.

[Fran]

A lie is a lie is a lie! If Obama tells these kinds of lies to get into office, just think what kind of lies he WILL tell in office!!!

[Sidney McCain]

Maybe the RNC should do some more research before it launched an assualt on a veteran on Memorial Day.

[michael leemie]

"All of which raises the question: What's worse, Obama's apparent gaffe or the RNC pouncing on a Holocaust-related historical mistake for political advantage?"

-- Stuart Silverstein

Oh, you forgot one Silverstein -- reporters actually claiming it as a news item.

[Lanny Davis]

Proves RNC and McCain have one response ... lob bombs

[Rod Aissa]

This is not much of a "gaffe" ... Buchendwald is another famous camp. Obviously, if Barack Obama had mentioned Buchendwald rather than Auschwitz, the impact of the story he told would have been the same. So I don't see where he would have been trying to manipulate the facts. This is really no big deal at all. Now, when McCain, two or three times, confused Shiites and Sunnis, and didn't seem to know that Alquaida was a Sunni organization, --that's-- pretty serious...

[Howie, New York]

Obama really makes me sick to my stomach. He is smug, arrogant and a liar. However, the media is so enamored with this man, he can say absoltutely anything no matter how outrageous and the media will just igore it. He will NOT be elected President. For the first time in my adult life I will NOT be voting democratic if Mr. Obama is the nominee.

[W. Dennis Wilson]

Who in the hell cares what Obamas Uncle did. What did Obama do? (besides smoking dope and burning flags)

This is just another Obama Lie.

[Mandelay]

Sometimes you're reaching so far for those Jewish/Veteran votes, you trip over your own mouth.

[Rob]

The next time McCain makes a mistake it will be the Obama camp's turn to pounce, and they will. So what else is new? Pointing fingers of shame (from either side) will always come back to bite you so just sit back and chalk it up to politics. It's the ones who try to make a big deal out of nothing (The Republicans should be ashamed of themselves or the Democrats should be ashamed of themselves) that turn me off.

[what?]

Bla Bla Bla...Interesting story. even more interesting responses Unbelievable how scary, ignorant and unforgiving some people are... Canada here I come...Good luck as the next U.S. president Obama

[dave]

If you want to be technical about it. If Obama's Grandfather did serve in EU in WWII, he did, either directly or indirectly, helped liberate those jews at Auschwitz.

The allied forces against the nazis were a team, including the russians. They ultimately saved those people from further suffering by their combined efforts. SHAME ON YOU REPUBS FOR BASHING A WWII HERO, and trying to use this as a political ploy.

[Van Brock]

So the RNC is warning Americans about the dangers of a president distorting and exaggerating. Why didn't they warn us seven years ago and why didn't they call for the impeachment of Bush and Cheney? Big mystery.

[Gmartine]

wow. I am a republican and it is pretty pitiful to watch other people slam obama for mistaking which concentration camp his familly member helped liberate.