The Giffords assassination attempt and the Assault Weapons Ban

Listen Up Lefties: Jon Stewart Doesnt Play Blame Game
Jon Stewart addressed the tragic events that occurred in Arizona this weekend by asking “How do you make sense of these types of senseless situations?” Giving up on any real attempt at satirical humor, Stewart instead taking a meaningful, measured and earnest approach to the current political finger pointing over the incident, which he called “as predictable as it is dispiriting.” While Stewart didn’t blame toxic discourse, he did seek a distinction “between r...

Tom Brokaw Praises Sheriff Dupnik
You must login to comment. The Fox Nation is for those opposed to intolerance, excessive government control of our lives, and attempts to monopolize opinion or suppress freedom of thought, expression, and worship. Read more... We invite all Americans who share these values to join us here at Fox Nation. Investigators today released this Mug Shot of Jared Lee Loughner, the guman accused of killing six individuals and gravely wounding Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Saturday's bloody spree outside a .....

Sheriff Dupnik: Its My 'Legal Responsibility' to Blame the Media
You must login to comment. The Fox Nation is for those opposed to intolerance, excessive government control of our lives, and attempts to monopolize opinion or suppress freedom of thought, expression, and worship. Read more... We invite all Americans who share these values to join us here at Fox Nation. Investigators today released this Mug Shot of Jared Lee Loughner, the guman accused of killing six individuals and gravely wounding Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Saturday's bloody spree outside a .....

A Look at the Heroes of the Arizona Massacre
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, Fox News HOST: First, a man who very well might have saved Congresswoman Giffords's life. His name is Daniel Hernandez. He's an intern for the congresswoman, and he rushed to her side after she was shot. Moments ago, Daniel Hernandez went "On the Record." VAN SUSTEREN: Daniel, it's very nice to meet you. DANIEL HERNANDEZ, INTERN FOR CONGRESSWOMAN GIFFORDS: Thank you so much for having me on, Greta. VAN SUSTEREN: Daniel, I suppose you know how much we all admire you for your a...

Is there a foreign-policy angle to the Tucson shooting? Not really.
The tragic shooting in Tucson is a signal event in recent U.S. history and could well have implications for domestic politics. But the implications for U.S. Foreign Policy (this blog's bailiwick) are likely minimal. Indeed, from a parochial foreign-policy perspective, the truly consequential act of violence against a politician last week occurred halfway around the world: the Assassination of the Pakistani reformer and the Governor of the Punjab region, Salman Taseer. So far there is no evidenc...

Poll: Most Say Rhetoric, Killings Unrelated
From a deeply saddened CBS News: Poll: Most Americans Feel Rhetoric, Tucson Shooting Unrelated Posted by Daniel Carty January 11, 2011 Nearly six in 10 Americans say the country’s heated political rhetoric is not to blame for the Tucson shooting rampage that left six dead and critically wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, according to a CBS News poll. So either our media master has better ratchet up their efforts or move on to their fall back position - Gun Control. In the wake ...

Ready to reload?
Since Saturday's tragic shootings in Arizona, America's Cable News channels have been flooded with analysts speculating about why. They have bemoaned the state of America's political discourse, called for leadership in toning down heated Rhetoric, speculated over whether this is a turning point for Barack Obama or Sarah Palin and puzzled over the shooter's mental state. But one thing that has scarcely been raised is Gun Control. In Australia, a 1996 gun massacre in Tasmania...

The Tea Party and their Brand of Violence
(I'm not sure I agree, promoted because it is well said and there are well formed replies thus making it a worthy discussion. - promoted by MADCO) I don't believe that the Tea Party had anything to do with the Assassination attempt on a Democratic Congressperson. I still hold them responsible, however. First there was Pim Fortuyn. And now, there is Gabrielle Giffords. Assassinations that have fundamentally changed politics in the Netherlands and now the United States. In each case, the politica...

Shot US lawmaker 'breathing on her own': doctor
The Arizona lawmaker shot in the head in an attack that killed six in Tucson remains in critical condition but is now capable of breathing on her own, doctors said Tuesday. "She's holding her own," said Michael Lemole, the head neurosurgeon who operated on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, adding that she was still responding to simple commands, a key sign for her recovery prospects. "She's breathing on her own," added the doctor at University Medical Center, saying they had reduced the sedati...

Lawyers: Insanity Defense Wont Work
CNN reports: The alleged shooter in Saturday’s deadly Tucson massacre may have difficulty making the case for a successful insanity plea, experts said Tuesday. Jared Lee Loughner, 22, who authorities say shot up a gathering held by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona, outside a Supermarket, has been anecdotally regarded as very troubled and perhaps mentally unbalanced because of his ramblings spotted on the Internet and the ways he has been described by acquaintances. But Paul Callan...

Giffords Breathing on Her Own, Doctors Say
Like this Story? Share it: Last Friday Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who remains in critical condition, expressed the need to tone down Rhetoric and Partisanship in Congress in an e-mail. Katie Couric reports from Tucson. Only On The Web: CBS News digital Journalist Arden Farhi spoke to Tucson-area residents as they reflect on Saturday's shooting and the impact it's had on their community. In light of the recent shooting rampage which critically injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, concerns have...

More Guns, More Shooting
As best I can tell, stringent restrictions on Firearms ownership are neither necessary nor sufficient to achieve drastic reductions in the incidence of Violent Crime in the United States. So given that many people feel very strongly about Gun Ownership, I’m inclined to say that law-abiding citizens should be able to buy guns with ease. But the occurrence of spree killings in one of the states with the most liberal Gun Laws in the union ought, at least, to undercut the theory that such la...

No Signs Obama Will Shift On Gun Control After Giffords Shooting
Virtually since the Obama Administration took office, the White House has avoided touching the third-rail issue of Gun Control with a 10-foot pole. So will the mass shooting in Arizona that gravely injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and killed six others (including a Federal Judge) change their approach? Gun control advocates hope so. Kristen Rand, legislative director of the Violence Policy Center in Washington, D.C., said in an interview that banning the high-capacity clips (the type use...

Lawmakers push to exempt Kentucky-made guns from federal regulations
FRANKFORT — Lawmakers are pushing three identical bills to exempt Kentucky-made guns and ammunition from federal Background Checks, dealer licenses and other national regulations if the items remain in the state. The effort comes as a recent report shows Kentucky is one of the nation’s biggest exporters of guns that cross state lines — legally or illegally — and end up at crime scenes in other states, often in cities with tight Gun Ownership restrictions. At the same time...

Dems And GOP Agree: Gun Control Is A Non-Starter In AZ Following Shooting
TUCSON, AZ -- Arizona's answer to the deadly shooting at a constituent event for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) Saturday will likely be more guns at political rallies, not less. That's the word from Democrats and Republicans in this mourning desert city still reeling from this weekend's Mass Shooting that left six dead and 14 injured, including Giffords, who remains in critical condition after being shot in the head. Simply put, local politicians say, Arizona loves guns. And that means that th...

Holder calls shootings unspeakably tragic (AP)
WASHINGTON – The killing of a Federal Judge and attempted Assassination of an Arizona congresswoman are an "unspeakable tragedy" that serve as a reminder that violence and cruelty persist more than 40 years after the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Attorney General Holder said Tuesday. Threats against public officials "continue to be cause for concern and vigilance," Holder told a Justice Department memorial for the slain Civil Rights leader in advance of the holiday commemorati...

Missing From Loughner Debate: Soul Searching
Jared Loughner (Credit: Personal Photo) There's been quite a bit of back and forth this week about who should share the blame for the actions of alleged Tucson shooter Jared Lee Loughner. Some on the left have pointed to incendiary Rhetoric from Sarah Palin and others on the right, while some on the right have sought to tie Loughner to the beliefs of the left. Palin was blamed in part for using of a bullseye icon to identify political targets - including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords - before the ...

Missing From Loughner Debate: Soul Searching
Jared Loughner (Credit: Personal Photo) There's been quite a bit of back and forth this week about who should share the blame for the actions of alleged Tucson shooter Jared Lee Loughner. Some on the left have pointed to incendiary Rhetoric from Sarah Palin and others on the right, while some on the right have sought to tie Loughner to the beliefs of the left. Palin was blamed in part for using of a bullseye icon to identify political targets - including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords - before the ...

Krauthammer: Lefts Attempts to Blame Right for Tucson Shooting is Truly Scurrilous Video 1/10/11
Charles Krauthammer condemned the Left’s attempts to blame the Tucson Mass Shooting on political Rhetoric from the Right - calling the attacks “scurrilous.” Krauthammer, who in addition to being a syndicated columnist is also a trained psychologist, said it is clear that alleged shooter Jared Loughner is “psychotic,” exhibiting signs of “schizophrenia,” and “severe thought disorder.” ...

Democrats Foiled Again?
Posted by John at 11:01 AM So far, at least, my prediction that the Democrats' effort to exploit the Tucson Murders for political gain will fail seems to be accurate. A CBS News poll released this morning finds that by a 57-32 percent margin, respondents don't believe that the nation's "harsh political tone" had anything to do with the murders. While some of those 32 percent are undoubtedly Democrats who feel obliged to back up their party's line when talking to pollsters, even most Democrats--...

AZ aftermath: Seattle Times v. P-I v. conservatives and gun rights
   While Seattle-area Liberals have joined the rush to blame Conservatives and Constitutionally-affirmed Gun Rights for the shooting of Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the Murders of six other citizens, it appears no small amount of irony and hypocrisy have risen to the surface, and you can study it today on websites for the Seattle Times, Seattle PI.com, Sound Politics and Orbusmax.    Tuesday Morning, even KIRO’s Dave Ross got in on the debate, and we will talk mo...

Corn on Hardball: Who is Jared Loughner?
Tue Jan. 11, 2011 9:13 AM PST Get Mother Jones by Email - Free. Like what you're reading? Get the best of MoJo three times a week. We've launched a new commenting system. How do you like it? What if 31 Shots Had Been Only 10? Had Congress not rolled back Gun Laws, the death toll would have been much lower. A longtime friend shares a message sent hours before the massacre. Some Haitians are busy rebuilding. Well, at least the ones who don't live in tents. The religious groups she affiliates ...

CBS Poll: American Public Not Buying Democrat, Media Spin on Arizona Shooting
From CBS News: Nearly six in 10 Americans say the country’s heated political Rhetoric is not to blame for the Tucson shooting rampage that left six dead and critically wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, according to a CBS News poll. In the wake of the shooting, much focus has been put on the harsh tone of politics in Washington and around the country, particularly after a contentious Midterm Election. Rhetoric and imagery from both Republicans and Democrats have included gun-related ...

Mourners to hold 'community healing' Mass after Arizona shooting
Mourners will gather at a memorial Mass Tuesday for Victims of the weekend shooting outside an Arizona Supermarket that killed 6 people and wounded 14 others. The Mass will be held at 7 p.m. (9 p.m. ET) at St. Odiilia Church in Tucson, Arizona - where 9-year-old shooting victim Christina Green had her First Communion a year ago. "Right now it is important as a community to pull together and to reach out in care and concern to all who have been affected by this tragedy," Bishop Gera...

Is Sheriff Dupnik Distracting Public From Looking at His Contacts With Killer?
“I’d like to make one additional point on Sheriff Dupnik. I think we’re missing the point when we’re talking about his political agenda. This man and this suspect has had previous contact with the sheriff’s office. It looks to me, we don’t have many details on this, but it looks as though he slipped between the cracks. I think what we really need to look into is what happened when he had previous contact with the sheriff’s office with their negligence he...