'Joe the Plumber' claims gun control caused the Holocaust

Republican Ohio congressional candidate Samuel “Joe The Plumber” Wurzelbacher released a campaign video on Tuesday, in which he warns that "gun control" led to the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust.

"In 1911, Turkey established gun control," Wurzelbacher points out as he places several shells in a 12-gauge shotgun. "From 1915 to 1917, 1.5 million Armenians unable to defend themselves were exterminated."

"In 1939, Germany established gun control," the candidate continues. "From 1939 to 1945, 6 million Jews and 7 million others unable to defend themselves were exterminated."

Wurzelbacher then takes aim and blasts various fruits with his shotgun.

"I love America," he concludes.

In the description for the YouTube video, Wurzelbacher sheds some light on why he blames the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide on "gun control."

"If you hunt or just like shooting guns, the 2nd Amendment will always be a good thing," the description says. "History also tells us it's our last line of defense in the face of an out-of-control government. And killing fruits and vegetables is... what? Better watch the video to see..."

Update (4:45 p.m. ET): Wurzelbacher campaign spokesperson Phil Christofanelli told Politicker that "there’s nothing offensive" about the video in question.

“Joe is a student of history," Christofanelli remarked. "He knows that the founders read John Locke and they understood that the 2nd Amendment was always the people’s last defense against tyrannical government."

“They always use gun control before abusing the rights of people, so, yeah, that’s our position and that’s what was said in the video. And there’s nothing offensive about it, it’s just historical fact.”

He added that the same logic applied to the enslavement of African Americans in the U.S.

“Well, blacks weren’t allowed to own guns in the south, that’s a historical fact as well,” Christofanelli said. “So, it would seem that the argument would apply there as well.”

Watch this video from Joe for Congress 2012, uploaded June 18, 2012.

(h/t: Politicker)