October 28, 2010 12:26 PM

John Boehner Slammed for Rallying With Nazi Reenactor Rich Iott

By Lucy Madison

Topics

Campaign 2010, Congress

Senate Minority Leader John Boehner is being roundly criticized for his decision to campaign for Ohio congressional candidate Rich Iott, a candidate condemned even by another member of the Republican leadership, Eric Cantor, for Iott's past participation in Nazi reenactments

Iott recently announced on his website that Boehner will appear with him in a rally at the Lucas County Republican Party headquarters in Ohio on Saturday.

Iott has suffered in the polls since the Oct. 8revelation of his former hobby, and CBS News now rates the race a probable Democratic win.

Ryan Rudominer, spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), condemned the appearance.

 "Not only has John Boehner recruited, embraced, and financed a disgraced Nazi enthusiast running for Congress, but now Boehner is pouring gasoline on the fire by throwing a campaign rally for him," Rudominer said in a statement.

"Thumbing his nose at our nation's veterans, women, and people of the Jewish faith, all the while refusing to stand up for basic American values in order to try and win an election, apparently this is what Boehner meant when he said, 'We're not going to be any different than what we've been.'"