It Wasnt Enough

The New Normal
The New Normal by digby From Esquire Magazine comes a sad, but true analysis of the events of the past week --- and the past decade and a half: [T]he most remarkable thing about what happened in Oklahoma City is how little it matters today. The president of the United States gave a fine Speech Wednesday night in Tucson at the memorial for the people Jared Loughner shot. The only mention of Oklahoma City in connection with the president’s Speech was to compare it with the Speech that another...

MSNBC Guest on the Rush Limbaugh Billboard in Tuscon: "We Don't Know If This Troubled, Deranged Young Man Drove Down That Partic
Listen to this absolute nonsense, The Ed Show has on Talk Radio consultant Holland Cooke to talk about the Rush Limbaugh billboard in Tucson, this guy says we don't know if that troubled deranged teen [Jared Loughner] drove down that highway. Yeah, maybe that billboard drove him over the edge. MSNBC is shameless... Holland Cooke: "I just cringed when i saw that graphic the first time you showed it because in Tucson, of all places, this week of all times, how hurtful that had to be. Free Speech ...

Rethinking Obama's political performance in Tucson
Pundits and politicians alike praised President Obama's Speech at the Tucson memorial service last Wednesday. "A wonderful speech," wrote the New York Times' David Brooks. "A magnificent performance," wrote National Review's Rich Lowry. "A terrific speech," wrote Sen. John McCain. And those were just the voices on the right. Obama's tribute to the Victims of the shooting and the heroism of bystanders was appreciated by everyone. But many Conservatives particularly admired the Speech because the ...

Talk Radio and the Toxic Commentary About Toxic Commentary
You’d never know it from this week’s “toxic commentary about toxic commentary,” but there was a time when Progressives considered Talk Radio hosts brave martyrs for truth. Back in 1984, an outspoken, belligerent Denver Talk Radio host on the brink of national stardom was shot to death by gunmen who had blatant political motives. The incident inspired a Pulitzer Prize nominated play that was recently revived on Broadway to great acclaim, along with other plays, movies an...

The Politics of Hateand Hate Speech
by Walter Brasch Just about anything that could be said about the Murders in Tucson have been said. We know that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) was holding a “Congress on the Corner” meeting outside a Safeway Grocery Store. We know that a 22-year-old named Jared Lee Loughner is in FBI custody, and has been charged with one count of attempted Assassination of a member of Congress, two counts of killing an employee of the United States and two counts of intent to kill employees of...

Rev. Barbara Kaufmann: Speaking of Violence: Words In The Wake of Tucson's Tragedy
A snippet of conversation: Speaker: "Grandpa always said: 'You have to choose your battles and decide what hill you want to die on' and that's how I live my life. I'm going to kill two birds with one stone this time giving it my best shot even though I know it's a long shot. I know I'm walking through a minefield. I know I'm a target. I just hope that while I'm in the crosshairs that my idea doesn't bomb or get shot down. I'm going to aim it right between their eyes and I will take no Prisoner...

Obama calls for civility between parties in weekly radio address
President Barack Obama once again called on both parties to work together and discuss issues in a civil manner during his weekly radio address on Saturday. His address seemed to be a continuation of the Speech he gave at a memorial service in Tucson during the week where he also pleaded for Civil Discourse. He said the nation’s reaction to last weekend’s shooting should be a reminder that “we are one American family, 300 million strong.” The president urged lawmakers to c...

The meaningless gesture of bipartisan seating at SOTU
In response to the shooting in Tucson, a number of Democrats (and a handful of Republicans) have put forward the notion of bi-partisan seating for the State of the Union address, as if that shooting were a product of the supposedly poisonous political climate. Now, I’m wondering if any of those Democrats proposing this idea proposed it when a Republican was president subject to the vile vilification from the left.  How many of these Democrats have confronted the nastiness on their side...

I Dare You Not To Comment [Anthony McCarthy]
The Corporate Media consensus on Jared Lochner is that he was merely a crazy person who had some unspecified fixation on Congresswoman Giffords and that he was entirely uninfluenced by the poisonous political atmosphere in Tuscon, Arizona or the United States in general. That was the word I heard minutes after the shooting had been announced, before anyone knew anything about Jared Lochner, before there was any evidence of motives in the mass Murder. That immediately delivered scenario, mixed wi...

Majority Of Americans Believe Left Attempted To Exploit AZ Tragedy To Make Right Look Bad
Quick post on Gallup who finally asked the appropriate question about what portion of Americans feel the Far Left and commentators that attempted to convince the public to think the right's Rhetoric was somehow responsible was "the tragedy to make Conservatives look bad." In other words, the public saw right through the left's pathetic attempts to spin and connect the right with the act of Jared Lee Loughner when he shot and killed 6 people and injured 13 others. The poll was conducted Jan. 11...

Climate Change
The eruption of wild accusations after the shootings in Arizona illustrate once again that those who talk about civility the most practice it the least. Pious calls for the restoration of civility have come from a parade of pundits and pols famous for celebrating or rationalizing the most egregious violations of it.   Civility is a political, not moral concept, in the minds of many on the left. "Civility" means to them peaceful submission to Liberalism and "Incivility" means annoyingly effectiv...

Conservative Talk Radio recap: Jan 10-14
My NEW Talk Radio Watch column is now up! and much more! "I was going to name my first child Krauthammer, even if it was a girl. But no more." "One thing on the pep rally-disguised-as-a-memorial on Wednesday night. I happened to, as I have been told, anger a lot of people yesterday by saying that the president delayed the memorial while waiting for the polling data to come in and the T-shirts to get printed. Well, guess what? I was right on both counts." ALSO: Affiliate station's "bullet-hole ...

Bullet-Riddled Rush Limbaugh Billboard Pulled Down In Tucson
Talk about awkward timing. A Tucson talk Radio Station has removed a billboard advertising Rush Limbaugh’s show with bullet holes and the words “straight shooter.” The station’s owners, radio giant Clear Channel, said the billboard, which has been in place for several weeks, was no longer appropriate in the aftermath of the shootings Saturday, telling the New York Daily News: Clear Channel defended the use of what it called the “common” term “straight s...

A busy week as freshman Rep. Cicilline settles in
U.S. Rep. David N. Cicilline, shown on Jan. 5, is ready to participate in his committee assignments. WASHINGTON — It was a quiet week in the House of Representatives, overshadowed by grief over the Arizona shooting rampage that left a well-liked congresswoman gravely injured. But it was a busy time nonetheless for freshman Rep. David N. Cicilline, who has made progress on securing committee assignments and hiring staff, spoken of the Tucson rampage in his maiden Speech on the House floor, ...

In Wake of Arizona Shooting, Media Needs to Find the Forgotten Majority
"There is a need for some reflection here: What is too far now? What was too far when Oklahoma City happened is accepted now. There's been a desensitizing. These town halls and cable TV and Talk Radio, everybody's trying to outdo each other." Those were the words of an unnamed Republican senator after America's latest shooting rampage, this one a political Assassination attempt in Tucson, Ariz. How sad-and telling-that the lawmaker refused to attach his or her name to such an important truism...

David Sirota: In Wake of Arizona Shooting, Media Needs to Find the Forgotten Majority
"There is a need for some reflection here: What is too far now? What was too far when Oklahoma City happened is accepted now. There's been a desensitizing. These town halls and cable TV and Talk Radio, everybody's trying to outdo each other." Those were the words of an unnamed Republican senator after America's latest shooting rampage, this one a political Assassination attempt in Tucson, Ariz. How sad--and telling--that the lawmaker refused to attach his or her name to such an important truis...

Obama's Tucson memorial speech: A conversation in dissent
In part because there's been such rush to sanctify Obama's Tucson's Speech--not just in Versailles, but online as well--I feel a need to end the week with a reiteration of dissenting opinion. To state my case (perhaps too) succinctly: It's not that I object to a speech that makes people feel good. It's that I object to it in place of a speech that makes people do good. But it's not my case that I'm concerned with, as indicated by the fact that I first asked debcoop to refine her thoughts for ...

Did The White House Script The Applause At The Tucson Memorial?
A lot of observers, including myself, were mortified at the cheering and applause that took place at the political rally…er…memorial service attended by President Obama in Tucson. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs responded to questions about the cheering by saying he was surprised by them. “I will say that I read the Speech several times and thought that there wouldn’t be a lot of applause if any. I think many of us thought that. But I think there was a celebration, aga...

Lets Be Honest
From Gateway Pundit If White House Was Surprised by Applause at Tucson Pep Rally… Why Did They Ask For It On JumboTron? by Jim Hoft On Thursday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that they were surprised by the applause at the memorial pep rally on Wednesday for the Victims of the Tucson shootings. I will say that I read the Speech several times and thought that there wouldn’t be a lot of applause if any. I think many of us thought that. But I think there was a celebration, aga...

Uncanny resemblance
Getting off to a slow start today so a quick linkfest to kick myself into gear. Starting with this via Avedon. I basically agree with the points raised here about how Obama's Speech doesn't negate the problematic aspects of his presidency. However, neither do I think those problems negate the value of the speech. But the reason I'm posting it is I was just floored by the author, her picture on the left. Not only is her nym libbyliberal but we could be twins if we were the same age. I have a ph...

The Top 10 Most Ridiculous Left-Wing Attacks on U.S. Conservatives Following the Arizona Shootings
From Nile Gardiner, at Telegraph UK, "A Shameful Week for America's Liberal Elites": This has been a hugely shameful week for sections of the American Left, who have exploited a horrific tragedy that claimed six lives, in order to advance political attacks upon some leading conservative politicians and media commentators, as well as an entire political movement in the form of the Tea Party. The vitriolic and hate-filled attacks have marked a low point for liberal media elites in America in the 2...

Jared Loughner Trial Could Expand Support for the Death Penalty
The leering Mug Shot, the six dead, including a child—Jared Loughner may be the most unsympathetic defendant since Timothy Mcveigh. And death penalty opponents worry his trial could spike support for execution....

Gabrielle Giffords should stop supporting the deaths of innocent people
It has been one week since the tragic massacre in Tuscon Arizona, where  six innocent people were killed  countless others injured. Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords miraculously survived and is reportedly improving. Dramatic photographs were released of her astronaught husband holding her hand at her Hospital bedside. They have been posted on Gifford's campaign website . So much political Rhetoric has been ballied about in the wake of the shootings, the end result being death t...

Tucson: a teachable moment with no teaching
After the Tucson shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others, a vigorous debate is happening throughout Los Angeles and elsewhere over what the teachable take-aways are from this heartbreaking tragedy.  Some think we need to tone down the violent imagery and angry Rhetoric of our political discourse.  Others think it’s a wake-up call for more sensible Gun Laws.  Yet others think it means we need to do more to promote early diagnosis and treatment of Mental Illness. All...

A Peek inside the Mind of Tucson Gunman Jared Loughner We are examining the torture of students and This is genocide in America
From the LA Times , come a VIDEO  peak inside the like, times and evil mind of Tucson, AZ gunman Jared Loughner. The video was made by Loughner as he walked around his college campus. The video is also responsible for Loughner being booted from his community college. A campus Police Officer who saw the video and ”positively recognized the voice and the reflection in the window as Student Jared Loughner … the same officer had removed Loughner from his biology class after a d