JD HAYWORTH: ANOTHER HISTORY ILLITERATE RIGHT WINGER: WRONG ON DECLARING WAR ON GERMANY

If you want to know American history don't ask a right wing American. If you want to know science, don't ask ANY Republican. When it comes to American history, Christian history and the basics of science, this creationist, historical revisionist bunch are nearly clueless. Below from AZCENTRAL.COM BLOG

Hayworth wrongly says U.S. never declared war on Nazi Germany

Republican Senate challenger J.D. Hayworth recently bungled World War II history by asserting at a recent meeting with Republicans in Phoenix that the United States never declared war on Adolf Hitler's Germany.

In remarks captured on a YouTube video, Hayworth, a former Arizona congressman, flatly says, "We never formally declared war on Hitler's Germany, and yet we fought the war."

That's incorrect. You can read the formal Dec. 11, 1941, U.S. declaration of war on Germany at this link.

Hayworth made the gaffe in the context of a question about recent uses of military force sans a formal congressional declaration of war, which the U.S. Constitution requires.

"But I would also point out, that if we want to be sticklers, the war that (future President) Dwight Eisenhower led in Europe against the Third Reich was never declared by the United States Congress," Hayworth said. "Recall, the Congress passed a war resolution against Japan. Germany declared war on us two days later. We never formally declared war on Hitler's Germany, and yet we fought the war."

The man in the audience who asked Hayworth the question didn't seem to buy Hayworth's account of history.

"Yeah, I think we should check it," Hayworth continued. "Perhaps we made the rationalization, since there was the Axis alliance, that the attack of Japan was tantamount to the attack of the Third Reich. But as I recall in my history, Germany declared war on the United States, not vice-versa."

Brian Rogers, incumbent GOP Sen. John McCain's campaign spokesman, distributed links to the Hayworth video footage in an e-mail with the subject line "Hayworth flunks history quiz, says U.S. never declared war on Nazi Germany!"

Rogers said in the e-mail:

"While it’s obviously disturbing that Hayworth could be so wrong on a basic fact of U.S. history, what’s more troubling is the passion he shows in being so wrong by saying, 'The war that Dwight Eisenhower led in Europe against the Third Reich was never declared by the United States Congress!' No wonder he was voted among the dumbest members of Congress!"

In a written response, Mark Sanders, Hayworth's communications director, suggests the United States somehow was "recognizing" a state of war rather than "declaring" it:

"In a give and take session with members of an audience, Congressman Hayworth was asked about the current conflicts the U.S. is engaged in. He said that the United States did not declare war on Germany during World War II, and agreed with the gentleman asking the question that additional research might be needed. Hayworth instructed his researcher to look into it and we found that on Dec. 11, 1941, Germany declared war on the United States and President Roosevelt wrote 'I therefore request the Congress to RECOGNIZE a state of war between the United States and Germany and between the United States and Italy.'"

Congress agreed in resolving "That the state of war between the United States and the Government of Germany which has been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared."

But that's still a formal declaration of war.