Are you ready for Hank Williams Jr. for president?

October 4, 2011 |  3:55 pm
Los Angeles Times/ Nation

Hank Williams Jr. apologized Tuesday for comparing President Obama to Adolf Hitler, saying he let his mouth get the better of him.

But, if some of his fans had their way, Williams wouldn't apologize to anyone. Further, he'd run for president and oust "the enemy," as he labeled Obama.

Williams found himself in hot water Monday after letting loose on Fox News, saying that Obama playing golf recently with GOP House Speaker John A. Boehner was like Hitler doing so with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He also called the president not only "the enemy," but one of the Three Stooges. By day's end, ESPN had pulled Williams' "Are You Ready For Some Football?" song and video from its "Monday Night Football" opener, a position that it has held since 1989.

Williams initially stood firm in the face of controversy. He released a statement late Monday explaining his position, but he stopped short of apologizing.

On Tuesday, Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League and a Holocaust survivor, denounced Williams' comments, telling CNN: "The Holocaust was a singular event in human history, and it is an insult to the memory of the millions who died as a result of Hitler's plan of mass extermination to compare the Nazi dictator to any American president."

The following has since been posted on Williams' Facebook wall:

“I have always been very passionate about Politics and Sports and this time it got the Best or Worst of me. The thought of the Leaders of both Parties Jukin and High Fiven on a Golf course, while so many Families are Struggling to get by simply made me Boil over and make a Dumb statement and I am very Sorry if it Offended anyone. I would like to Thank all my supporters. This was Not written by some Publicist.” -- Hank Williams Jr

In the meantime, thousands of shares, "likes" and supportive comments have been pouring in -- along with cries of "Bocephus for president!" (That's Williams' nickname, given to him by his father, country music legend Hank Williams.)

Nearly all the responses have made clear that Williams had nothing to apologize for in his fans' eyes.

Are you ready for some football? - HankWilliams