The Nazi Games

I had hoped that one advantage of Arnold Schwarzenegger departing from office is that we would see the end of any stupid, irresponsible and false Nazi-related insults in California political life.

In case you forgot, the governor, given the part of the world he comes from and the fact that his father fought for the Nazis in World War II, has been the target of many of thoughtless such insults over the years, all of them -- it should go without saying -- unfair.

But I guess that was too much to hope. Not 48 hours into the general election came a report that Democratic nominee Jerry Brown had compared his opponent Meg Whitman to the Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels. And Whitman's campaign had responded back in outrage. And Democrats were hitting back by arguing that eBay, when Whitman was CEO, permitted the sale of Nazi-related items.

Enough. Brown needs to apologize, start acting his age (you can't talk about self-discipline and then say crazy things), and focus all conversation on the future of California. And Whitman's campaign should also focus on the future and dial back its rapid-response outrage.

While Whitman proves the maxim that you can never bee too rich, you can do too much outrage. The boy who cried wolf -- and all that.

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