Secretary Clinton Calls Tucson Shooter Jared Loughner an 'Extremist'

[jefferson_dem]

Secretary Clinton Calls Tucson Shooter Jared Loughner an 'Extremist'
January 10, 2011 8:06 AM

In Abu Dhabi today, at a town hall meeting at Abu Dhabi's Zayed University for a taped show on MBC television called "Sweet Talk," Secretary of State Hillary Clinton labeled the Tucson shooter an "extremist."

"Look, we have extremists in my country," she said. "A wonderful, incredibly brave young woman congressmember, Congresswoman Giffords was just shot in our country. We have the same kinds of problems. So rather than standing off from each other, we should work to try to prevent the extremists anywhere from being able to commit violence."

The label "extremist" in that context suggests a political motivation. President Obama and officials in the law enforcement community have been more circumspect in their public remarks, suggesting it is too early to ascribe motive.

Clinton also said in the town hall, in the context of Mideast peace, "the extremists and their voices, the crazy voices that sometimes get on the TV, that's not who we are, that's not who you are, and what we have to do is get through that and make it clear that that doesn't represent either American or Arab

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2011/01/secretary-clinton-calls-tucson-shooter-jared-loughner-an-extremist.html

[xchrom]

1. she nails it. nt

[jefferson_dem]

5. Aye.

Proper framing indeed.

[stray cat]

2. One can be metally Ill and an extremists - mass murderers are usually not the norm but

Thankfully an extreme.

[Bucky]

3. Regardless of his political views, he tried to murder a Congresswoman. That's extremism.

Of course the rightwing talk machine will get their knickers in a bunch trying to say Clinton's politicizing a crime. Please note their world view: it's not political when they shoot us, but it is political when we call them out on it.

[MissHoneychurch]

4. Secretary Clinton is a great ambassador for your country

for the country that is still the dream for a lot of people. For the country, where democracy, freedom and tolerance are still worth something.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. What's the difference between an "Extremist" and a "Terrorist"?

Seriously . . . .

[liberal N proud]

7. I wish she would have used Terrorist

But I imagine the word extremist fit better in here conversation in a foreign land where we have said terrorist come from.

[mtnsnake]

9. No. She used the perfect word. She knows who is responsible for inciting hatred

after experiencing 8 years+ of their wrath herself at the hands of the Right Wing extremists.

K&R

[jefferson_dem]

8. An extremist may or may not be a terrorist.

Extremism involves attitude and ideology. Terrorism involves action, or intent to act, based on some attitudes and ideology which are (usually) extreme. On that basis, this Loughner could probably be rightly referred to as a terrorist. Using "extremist", he is properly linked to others who engage in extremism but have not (yet) acted out in terror.

My quick take anyway.

[littlewolf]

10. an extremist that is a given and perhaps an understatement

but given her audience I can understand it ....

[lillypaddle]

11. Good for her!

Rec.

[Clio the Leo]

12. This is the admin's first efforts at framing this politically....

... to say that someone is an "extremist" obviously links them to a particular ideology. Very interesting.

[DCKit]

13. How about "average teabagger"? nt

[kwolf68]

14. Damn right

I still dont get how some are still saying this was NOT politically motivated.

Shooting sprees NOT politically motivated happen at McDonalds, not at "Congrees on Your Corner".

People saying an attempt to kill a politician was NOT political makes me wonder of those peoples intellect or agenda.