CNN jumped into the fray over Senator Robert Byrd's Nazi reference in its Inside Politics look at the blogs. Hugh Hewitt played the segment on his show tonight as Judy Woodruff, Jacki Schechner, and Abbi Tatton reviewed the Byrd scandal through CQ and Radioblogger:

WOODRUFF: ... Time now to check what's going on in the blogosphere. And with me once again today to talk about what they are talking about, CNN political producer Abbi Tatton and Jacki Schechner. She's our blog reporter.

So, Jacki, I bet it's not baseball.

JACKI SCHECHNER, CNN BLOG REPORTER: No, it's more like Byrd. We've already heard what Senator Robert Byrd said on the floor of the Senate, comparing Republican tactics to Adolph Hitler's rise to power. Conservative blogs all over it.

Over at Captain's Quarters, he's got plenty to say, including this comment: "Byrd, with his attempted filibuster of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, is the last person who should be standing in the well of the Senate calling anyone a Nazi." As some people may remember, that filibuster [lasted] 14 hours.

ABBI TATTON, CNN POLITICAL PRODUCER: So the conservative bloggers linking to this last night, and outraged for a couple of reasons. First of all, the comments by the senator himself, like what he actually said, but also the coverage of those comments. Radio Blogger here looking at how the mainstream media has covered what Senator Byrd said. He goes through newspapers, cable news channels, left-wing blogs, other news channels as well, saying that there's no mention of Byrd.

Kudos again to Inside Politics for reporting on the stories making the rounds on the blogs, even when we cover what the mainstream media seems to ignore.

UPDATE: Reuters has added coverage as well:

A U.S. Senator's likening of Republican strategy on blocked judicial nominees to Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany drew condemnation on Wednesday from top Republicans and the Anti-Defamation League.

Sen. Robert Byrd on Tuesday compared Republican threats to change Senate rules to outlaw procedural hurdles that have blocked 10 of President Bush's judicial candidates to Hitler jamming legislation through the German Reichstag.

"Hitler never abandoned the cloak of legality; he recognized the enormous psychological value of having the law on his side," the Democrat from West Virginia said. "Instead, he turned the law inside out and made illegality legal."

Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, a member of the Republican leadership, said in a statement, "Senator Byrd's inappropriate remarks comparing his Republican colleagues with Nazis are inexcusable."

UPDATE II: The New York Times carries an earlier AP report in its Thursday edition, which omitted the Anti-Defamation League condemnation of Byrd:

A Jewish Republican group accused Senator Robert C. Byrd on Wednesday of making an "inappropriate and reprehensible" reference to Hitler in criticizing a Senate Republican plan to block Democratic filibusters:

A Jewish Republican group accused Senator Robert C. Byrd on Wednesday of making an "inappropriate and reprehensible" reference to Hitler in criticizing a Senate Republican plan to block Democratic filibusters.

No mention is made of any other independent calls for apologies and retractions, such as Abraham Foxman's statement earlier today.

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Posted by Ed Morrissey at March 2, 2005 7:50 PM

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» Impervious to irony from The Flag of the World
If you haven't already heard about Robert Byrd's crazy, hate-filled rant regarding the Senate rule on filibusters, in which he brazenly broke Godwin's Law and compared the Senate Republicans to Nazis, you should read up on it. Hugh Hewitt, Radioblo... [Read More]

Tracked on March 2, 2005 9:19 PM

» Byrd, Nazis, Klan...Oh My from Solomonia
Captain's Quarters is all over some remarks Senator Byrd made comparing the Republicans to Nazis here, here, and here. So is, to their credit, the ADL, who's attention will make the ageing Senator's remarks a bit more difficult to ignore.... [Read More]

Tracked on March 2, 2005 9:39 PM