Hank Williams Jr.: Hitler Remarks Will Doom Singer's Legacy

Hank Williams Jr. has sold millions for albums and won numerous prestigious awards. His Monday Night Football tune is one of the most iconic theme songs of all time.

Unfortunately, any time the country star is mentioned now, it will probably be in reference to his Adolf Hitler and Barack Obama comments. It's a lapse in judgment that will doom his legacy.

Williams was making a guest appearance on Fox and Friends, which is a morning talk show on the Fox News Channel, when he made the controversial comments (via ABC News).

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“Hitler playing golf with (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu … In the shape this country is in?”

One of the anchors, Brian Kilmeade, responded that he didn’t understand the analogy.

“I’m glad you don’t, brother, because a lot of people do,” Williams said. “They’re the enemy.”

Who’s the enemy?

“Obama,” Williams said. “And Biden. Are you kidding? The Three Stooges.”

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Williams' comments ignited a debate about free speech and past comments about former President George W. Bush. The fact of the matter is that nobody should be comparing any powerful person in the United States to Hitler.

Later in the day, Williams issued a statement saying his analogy was extreme but was done to make a point. However, the half-apology came too late, as ESPN had already decided to pull the Monday Night Football theme from the telecast.

While Williams' comments underscore a much bigger problem in America than any one politician—the growing political divide between the two “sides” and unwillingness to compromise—he'll now struggle mightily to regain respect.

Let's be clear—this is not an issue of free speech. Williams isn't heading to jail, he isn't going to be summoned to court and government representatives won't be knocking at his door. This is an example of poor judgment, plain and simple.

Monday Night Football, ESPN and (in the larger picture) Disney have a brand they must uphold, and they felt the best decision was to remove the song from last night's telecast. Even though Williams has the right to make whatever comments he wishes, the company that pays him to use a song has a right to do what they feel is right, too.

Williams has been a vocal supporter of the Republican party in recent national elections, singing songs about Bush and John McCain, so it wasn't angle of the comments that caused this mess—it was the severity of them.

He may think Obama is doing a poor job, and poll numbers show an increasing number of people agree with him, but comparing him or anybody else to Hitler is a poor choice.

And now he's got a lot of damage control to do in order to save his long-term legacy.