Though I see where you are coming from, I don't think the senator (who I know nothing about) was giving praise to Hitler or anything like that inasmuch as he was referencing to someone who went from no one to something. Again, why Hitler of all people? Well, Hitler is perhaps one of history's most incredible underdogs, regardless of his evil. He went from a poor man on the streets of Vienna hardly making a living to becoming a tyrannical ruler with absolute power that started the most devastating conflict in human history and also one of the most notorious acts of genocide.

I am not a Hitler apologist of any sorts but one does not have to admire the guy in order to be impressed (I think people usually confuse those two things). The man was evil, no argument there. He shouldn't be in a self-help book nor perhaps used in an instrumental way as the senator did here, but I think one can look Hitler and go "Whoa..."

In short, never underestimate the poor struggling vagrant artist sitting on a park bench half-starved thinking that he'll be nothing more than gutter-trash, for one day, he might just give you a promotion...or send you to the gas chambers.