Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan in a new book says that the world would have been better off if the United States hadn't opposed Adolf Hitler's attempted conquest of Europe in the 1940s, arguing that Hitler would have attacked Russia next, killing lots of Communists.

Republican Buchanan went on to claim that Hitler would also have killed fewer Jews if France and England hadn't opposed Germany's brutal conquest of Poland.

Those who know Pat Buchanan were not surprised by his comments; Buchanan's antisemitic, racist views have been widely reported. What did surprise many observers was the fact that two other Republican presidential candidates - George Bush and Dan Quayle - refused to criticize Buchanan for his statements. Bush went so far as to plead with Buchanan not to leave the GOP, saying that he needed the votes of all Republicans [including the bigots and racists] if he is to win the next election!

Buchanan's statements were too much for several other Republican candidates, including John McCain, who said Buchanan is "so far outside of the philosophy of what America is all about that it's unacceptable." Elizabeth Dole added, "I am appalled by Pat Buchanan's comments. I not only strongly disagree with his analysis of history, I believe his comments are grossly insensitive to those Americans who gave their lives and those veterans who fought and suffered greatly to preserve freedom."

But not George Bush. Bush "unfortunately put politics over principle," said Abraham Foxman, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League shortly after meeting personally with the GOP front runner. Most of the rest of us have been unable as yet to determine whether Bush has any principles.

And not Dan Quayle, who issued a statement in response to press inquiries about Buchanan's statements, saying that "Pat Buchanan is a good man."

Buchanan, who is noted for his openly bigoted, homophobic views, is regularly invited to speak at Republican National Conventions. In the past, he has questioned whether much of the Holocaust even occurred.