Poll: Most Americans see no connection between Ariz. shooting and political rhetoric (Daily Caller)

Sarah Palin Invokes Anti-Semitic Term Blood Libel in Reaction to Arizona Shootings
There has been extensive discussion about whether intensified hateful Rhetoric used in partisan debate may have incited accused Arizona shooter Jared Loughner to try to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords at her Congress on the Corner event Saturday, wounding 13 others and killing six.  Loughner himself has not yet explicitly expressed a motive, though Law Enforcement has uncovered evidence indicating an extreme political dislike for Giffords. Journalists such as Keith Olbermann and others ...

Palin says efforts to lay blame 'reprehensible'
Sarah Palin spoke out on the Arizona shootings Wednesday, calling the events "tragic" and sharply chastising those who have suggested charged Rhetoric from her and others on the right may have motivated the killings. "Like many, I've spent the past few days reflecting on what happened and praying for guidance. After this shocking tragedy, I listened at first puzzled, then with concern, and now with sadness, to the irresponsible statements from people attempting to apportion b...

Pro-Israel Group: Palin Must Apologize for 'Blood Libel' Accusation
A liberal pro-Israel lobbying group is calling on Sarah Palin to apologize after she accused the media of "manufactur[ing] a blood Libel" against her and Conservatives after the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Said J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami in a statement released Wednesday: J Street is saddened by Governor Palin's use of the term "blood libel." The country's attention is rightfully focused on the memorial service for the Victims of Saturday's shooting. Our prayers continue to be w...

'Blood libel'
'BLOOD Libel'.... If the goal of Sarah Palin's Speechwriters was to get lots of attention, it worked. Her use of the phrase "blood libel" this morning has sparked quite a bit of discussion. In context, the half-term Governor, speaking by way of a pre-recorded video because she can't handle interviews, argued that "Journalists and pundits" had manufactured "a blood libel," which in turn may "incite ... hatred and violence." Palin was a little vague as to what, exactly, constituted "blood libel,...

Why Sarah Palin's 'blood libel' was a poor choice of words
Sarah Palin feels victimized by critics who accuse her of helping to create an angry political climate that led to the Tucson shootings, and she has a point. She chose a truly unfortunate way to make it, using the phrase "blood Libel." Here's the context, from Palin's eight-minute video statement on the shooting: "Especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, Journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to con...

Does Moderation Work?
In The Conversation, David Brooks and Gail Collins talk between columns every Wednesday. Tags: Gabrielle Giffords, Tucson shooting Susan Walsh/Associated PressGabrielle Giffords, a moderate in the most immoderate state in the union. Gail Collins: David, we can’t not talk about the shootings in Tucson. I know you’ve been wanting a more moderate and sane political dialogue. But I am sorry to admit that one of my thoughts is that the aftermath of Tucson proves h...

Arizona shootings won't isolate lawmakers, John Boehner tells House
The House of Representatives on Wednesday memorialized the 19 Victims of the weekend Shooting Spree in Tucson as the nation prepared for a day of mourning capped by a Speech by President Obama in Arizona. "We are called here to mourn an unspeakable act of violence," Speaker John Boehner said as the House began its debate over a resolution honoring the six slain and 13 injured, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who remains in critical condition after Saturday's attack outside a Supermarket in T...

Jewish Groups Denounce Sarah Palin's Usage Of The Term "Blood Libel"
Think Progress reports that Jewish groups are denouncing Sarah Palin's usage of the term "blood Libel." As most of you doubtlessly know, "blood libel" refers to the anti-Semitic claim that Jews use the blood of Christian babies to make matzoh. Such claims have been used to Murder hundreds of Jews. From the Jewish lobbying group, J Street: J Street is saddened by Governor Palin’s use of the term “blood Libel.” The country’s attention is rightfully focused on the memorial service for

Jewish Groups: We Are Deeply Disturbed By Palins Use Of Anti-Semitic Term Blood Libel, She Should Apologize
On a day when the president and the nation are mourning the Victims of the tragic shooting in Tucson, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is trying to seize the spotlight to mourn her tarnished reputation. Palin apparently views herself among the real Victims of the tragic shooting this weekend that killed six and wounded 14. This morning, Palin launched an aggressive Facebook and web-video campaign to counter what she deemed a “blood Libel” against her by the media to connect her i...

Palin denounces 'blood libel' in Tucson debate
Former Republican Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said Wednesday she is heartbroken over the shootings in Arizona in which Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was gravely wounded, but accused some in the news media and others of "blood Libel" for saying heated political Rhetoric from her and others are to blame. "Journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred they purport to condemn," she said in a roughly 8-minute Speech posted on her Facebook pag...

Words have consequences (Leo W. Gerard)
Five years ago, a 47-year-old Missouri woman began a duplicitous on-line courtship through MySpace with a 13-year-old neighbor who once had been friends with the woman’s daughter. The adult, Lori Drew, flirted with the 13-year-old, Megan Meier, through the guise of a fictitious, 16-year-old character named Josh Evans. Suddenly, “Josh” broke up with Miss Meier, writing to her, “the world would be a better place without you.”  Just hours later, Miss Meier hung herself in h

Poll: Only 28% Say Giffords Shooting Was Result of Political Anger, 58% Say Mentally Unstable Random Act
The left has lost, their attempts at pinning this on the right-wing has been a complete and total failure. (Rasmussen)- Americans have closely followed news stories about the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and the killing of six others in Arizona on Saturday, and most don’t feel politics was the cause of it. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 28% of Adults say the shooting in Arizona was the result of political anger in the country. Fifty-eight ...

Arizona Shooting Funeral Protest Strains the First Amendment
The tragic shootings in Tucson raise, yet again, a critical question in a country which cherishes the First Amendment: how much must we tolerate intolerance in the defense of free Speech? It’s not even about conservative rabble-rouser Glenn Beck, who commonly uses heated Rhetoric (and some outright misstatements) to rally his supporters—and who is now piously attacking the left for purportedly using the shootings to taint the Tea Party movement. The sad truth is that while the shoo...

Jon Stewart, Reactionary
The clearest sign of the political cowardice and intellectual impotence of liberal America is its collective worship of Jon Stewart. Once upon a time, The Daily Show was probably funny - that’s presumably why it appears on Comedy Central. But Stewart long ago turned into the Oprah Winfrey for urban hipsters, his self-appointment as the arbiter-in-chief of smirking moderation masking a profoundly reactionary worldview. Stewart is reaping accolades this week for his handling on Monday night of...

Sarah Palin Reloads: Blood Libel and a Big Lie
Tuesday night, I wondered if Sarah Palin would respond to mounting criticism over her “crosshair map” by retreating, or reloading. Early this morning, that question was answered, as Palin posted a video response that took on the criticism. While there is widespread outrage over Palin’s misappropriation of the term “blood Libel,” very little attention is being paid to the fact that her response is fixed around the lie that criticism of Palin has centered around the u...

The Arizona massacre libel
Image by Getty Images via @daylife Charles Krauthammer: The charge: The Tucson massacre is a consequence of the "climate of hate" created by Sarah Palin, the Tea Party, Glenn Beck, ObamaCare opponents and sundry other liberal betes noires. The verdict: Rarely in American political discourse has there been a charge so reckless, so scurrilous and so unsupported by evidence. As killers go, Jared Loughner is not reticent. Yet among all his writings, postings, videos and other ravings - and in all...

Questions for Charles Krauthammer and others on the right
I agree with Charles Krauthammer: It's wrong to blame the Arizona shooting on any specific conservative commentators or individuals, as he argues in his column this morning. But in the spirit of civil debate that everyone is suddenly clamoring for, I have a couple of follow up questions for him -- or anyone else who feels like answering them -- that I hope he will address, which he could do anytime he likes over on the Post Partisan opinion blog. Krauthammer argues that claim that the rhetor...

Sharron Angle Responds to the Arizona Tragedy, Says It's 'Irresponsible' To Assign Blame To Her, The Tea Party or Sarah Palin
"Finger-pointing towards political figures is an audience-rating game" Politico.com Former Nevada Republican Senate Candidate Sharron Angle is blasting those blaming her for inciting the Arizona shooting that injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six others, saying the accused shooter went off the deep end long before the Tea Party movement started. In her first comments - coming three days after the shooting - Angle said in harshly worded statement that her critics were “dangerous ...

See, I Told You So Comes Back Around to Bite Rush Limbaugh
Actually, there is evidence that at least Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck have tacitly admitted their responsibility for inciting violence. Almost immediately following the shootings, Palin removed from her website the map with the gun sight crosshairs targeting Giffords. And Beck removed the picture of him stalking around with a pistol in his hand. The fact that they removed these images right after a shooting in which they are clearly inciting violence by gunfire is just coincidence, I guess. Th...

NYT Hopes Shootings Upend GOP Agenda
From a not very subtle New York Times: For Boehner, Rampage Imposes Its Own Agenda By CARL HULSE January 11, 2011 WASHINGTON — Speaker John A. Boehner expected to spend his first celebratory weeks as the new leader of the House showcasing his party’s differences with the Democrats. But the shooting rampage in Arizona upended those plans. Now Mr. Boehner is being called on to play a far less partisan role, leading Republicans and Democrats alike through a difficult period. How he perfor...

Heavy Metal and the Tucson Shootings
Drowning Pool, the metal band whose song “Bodies” made an appearance on alleged Tucson shooter Jared Loughner’s MySpace page, has responded to the very stupid suggestion that their dumb song had anything to do with last Saturday’s horrific Crimes. As The Daily Caller reports: A recent Washington Post article chronicles instances in which music has apparently influenced killers, most notably Charles Manson, whose fascination with The Beatles song “Helter Skelter” guided s

Shot US lawmaker less sedated: doctor
The US lawmaker shot through the head in an attack which killed six people in Tucson is becoming "more and more spontaneous" as medics reduce the sedatives she is on, a doctor said Wednesday. In an update on congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, trauma chief Peter Rhee of the University Medical Center said he was encouraged by her progress, and the fact that she had not taken a turn for the worse four days after the attack. "Things can go very slowly and the progress can occur very rapidly at some...

The Political Consequences of Violence
I believe that The New Yorker’s George Packer has mistaken the meaning of a line in my column this week. He writes: Douthat wrote, in the spirit of phony equivalence, “If overheated Rhetoric and martial imagery really led inexorably to Murder, then both parties would belong in the dock,” but also this: “the Attempted Murder of a Democratic congresswoman is a potential gift to Liberalism.” In other words, everyone goes over the line now and then, no one actually want...

Fitting Memorial For Arizona Shooting Victims
President Obama, will speak at tonight’s public memorial service for the Victims of last weekend’s shootings in Arizona. The service and Speech will be carried live on Cable News networks, online, and elsewhere, beginning at 8PM EST. As he grieves with and consoles thousands in person at the University of Arizona’s McKale Center in Tuscon, the president will also be reaching out to the entire nation, helping with the healing process, and framing this terrible tragedy as the tea...

Legislating under the influence of catastrophe
It didn't take long after the Tuscon shooting for politicians and pundits to start proposing legislative responses. I haven't done a systematic study of this, but I would guess that Legislation passed quickly in reaction to tragedies, horrors, and catastrophes tend to range from pointless to really bad. Jacob Sullum at Reason makes a similar argument today. Here's his lede: Jared Lee Loughner, the man accused of shooting 20 people outside a Tucson Grocery Store on Saturday, probably will never g...