Tuesday: Hank Williams Jr. apologizes for Hitler-Obama comparison

[Tx4obama]

Hank Williams Jr. apologizes for Hitler-Obama comparison

(CNN) -- Hank Williams Jr. apologized Tuesday for comparing President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler, a remark that prompted controversy and resulted in "Monday Night Football" pulling his popular musical introduction from this week's game.

His statement Tuesday went beyond his Monday statement, in which he said "my analogy was extreme -- but it was to make a point."

On Tuesday, the country singer stated: "I have always been very passionate about politics and sports and this time it got the best or worst of me.

"The thought of the leaders of both parties jukin' and high fiven' on a golf course, while so many families are struggling to get by, simply made me boil over and make a dumb statement, and I am very sorry if it offended anyone. I would like to thank all my supporters. This was not written by some publicist," Williams wrote.

SNIP

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/04/showbiz/williams-football/index.html?hpt=hp_t2


Try again Hank, that was not a good apology.

---
Edited to add...

Hank Williams Jr.'s Son: My Dad SHOULD NOT Talk Politics
http://www.tmz.com/2011/10/04/hank-williams-jr-monday-night-football-son-politics-obama-hitler-fox-news-channel-jello-biafra-green-party-politics/#.TovwGXLNkYI

[otohara]

1. The Enemy

Is ignorance, bigotry.
Qualities Mr Williams Jr exemplifies.

[qanda]

2. This was not written by some publicist," Williams wrote.

We can tell! Next time have the publicist write it, it will likely sound more sincere.

[Skip Intro]

3. In the name of free speech, the guy has the same right to say what he thinks as we do.

I won't apologize for comparing bush to hitler for eight years, and I'd tell anyone demanding that I do so to fuck off. Do I have superior rights to HWjr?

[Tx4obama]

5. Well ....

No one is forcing him to apologize,
but if he is trying to get his song reinstated on the opening of MNF then I'm sure he knows that without issuing an apology there'd be no way in hell that would ever happen.

He has a pesky little thing with ESPN called a 'contract' - if he doesn't want to play by the rules then he could always just keep the status quo and not have his song played anymore - and be free to say whatever whenever he wants to.

[MADem]

8. ESPN also has the right to say that your views piss off half their audience

...and they don't want to use your lousy song as a consequence. ESPN has viewers from left/right/center.

He can say whatever he likes; and the people who think Obama is Hitler will cheer him at his concerts.

[Kennah]

11. Your career on American Idol is over.

[Skip Intro]

12. what? nt

[Politicalboi]

13. When did you announce this on TV?

He was heard by racist like himself on Faux. I called Bush Hitler too, but not on TV. Big difference from posting it on a board, or saying to friends or Bush supporters.

[yardwork]

23. Are you an announcer for ESPN? Do you want your job back?

Hank Williams, Jr. has a right to say anything he wants. ESPN has a right to fire him. The rest of us have a right to go on ignoring him.

[frylock]

24. nobody is inhibiting his right to free speech..

hank williams jr has every right to say whatever stupid ass thing he pleases, just as we have every right to call ABC and the sponsers of MNF to voice our concerns. that same right applies to a corporation that believes HWJ's free speech may not be in their best interests.

[AtomicKitten]

25. And ESPN has a contractual right to fire his dumb ass. /nt

[Hosnon]

26. Free speech? This is precisely what the market of ideas/free speech looks like.

For starters, the government was not involved here so it isn't a 1st Amendment issue.

The point of free speech is to allow ideas to compete freely in the marketplace of ideas. Once an idea enters the market, it is evaluated. That is exactly what happened here. Williams was not prohibited from placing his idea in the marketplace. But it got an extremely negative response once there.

Again, this is precisely how it is supposed to work.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

32. Free speech means the government can't censor you.

ESPN is a privately held company and therefore not subject to the 1st Amendment.

[bluestateguy]

4. Apology is not accepted

He needs to show more contrition.

Like Dick Durbin crying on the floor of the Senate.

[Tx4obama]

6. Well this is interesting ....

Apparently the apology was just a little blip on his website,
and it was titled: THANKS TO MY SUPPORTERS

http://www.hankjr.com/home/197-thanks-to-my-supporters

p.s. Not exactly how an actual apology should be prefaced!

[MADem]

7. Fuck him.He's non-apologizing because that is a BIG residual check.

Get in line behind Gilbert Gottfried, the former AFLAC duck.

I think they should find a new song--that one's getting very stale.

[dkf]

9. That comment makes no sense anyway.

It was just lame.

[Raschel]

16. None of it made any sense. He uses the Hitler/Netanyahu enemy thing, then says it's upsetting

that they're buddies high-fiving each other. Of course then there's the two equals three.

It was a bunch of incoherent nonsense.

[Ikonoklast]

10. So, this drunken coke-addled millionaire bigot is worried about the "Little People".

Wonder what he's done for any of them lately, after all, so many of them are hurting.

What a hypocritical POS.

In other news about good 'ol boy Hank Jr., I see he recently reconciled with Wife No.4.

She must not be as smart as the first three.

[Major Hogwash]

14. Did he apologize for that shitty song that he wrote for MNF?

Or did he just forget that was the only regular paycheck that fat fuck has had for over 25 years?

[Botany]

15. and I am very sorry if it offended anyone

if it offended anyone ..... no Hank it did offend people and all you did was speak your
bigoted drunken ass thoughts on Fox and Friends because I have now heard that @ your
concerts you show pictures of President Obama w/ a Hitler mustache .... the booze let
your tongue say what you really thought.

[Raschel]

17. What offended me the most is that he said our President is the enemy. There's a reason he felt

comfortable enough to say it on Fox news.

[Botany]

18. Or in the course of his apology he said:

jukin' and high fiven' when talking about a black man ..... the man is a bigot

[Raschel]

22. Ha ha. Good catch. jukin'.....lol

[Cigar11]

19. The only person Hank Williams needs to apologize to ...

is the one who is signing his pay-check.

He has already expressed his heartfelt true feelings and is national relevance to politics. I never thought he was a singer or a musician in the first place and I certainly never sought out his opinions on politics, therefore I couldn’t care less what he says now or in the future and I’m sure neither Adolf Hitler nor President Obama give a shit what a moron on a moron News Network thinks.

Both Mr. Williams and ESPN will do what is in their best interest, nothing more, nothing less and nothing else.

[FSogol]

20. Tuesday: Hank Williams Jr. sobers up.

:shrug:

[OwnedByFerrets]

21. Fuck you, again.

[treestar]

27. Sorry is anyone is offended is not the same as sorry for saying it

And look at the excuse! The thought of leaders high giving on the golf course! Well the thought of people who get by on their parents' accomplishments is just as annoying.

[ClassWarrior]

28. Of course he does, the brown-nosed wuss.

~singing~ Are you ready to be a footnote??!

NGU.

[Zoeisright]

29. Too little too late, asshole.

You already showed your true colors, you piece of shit Williams.

[Dont call me Shirley]

30. Skhank Williams

[Marnie]

31. Problem with the apology is that it fails to acknowledge that

the Republican members of the boys golf afternoon were not compared to Hitler or any other similarly odious historical figure.

So it wasn't the golf that was the issue it was Obama.

I doubt that there are many of the jock brains at ESPN who disagree with the allusion, but they at least have enough sense to realize that getting their network involved in gutter level politics isn't a good business practice for them.

[Phx_Dem]

33. Too little too late, you incoherent wingnut piece of shit.