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Obama WH lectures McCain on 'dangerous' Castro-Hitler comparison
In this image from TV, US President Barack Obama shakes hands with Cuban President Raul Castro at the FNB Stadium in Soweto, South Africa, in the rain for a memorial service for former South African President Nelson Mandela, Tuesday Dec. 10, 2013. The handshake between the leaders of the two Cold War enemies came during a ceremony that's focused on Mandela's legacy of reconciliation. Hundreds of foreign dignitaries and world heads of states gather Tuesday with thousands of South African people to celebrate the life, and mark the death, of Nelson Mandela who has became a global symbol of reconciliation. (AP Photo/SABC Pool) AP Photo/SABC Pool

Obama WH lectures McCain on 'dangerous' Castro-Hitler comparison

It was the handshake seen 'round the world.

President Obama came under fire Tuesday after the U.S. president was photographed shaking hands with Cuban dictator Raul Castro at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa.  Arizona Sen. John McCain compared the gesture to another handshake in history and criticized the president for getting chummy with "somebody who's keeping Americans in prison."

Via WaPo:

"It gives Raul some propaganda to continue to prop up his dictatorial, brutal regime, that's all," McCain said sarcastically. McCain's comments can be heard in an audio clip recorded by Todd Zwillich of The Takeaway radio program. ...

"Neville Chamberlain shook hands with Hitler," he said, referring to the British prime minister's infamous handshake with the German dictator as Britain was negotiating Germany’s takeover of the Sudentenland. The agreement paved the way for the spread of Germany's military across Europe.

On Wednesday, the White House fired back.

"I think even in the few number of times that I've stood at this podium, I've been asked about people who have tried to draw connections between recent political events and the terrible reign of Adolf Hitler," White House deputy press secretary Josh Earnest said. "That is a dangerous and usually unwise thing to do in public."

Parting shot, courtesy TheBlaze magazine editor Chris Field:

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Meredith Jessup

Meredith Jessup

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