Bradley Smith of Politico calls DU comments today "vile"... [View All]

[cascadiance]

From:

http://www.politico.com/arena/perm/Bradley_A__Smith_74D7037A-63C7-4057-867E-5E396FFB3246.html

Politicizing the tragedy in Arizona?

Bradley A. Smith

I was not going to post anything on this tragic mass murder, seeing this as a time for reflection and mourning. And I appreciate that most members here have refrained from the desire to immediately politicize this horrible event. But by my latest count, the number of Arena members who have attempted to blame Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, or conservatives generally for this, with no reference at all to heated leftist rhetoric, is now into double figures and climbing.

If we truly think that heated political discourse is responsible for this, or even if we just think generally that that discourse should be toned down a bit, we all need to look at ourselves, not just the other guy. Keith Olbermann rants regularly about "fascists" taking over the country, and each day for years has named one or more conservatives "the worst person in the world." Other liberal talk hosts are scarcely more restrained.

While serving as Chairman of the DNC, Howard Dean merely noted that he "hate(d) Republicans and everything they stand for." His predecessor, Terry McAuliffe, thought words weren't enough - one entering his office was expected to wipe his feet on a picture of George W. Bush. The comments sections of the Daily Kos, Democratic Underground, and other lefty sites are full of the most vile comments and death wishes for Republicans on a regular basis, but such crazed talk is not limited to the nutty rank and file - prominent liberals and Democratic officeholders have in recent years publicly wished for the death of Rush Limbaugh, Clarence Thomas, Chris Christie, and yes, Sarah Palin. Rep. Alan Grayson said that Republicans wanted Americans to die, and to "die quickly."

Loughner appears to have been a complete nut job, who liked flag burning and listed the Communist Manifesto as a favorite book. There is no evidence that he ever saw Palin's "target map," or that if he did it motivated him in any way, or that he considered himself a conservative or a tea partier. He gunned down a moderate Democrat who has called for increased border control, and a conservative Republican judge, plus a batch of innocents whose political affiliation he couldn't possibly know.

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