Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin defended Hank Williams Jr., the country singer known for his appearances on Monday Night Football, over the controversy surrounding his comments comparing President Barack Obama to Hitler Thursday.
"Hank Williams and what he is going through now, I think it’s a very clear illustration of a greater societal problem and that is the hypocrisy on the left -- the liberals who can throw these stones at a conservative and they knowing that they’re not going to be held accountable," she said on Sean Hannity's radio show, according to Politico.
Williams appeared on "Fox and Friends" Monday morning, and was asked about Speaker of the House John Boehner playing golf with President Obama. "That would be like Hitler playing golf with Netanyahu. Not hardly. In the shape this country is in?" he said. Brian Kilmeade, a host on the show, said he did not understand the analogy. "I'm glad you don't brother, because a lot of people do. They're the enemy... Obama! And Biden! Are you kidding? The Three Stooges."
After the interview ended, "Fox and Friends" host Gretchen Carlson interjected: "I just want to say that we disavow any of those comments or analogies that he's made, at least I'm going to say that, disavow the analogy between Hitler and the president." ESPN, the broadcaster of Monday Night Football, pulled Williams from their broadcast and permanently ended their relationship with the country star.
The former vice-presidential candidate who said she would not run for the presidency Wednesday defended Williams. "It’s a one-way street and we’re always walking on eggshells, aren’t we?" She added, "You know, like, oh geez, if I say that is somebody going to misinterpret it or spin it as something that is quote unquote racist or sexist or anything else? But the other side … they can say whatever they want and nobody calls them out on it. I think it’s pretty disgusting."
Palin went on to say that Mike Tyson's crude sexual comments made about her on a Las Vegas radio station were proof of hypocrisy. "What about Mike Tyson and the station that recently came out talking very crudely and some sick comments made? I don’t care that it was about me but some sick comments made and no apology there, no uh, no nothing," she said. (Williams apologized for his comments Tuesday.) "The hypocrisy shines very bright in what it is that we deal with everyday, doesn’t it, Sean?"
