Brown: Hitler and Stalin also tried to destroy unions

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Hosni Mubarak all had something in common: They wanted to get rid of independent unions.

"You look back in history, and some of the worst governments we have ever had, you know, what was one of the first things they do?” asked Brown. “They went after the trade unions. Hitler didn't want unions, Stalin didn't want unions, Mubarak didn't want independent unions. These autocrats in history don’t want independent unions.”

Brown said he was summarizing statements made by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Operations subcommittee.

Brown was speaking in the context of the massive rallies union workers have held around the country recently against state governments’ attempts to break collective bargaining rights. But Brown said he was not comparing American workers to workers under those regimes.

“I am not comparing what's happening to the workers in Madison or Columbus to Hitler and Stalin,” said Brown. “But I am saying that history teaches us that unions are a very positive force in society.”

Brown added that he believes Republican governors were orchestrating a “direct assault” against union workers.

“This is direct assault, by the government, by the governors and the legislature, the legislative leaders on the right,” said Brown. “Organization and collectively bargaining have been a right that is part of Americana and has been part of our values for 75 years."