Political Ruminations

Morning Quote: Tom DeLay

Former Republican Speaker of the House, Tom DeLay, responding to a question about the Arizona shootings on NBC's "Today" show with his usual utterly with out conscience, crap:

If I was still in congress I would welcome and urge those who can carry to come to my town meetings, I'd feel safer having them there. Gun control and grandstanding doesn't help anyone.

Via HuffPost

Morning Quote: Bill Clinton

On MLK Day, former President Bill Clinton invoked the Arizona shootings:

Dr. Martin Luther King once wrote that nonviolence means 'not only avoiding external physical violence but also internal violence of the spirit.' Today as we honor what would have been Dr. King’s 92nd birthday a little more than a week after a shooter took the lives of six people and wounded 13 others in Arizona, including a member of Congress, we’d all do well to heed this message. While no one intends their words or actions to incite the violence we saw in Tucson – and it’s wrong for anyone to suggest otherwise – we live in a world where what we say and how we say it can be read, heard, or seen by those who understand exactly what we mean and by those whose inner demons take them to a very different place.

That’s not an argument against free speech, but a reminder that, as with all freedoms, its use carries with it responsibility.

Sadly, a lesson that may never be learned by the Right Wing, which seems unable to determine the difference between our right to speak freely, and the criminal behavior of shouting “fire” in a crowded theatre. And what else is the current state of our politics but a crowded theatre harboring a fuse always lit?

Video & Transcript: President Obama’s January 12, 2011 Speech in Memorial of Victims of the Shootings in Tucson, Arizona

A great leader under tragic circumstances. The full text - transcript is below the video.

Transcript: Remarks by the President at a Memorial Service for the Victims of the Shooting in Tucson, Arizona

McKale Memorial Center
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

6:43 P.M. MST

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.  Please, please be seated.  (Applause.)

To the families of those we’ve lost; to all who called them friends; to the students of this university, the public servants who are gathered here, the people of Tucson and the people of Arizona:  I have come here tonight as an American who, like all Americans, kneels to pray with you today and will stand by you tomorrow.  (Applause.)

There is nothing I can say that will fill the sudden hole torn in your hearts.  But know this:  The hopes of a nation are here tonight.  We mourn with you for the fallen.  We join you in your grief.  And we add our faith to yours that Representative Gabrielle Giffords and the other living victims of this tragedy will pull through.  (Applause.)

Morning Quote - Another Idiot

Rep. Virginia Foxx [R/NC], referring to Arizona shooting suspect, Jared Loughner:

This guy appears to be a communist. His beliefs are the liberal of the liberals [sic]. There is no evidence whatsoever that this man was influenced by Sarah Palin or anybody in the Republican Party. This man is not a conservative; he's a fan of communism - that's the opposite of conservatism.

Rolling eyes, wondering what the average iq score might be for members of Congress who sit on the Republican side of the aisle. These people are real life caricatures.

Sarah Palin Takes the Low Road….Cries Blood Libel

In a shrill Facebook post, and on a web video, Sarah Palin accuses the media of committing “blood libel” against her in regard to the Arizona shootings. I guess it was just way too much to expect that she do the thoughtful, rational, decent thing and  apologize for her part in this horrific incident, vow to forego the violent pictures she likes to paint with words, and vow to fight gun violence. Huh.

The Atlantic defines the term “blood libel”:

The term "blood libel" has been used by a number of conservative pundits -- such as Glenn Reynolds, writing in the Wall Street Journal Monday -- to reject liberal criticism as part of the fierce debate that has rage these past few days over what constitutes responsible political speech. But it is nonetheless a term with a specific historic meaning that sits uncomfortably in Palin's video and is bound to open the former Alaska governor to a fresh round of criticism, distracting from the rest of her message in the video. The blood libel is an anti-Semitic myth dating to the middle ages that Jews murder Christian children to use their blood in religious ceremonies; it served as the basis for centuries of genocidal persecution.

Yeah, Sarah, the media is interested in murdering your children. Oh…..but wait, it was a Liberal child that was murdered by a gun toting madman who targeted Rep. Giffords in part because of your idiotic gun sight map.

You can read Palin’s full statement, “America’s Enduring Strength” below the video, or on her Facebook page.

Watch the Palin video, "America’s Enduring Strength" [keep your barf bag handy & be sure to note the flags, the mantelpiece, as part of Palin’s attempt to appear presidential]:

 

TRANSCRIPT, "AMERICA'S ENDURING STRENGTH", by SARAH PALIN:

Like millions of Americans I learned of the tragic events in Arizona on Saturday, and my heart broke for the innocent victims. No words can fill the hole left by the death of an innocent, but we do mourn for the victims’ families as we express our sympathy.

I agree with the sentiments shared yesterday at the beautiful Catholic mass held in honor of the victims. The mass will hopefully help begin a healing process for the families touched by this tragedy and for our country.

Cenk Uygur Destroys the Myth of the 'Both Sides' Equivalency

If you've been reading the pundits online today, you know that the Right Wing is very busy trying to absolve themselves of what is surely nearly sole responsibility for the Arizona shootings. Cenk completely destroys this ridiculous notion.

Watch:

  Via Bob Cesca

On That Both Sides Meme…

Here we go again. The meme the Right Wing resorts to whenever they get caught out in something they know is wrong, the both sides meme, is all over the internet today. Republicans trying to lay the blame for the Arizona shootings on both sides of the political aisle in order to save their own political skin. Pure nonsense.

Krugman:

Where’s that toxic rhetoric coming from? Let’s not make a false pretense of balance: it’s coming, overwhelmingly, from the right. It’s hard to imagine a Democratic member of Congress urging constituents to be “armed and dangerous” without being ostracized; but Representative Michele Bachmann, who did just that, is a rising star in the G.O.P.

And there’s a huge contrast in the media. Listen to Rachel Maddow or Keith Olbermann, and you’ll hear a lot of caustic remarks and mockery aimed at Republicans. But you won’t hear jokes about shooting government officials or beheading a journalist at The Washington Post. Listen to Glenn Beck or Bill O’Reilly, and you will.

HT Bob Cesca

Morning Quote - Sheriff Clarence Dupnik

Sheriff Dupnik speaking out about the shootings in Arizona:

When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous. And unfortunately, Arizona I think has become sort of the capital. We have become the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.

VIDEO: Rep. Giffords Comments on Sarah Palin’s Crosshairs Map

Sarah Palin published her “crosshairs map” to Facebook during the run-up to the midterm elections.

On March 25, 2010, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords [D-AZ], the congresswoman who was shot in the head over the weekend, made the following comment about being targeted on Palin’s despicable map:

...for example, we're on Sarah Palin's targeted list, but the thing is that the way that she has it depicted has the crosshairs of a gun sight over our district, and when people do that, they've gotta realize there are consequences to that action.

The quote is at approximately 2:20 in the video. Watch:

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Rep Giffords comments on targeting by Sarah Palin

Count me sick at heart.

Poor Little Sarah

Not. Feeling sorry for herself, Sarah Palin to Glenn Beck:

I hate violence. I hate war. Our children will not have peace if politicos just capitalize on this to succeed in portraying anyone as inciting terror and violence.

Via Bob Cesca