Houston Chronicle: [snip] “....The shooting comes amid a highly charged political environment that has seen several dangerous threats against lawmakers but nothing that reached the point of actual violence.
A San Francisco man upset with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s support of health care reform pleaded guilty to threatening the Democratic congresswoman and her family, calling her directly on March 25 and threatening to destroy her Northern California home if she voted for health care reform.
In July, a California man known for his anger over left-leaning politics engaged in a shootout with highway patrol officers after planning an attack on the ACLU and another nonprofit group. The man said he wanted to “start a revolution” by killing people at the ACLU and the Tides Foundation.
Giffords herself has drawn the ire of the right, especially for her support of the health care bill from politicians like Sarah Palin.
Her Tucson office was vandalized a few hours after the House vote to approve the health care law in March, with someone either kicking or shooting out a glass door and window…….” TERRY TANG and AMANDA LEE MYERS, AP
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/7372146.html
Daily Kos: Sarah Palin’s Culpability in Attempted Assassination of Giffords
by BJ Rudell
Sat Jan 08, 2011 at 12:23:13 PM PST
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/1/8/934315/-Sarah-Palins-Culpability-in-Attempted-Assassination-of-Giffords
FR: Interviewed via phone on FOX NEWS with Shepard Smith, Linda Lopez said the TEA PARTY attacked Giffords, and had terrible words to say about her...essentially blaming the TEA PARTY for her shooting.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2653526/posts?page=27#27
Daily Telegraph UK: Miss Giffords had been named in March as a political campaign target for conservatives in November’s elections by former Alaska governor Sarah Palin for her strong support for the health reforms of President Barack Obama.
Mrs Palin had published a “target map” on her website using images of gun sights to identify 20 House Democrats, including Miss Giffords, for backing the new health care law.
The congresswoman, who is Jewish, is a gun-owner and supporter of the right to bear arms. She was also a strong advocate of abortion rights. She won re-election to her third term in Congress last year, beating off a challenge for a candidate endorsed by the Tea Party.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/us-politics/8248267/American-congresswoman-Gabrielle-Giffords-shot-in-head.html
Jared Lee Loughner
Tuscon, Arizona 22 years old
“Loughner was described by eyewitnesses at the Arizona shooting as a young white man who looked like a “fringe character,” in his mid-to-late 20s, clean-shaven with short hair and wearing dark clothing.”
It’s reported the deranged #er shot Rep Giffords in the head, killed six others, and wounder yet another 11. The shooting took place at an event hosted by the Congresswoman Giffords.
Prayers for the injured and the families of those killed. Giffords is a Democrat representing the 8th District of AZ.
Regrettably, no one else was armed or prepared to suppress the assailant in order to mitigate the unspeakable slaughter.
I condemn Sen. Frank Lautenberg for seeking to exploit a tragedy for political gain. He condemns conservatives before all the facts are known about the identity of the shooter and his motives for the crime.
You Senator - are a despicable man and owe the country an apology though I don’t expect one from the likes of you. You’re as wretched as the person who tried to murder Rep. Giffords.
SHAME ON YOU!!!
Jared Lee Loughner NOT a member of the TEAParty
http://youtu.be/3L1lsLU-kUw
http://youtu.be/nHoaZaLbqB4
http://youtu.be/7uRjwPWaxiY
Lautenberg got out of his coffin to make a comment?
politicians like Lautenberg, and lib pundits are so irresponsible with comments like this.
Wow. What a revelation. He is a complete braintrust. WOW.
I was thinking, since is was s democrat gathering, you could be fairly sure there wouldn't be any weapons carried by the people in the gathering. Had it been Republicans, he would likely have been dropped before he could have gotten a forth shot off.
UPDATE: Fox 11 News of AZ reported via Twitter that Rep. Giffords woke up from anesthesia, spoke to people in the room, and recognized her husband, according to a family friend.
http://twitter.com/#!/Fox11NewsAZ/status/23940278268203008
Lautenberg, the Socialist whose open border and pro-Islam stances cost 100,000 lives is bitching about his own kind, the Commies.
So along with being against the Second Amendment, Frank wants to go after the First Amendment as well? Further, it is HIS side of the political spectrum inciting all of the violence... He might wanna ponder that a bit first.