Rowley Compares Kline to Nazi, Apologizes

Photo: Coleen Rowley campaign blog photoshopped image of John Kline as Colonel Klink Coleen Rowley, the former FBI agent lauded for her “whistle blowing” well after 9/11, has a post on her campaign blog comparing her opponent, 25-year Marine vet John Kline, to Colonel Klink of “Hogan’s Heroes” infamy. She compounded this juvenile act with a photoshopped image of Kline in a Nazi officer’s uniform. That photo is now gone but John Hinderacker has a screen capture of her site before the change. At right is a a cropped portion

She has not removed the blog post but has taken the image down and issued an apology:

I sincerely apologize for having offended you with the picture that was posted on my blog. I assure you that was not the intent. More importantly, superimposing your face on the Colonel Klink character from the “Hogan’s Heroes” sitcom is something that does not belong on a congressional campaign website. I apologize to you, as well as any other offended person, for this error in professionalism.

Please know that in no way did I intend to disparage your name, nor your honorable military service to our country.

Well, what the hell did she intend then?

While I’m not a fan of Rowley–“Agent for Change,” indeed–I believe that she was intending to imply that Kline was a buffoon rather than a Nazi. But neither of those is a good thing!

FILED UNDER: 2006 Election, Congress, Uncategorized, ,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Jim in WA says:

    Just one more example of politics by apology. Stick it out there, and when (if) you get caught like she did, just apologize and say “That’s not what I really meant”; and not saying what they meant or making up some lame meaning (think – this is how you make chocolate milk…).

    Please note that this method of politicing only works for Democrats. If a Republican did this, they’d get raked over the coals by the MSM, the ACLU, and every kook origanization impacted.

  2. arky says:

    Not that I believe Rowley (or her agents) knew the difference, but Klink was hardly a Nazi. And the uniform he wore was Luftwaffe, not SS or Gestapo.

    Still an officer in an enemy force, but the Luftwaffe actually had a pretty decent record for humane treatment. And for all his faults, Klink was an affable buffoon.

  3. Lucky says:

    Actually both sides do this kind of gutter politics.

  4. McGehee says:

    Actually both sides do this kind of gutter politics.

    Really? Gosh, none of us here ever knew that before.