U.S. Singer Apologizes for Obama-Hitler Analogy
Hank Williams Jnr, whose song was pulled as the opening of ESPN's U.S. Monday Night Football telecast, apologized on Tuesday for an analogy about Adolf Hitler in talking about U.S. President Barack Obama.
Williams, the son of a 1940s and 1950s U.S. country music legend, spoke Monday on the Fox News show "Fox & Friends" about Obama's recent golf outing with a political rival, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner.
"It would be like Hitler playing golf with (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu," Williams said.
When asked to clarify his remarks, Williams said, "They are the enemy", adding that "they" meant Obama and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.
On Tuesday, Williams posted an apology for linking the first black American President to Nazi Germany's World War II leader on his website under the heading "Thanks To My Supporters".
"I have always been very passionate about Politics and Sports and this time it got the Best or Worst of me," Williams said.
"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."
Williams closed by saying, "I would like to Thank all my supporters. This was Not written by some Publicist."
ESPN released a statement Monday saying they would not run the traditional opening to their gridiron show, used since 1989, featuring a customized version of Williams' hit song "All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin' Over Tonight."
"While Hank Williams Jr. is not an ESPN employee, we recognize that he is closely linked to our company through the open to 'Monday Night Football,'" the ESPN statement said.
"We are extremely disappointed with his comments, and as a result we have decided to pull the open from tonight's telecast."
It was not known whether or not the usual opening would be used in future telecasts.
Source: Agence France Presse
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