KSFO hosts repeat, embellish Soros Nazi smear: "[H]e, apparently very cheerfully and willingly, went to work for the Nazis" to "further his own career"
On February 8, KSFO Morning Show hosts Melanie Morgan, Lee Rodgers, and Tom Benner, known on the show as Officer Vic, repeated and expanded upon the false accusation that billionaire philanthropist and progressive financier George Soros collaborated with the Nazis as a 14-year-old boy in Hungary. Rodgers claimed that Soros "apparently very cheerfully and willingly went to work for the Nazis," and Officer Vic added that "he just kind of complied willingly," while Morgan alleged -- without explanation -- that Soros did so "[i]n order to further his own career." Morgan went on to claim that Soros' "left-wing political protégés," as Rodgers described them, take money from Soros "even though that money may be tainted." Morgan has previously referred to Media Matters for America as "an organization that is aligned with George Soros."
As Media Matters for America has noted, the tired smear of Soros as a Nazi collaborator has been propagated by right-wing pundits David Horowitz and Richard Poe, who wrote in their discredited book, The Shadow Party: How George Soros, Hillary Clinton, and Sixties Radicals Seized Control of the Democratic Party (Nelson Current, August 2006), that Soros "survived [the Holocaust] by assimilating to Nazism." More recently, Martin Peretz, editor-in-chief of The New Republic, called Soros "a young cog in the Hitlerite wheel."
In fact, according to Michael T. Kaufman's biography of Soros, Soros: The Life and Times of a Messianic Billionaire (Knopf, February 2002), Soros' father attempted to protect his family from Nazi persecution by paying an employee of Hungary's Ministry of Agriculture named Baumbach to take in Soros, "ostensibly as his godson." From Page 37 of Kaufman's book:
Shortly after George went to live with Baumbach, the man was assigned to take inventory on the vast estate of Mor Kornfeld, an extremely wealthy aristocrat of Jewish origin. The Kornfeld family had the wealth, wisdom, and connections to be able to leave some of its belongings behind in exchange for permission to make their way to Lisbon. Baumbach was ordered to go to the Kornfeld estate and inventory the artworks, furnishings, and other property. Rather than leave his "godson" behind in Budapest for three days, he took the boy with him. As Baumbach itemized the material, George walked around the grounds and spent time with Kornfeld's staff. It was his first visit to such a mansion, and the first time he rode a horse. He collaborated with no one and he paid attention to what he understood to be his primary responsibility: making sure that no one doubted that he was Sandor Kiss. Among his practical concerns was to make sure that no one saw him pee.
From the February 8 broadcast of KSFO's Morning Show:
RODGERS: Now, here is the inconsistency problem that Mr. Soros, like so many Democrats, displays. Given his personal history, a cynical person might think George Soros would be delighted to see the Nazis in charge, because in 1944, when the Germans invaded his native country, Hungary, and took over, Mr. Soros hid the fact that he's a Jew -- you can't really blame him for that --
OFFICER VIC: No.
RODGERS: -- it's about survival; a lot of people did it. But then, he, apparently very cheerfully and willingly, went to work for the Nazis, as other Jews were being killed or shipped off to the death camps, he ran around Hungary with Nazi officials, serving eviction notices to people who were going to be shipped out on the death trains --
OFFICER VIC: Oh, my God.
RODGERS: -- so his Nazi buddies could come in and confiscate their property. Now, if you doubt this -- any of you whiny liberals -- "Well, I heard that on a conservative program. They had to have made it up" -- just do a little Internet search of your own, go to Yahoo or Google or whatever you want, and write in "George Soros," plus the word "Nazis," plus "1944." Take a look. See what comes up. See for yourself.
MORGAN: So, you're saying that the Nazis didn't hold a gun to his head, saying that you will do this --
OFFICER VIC: You have to -- he just kind of complied willingly, I would guess --
RODGERS: Yes.
MORGAN: Hmm-mm. In order to further his own career, and his survival -- ensure his survival.
RODGERS: Yeah, I wouldn't argue about trying to survive, but still, well, you know --
MORGAN: Yeah.
RODGERS: -- and he has admitted this by the way. He went on, I think it was Press the Meet [sic] with Tim Russert, and admitted it, so --
OFFICER VIC: But that was years ago, and a long, long time --
RODGERS: That was years ago; that's old news, that's old news now. But, you know, do with it whatever you want, but this is something his left-wing political protégés I guarantee you will not be speaking about.
MORGAN: And you know what? It doesn't seem to slow them down when it comes to taking his money, does it? Even though that money may be tainted.
RODGERS: No. No.
Lemme get this straight...
In order to survive George Soros had to leave his own family and pretend to be the godson of someone else, a Nazi... and so Soros "very cheerfully and willingly" became a Nazi? Does this remind you in any way what Bill O'Reilly has said about that poor kidnapped boy... that it was more fun living with his kidnapper than his "old parents"? Are the people saying these things insane? A fourteen year old boy is "cheerful", and it's "fun", being forced to separate from his family? It makes you wonder what kind of families these pundits come from...
Tune in tomorrow when Melanie Morgan of KSFO brings new "evidence" to the "Vets were spit upon!" story. Got to support those Zombie "facts".
I sure hope that editors contact the vets themselves and "vet" their accounts and see if they have any history or axes to grind before they run with the story.
Or better yet, contact Jerry Lembcke, associate professor of sociology at Holy Cross College, is the author of ''The Spitting Image: Myth, Memory, and the Legacy of Vietnam."
I'm sure that he could provide some context before the right wing echo chamber revves up.
"Tune in tomorrow when Melanie Morgan of KSFO brings new 'evidence' to the "Vets were spit upon!" story."
No... it's true! Melanie Morgan is going to prove the spitting incident by showing actual photographs... on her radio show. Tune in... ;>)
Methinks that all of these TALK-JOCKS be allowed to form their own new channel for TV and radio. Do you think Comedy Con II would be appropriate...Sorry, more liberal bashing. I keep forgetting that in order to discuss anything with these CONS(soon to be a name for Libby and Cheney) you must speak the truth and only the truth which they agree is the truth. Damn Liberals never listening to these pillars of society and the meaningful words of wisdom they produce. Shame on you liberals..have you no decency?
If David Horowitz says it is so, then it is so. That can be referenced through Melanie Morgana.
No one could look more cheerful than these radio folks.
I swear to God, the next time I hear a right-wing pundit attempt to apply the "Nazi" label to a Liberal, I'm going to lose it.
I know Melanie Morgan and her Morning Show radio clowns like to frequent MMFA to see how they are being "smeared," so I hope they stumble onto this: Nazism was a Far Right movement, characterized by extreme nationalism, totalitarianism, xenophobia, racism, homophobia, and a distain from intellectuals and the arts. They were anti-labor, anti-free press, anti-democracy, forming an ethos not at all unlike that of the extreme right wing of the Republican party in America. There is not a single aspect of Nazism that is shared with today's American progressives.
If George Soros did sell his soul to the Nazis as a teenager (which seems unlikey), it clearly did not have the slighest effect on his eventual political outlook. So, that being said, you have to wonder what the point of all this Nazi talk is when, Soros is about as far from the Nazis as possible on the political spectrum, and the attacks on his character are lobbed by those who share Nazism's most fundamental beliefs.
Nick, the answer is easy. The current conservative base is attempting to re-write history.
They know they can not make the Nazis look good (all those murders, are a PR nightmare) so they alter facts and make the Nazi party into a liberal party. Its actually a interesting idea, (sort of along the lines with the Trolls on this board, who bring up Byrd's past with the KKK. Liberals can't compare Rush or Savage to a racist, because they have their own racist past (ignoring and I mean completely ignoring the fact that Byrd has a 65% approval rating from the Southern Poverty Laws Center in civil right issues).
The general idea, you can't defend your person from accusations that he/she is a nazi, so you alter the concept of nazi in the public's mind. If it works, 10 or 15 years later a liberal will pass a pro civil rights bill and the media will proclaim, "another example of those liberal nazis."
A lot of this usually swings on the semantics of the words National Socialism. Socialism is a dirty word to American conservatives, hence Nazism=Socialism=Liberalism. It's a neat word trick that manages to fool the historically illiterate.
Actually there was, early on, what has been termed the Nazi Left. It included folks like the Strasser brothers and, for a while, even Joseph Goebbels. This faction of the party was largely suppressed in a series of political fights, most notably in 1926 and 1930. The rejection of the party's left culminated when many of their leaders (most notably Gregor Strasser) were murdered in the 1934 Night of Long Knives. Early on, Hitler married the movement to conservative forces in industry and the military, and the Nazis never would have come to power without the aid of wealthy industrialists who put his name forward to Hindenberg.
Don't get me wrong. I think that what was said is pretty outrageous, but I'd just like to clarify. If I remember my poly-sci classes correctly, National Socialism (Nazism) was somewhat left of center, but all the way to the top on the authoritarian wing (which runs up and down, not left and right). Both communism and facism are at the top of this wing, as the top of the authoritarion wing represents aggressive and despotic government. Far right wing actually represents no state intervention or economic redistribution of property, which is actually the ideology of classical liberalism and libertarianism (read John Locke; it's what America is based on). This whole circus is absolutely a word game of demonization and misnomers.
Anyone know what the prerequisites are for getting your own right-wing talk show? It couldn't be terribly difficult. I mean these KSFO freaks and Mike Savage have been successful in, of all places, San Francisco, not exactly Republican Party headquarters. Meanwhile here in Los Angeles, our Air America affiliate gets pre-empted by the WMBA. I think once you reach a certain threshold of right-wing insanity, they just give you a show.
If you're as talentless as Morgan you'll need to sleep with the station manager.
Being a right wing commentator requires a willingness to lockstep with Repub/neocon/conservative ideas without ANY discerning perspective. Those who risk this proposition have the potential to make big money, because there are so many out there who are desperate to hear someone voice their bigotry and close mindedness. It is a literal sell-out to Satan.
"Meanwhile here in Los Angeles, our Air America affiliate gets pre-empted by the WMBA."
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Do you mean the WNBA, the Womens National Basketball Association? I can't imagine Air America Radio being pre-empted by a group of women with business degrees...
Yes, it is the WNBA. My mistake.
"See for yourself."
Ok, Rogers suggested googling "George Soros", "Nazis" and "1944" I used the google and got these results:
94,200 hits for "george soros nazis 1944".
230,000 hits for "elvis jfk are alive".
397,000 hits for "soros nazi".
577,000 hits for "virgin mary toast".
542,000 hits for "proof elvis is alive".
923,000 hits for "abducted by aliens".
958,000 hits for "telekinesis".
4,940,000 hits for "raising the dead".
What an eye opener!
...and here's a few more
'George Bush Nazis' 1.4 million hits
'George Bush Alcoholic' 1.6 million hits
'George Bush Is Gay' 7.9 million hits (WOW! - I knew it!)
Hey! no, no, no! Matt
None of that here, lets keep the gay jokes to the bigots. We are above that, and as a gay man its insulting to me to say Bush is gay.
As a man it is insulting to me to say that Bush is a man.
Sorry McCain, didn't mean anything by it. It's just that I'm a big fan of irony!
A few more...
Loch Ness Monster: 1,200,000 hits
Easter Bunny: 1,9000,000
Santa Claus: 3,600,000
Bigfoot: 6,850,000
Still More...
conservative bigot: 850,000 hits
conservative moron: 1,150,000
conservative racist: 1,300,000
conservative bias: 1,900,000
This article finally convinced me to cancel my subscription to The New Republic. The "Soros-As-Nazi' smear was repeated in this week's edition, too. Add that to the fact that in the past few years the magazine has:
1. Strongly endorsed the Iraq War
2. Devoted an entire issue to bashing liberals for opposing the war
3. Endorsed Joe Lieberman for the Democratic nomination for President
4. Obsessively bashed liberal bloggers while ignoring conservative ones
5. Rubbed hands with glee at the prospect of a Clinton-Obama "smackdown"....
Enough was Enough. Starting this month, my money goes to The Nation.
worrierking
I think you put it all in perspective. What was the conclusion on "raising the dead"? TGIF
My grandmother, great aunt, and great uncle all lived in Austria in the late 30's, as the Nazi's gained power. My grandmother and great aunt fortunately successfully escaped to America. My great uncle did not, and survived until the end of the war in various camps. He never talked to his family about his stuggle, but made it clear that he was "favored" by certain Nazis and somehow survived by ingratiating himself. We never really understood what that meant. He too, was a child.
After Schindler's List, Steven Speilberg interviewed my great uncle for the Shoah foundation, and we all watched the footage. It was a 5 hour interview, and the most moving story I have ever heard. People need to realize the scope of what people had to deal with, and the depths they had to go to to simply survive. You understand that you cannot possibly judge, when you comprehend that you have no idea what even you would do in that situation. It is a level of existence fully beyond our grasp in this day and age.
These pundit DJ asses are, for lack of a better word, evil. To casually toss around the word "cheerful" when dealing with anyone who had to compromise everything they knew in order to survive the Nazi regime is unforgivable.
As if these three wouldn't have been right up front with a smile and a list of friends names. Bastards.
Very well said. As a Jew who comes from a family who had loved ones who escaped and loved ones who died during that tradgedy, I do not see how anyone of our own people could break their familial and cultural ties so easily and arbitrarily. This is an insult to an entire faith.
"and so Soros "very cheerfully and willingly" became a Nazi?"
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It isn't like he actually joined Hitler Youth, as the Pope did, is it?
FYI - Membership in the Hitler Youth was mandatory in Germany. A number of anti-Nazi people were "members" of the Hitler Youth.
Yep. And if this pope were a liberal, Morgan would be saying he "cheerfully" joined.
Not necessarily disputing that. I only meant to ensure that we understood that the Pope was not driving the train to Auschwitz.
...and neither was Soros.
I don't blame either one of them for what they did or what happened to them in regards to the NAZI's. They survived it. That is all that matters.
I never said a word about Soros. But thought it best to point out that it is poor form to fight a mischaracterization (of Soros) with another (about the Pope).
I am sorry if you got the impression I was putting words in your mouth. That wasn't my intention. I just wanted to wrap the subject of the thread neatly into the argument you were making.
I agree with your assessment.
No worries -- I didn't have any problem with anything you said.
"But thought it best to point out that it is poor form to fight a mischaracterization (of Soros) with another (about the Pope)."
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That was my point as well. I'm glad you caught it.
This claim is being floated to try and deflect attention from the documented fact that George Bush's grandfather, Prescott Bush, had his assets seized for violating the Trading with the Enemy Act. He directly funded the Nazis in October of 1942, after Germany had formally declared war on the United States.
And you'll never hear the screechmonkeys of the right mention a word of it.
Google "Prescott Bush" "Trading with the Enemy." I got 35,500 hits.
Okay, Easy to Refute Wingnuts I looked it up on Wikipedia, And read these bits:
"Bush wrote home about receiving medals for heroic exploits. His letters were later published in Columbus newspapers, but were retracted a few weeks later when it was revealed that he, in fact, had not received such medals. "
"The Bushes moved to Columbus, Ohio, in 1923, where Prescott Bush went to work for the Hupp Products Company, where his business efforts generally failed."
"One of his opponents at the time, a Republican woman named Vivien Kellems, said that Bush's nomination was an inside job of political sabotage in favor of William Benton, the Democratic nominee."
Does this sound familiar at all? It seems little Bushy takes after his grandfather, isn't that cute.
Karl Rove's grandfather was the Nazi party gauleiter for Brandenburg, I do believe....which is the Berlin area of Germany. Would have been a very important post. Funny how they don't talk about that.
That would explain the">[link to www.affordablehousinginstitute.org] resemblance.
Urgh. That was supposed to be a link to a picture of Sgt. Schultz.
So... young Soros was going to work for the Nazis "in order to further his own career"... AT THE AGE OF FOURTEEN.
Precocious, no?
I know conservatives have some very odd ideas about the age of criminal responsibility, but this is just bizarre. Do they engage brain before opening mouth at all?
Hey, after all, Henry Hyde at the peak of the Clinton Impeachment managed to write off his own affair at age 40 as a "youthful indiscretion." I'd say a frightened 14-year-old gets a pass for trying to survive.
As this is a completely fabricated and false smear (which it seems to be according to what MMFA has posted), then Morgan and all who spoke on this show ought to be sued and charged. This is not freedom of speech. This is defamation. It is a lie meant to attack credibility instead of a stance.
You're correct. And Soros has enough money to see the lawsuit through to its conclusion.