Palin is disgusting. This is what she meant by "take back America" vile bitch.

Ironically, Gifford has described herself as a Blue Dog.

I'll hold all the Republicans responsible, but I can imagine the slightly less insane among them might be freaking out a little.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg…

Palin casts herself as the real victim in 5... 4...

So someone took Palin up on her "It's time to take a stand" crosshairs plan huh? As soon as I saw Giffords name on that hit list I knew this has to be related to Palin. The bitch really got someone crazy enough to take a elected representative's life, along with a federal judge and a child. Even slime like Palin cannot bullshit her way out of this! If anything, at least Keith Olbermann will be able to put a 'crosshair' on Palin for this. Out of all the Dems most people know (and dislike), Giffords was too new to be known for anything other than the health care vote she cast - and now she's been shot.

There is no fucking way Palin can bullshit her way out of her direct or indirect role in the assassination of a member of congress and the deaths of innocent Americans.

http://fb.me/FcGTV0dG

-_-;

Sieg heil! Palin Youth.

I can't see holding Palin personally responsible, any more than I blame video game makers for violence. I'd hate to have to sanitize everything out there to avoid inciting the lunatic fringe.

Palin&Co are (partly) responsible for ramping things up to the apocalyptic level where people feel it's open warfare. Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do for a group of people who think that being radicalized is a good thing. Still, scapegoating Palin specifically ignores the whole rest of the crazy machine.

If anyone ever asks me, "Are you proud to be an American?" I will say "No, and Sarah Palin, and all her idiots are why. I am not proud to be an american, rather I proud that I have been able to shape myself into reasonable, considerate human being."

@4 I thought Gifford had held her office since 2006? Surely she's been able to cast a vote or two in all that time.

I wouldn't hold Palin wholly responsible - she's just an idiot who shot her mouth off - but a reprimand from the Republican party (and the president...and the nation...) and a reminder about how powerful incendiary words can be would certainly be appropriate.

I feel worst for that little girl, and her family, and the three small children of the judge that died, and the families, and the friends...

I think it's not fair to NOT hold the fear mongers responsible. When a group of people with access to simple minds keep spewing lies about how the country is going to be a totalitarian nightmare if "liberals" and "socialists" and "progressives" are in power; keep using aggressive rhetoric with the language of war like "Don't retreat, reload"; keep claiming that Our America is not Today's America...well. I'd call that screaming fire in a crowded theater. Most probably know that there is no fire, but the idiots will bolt and cause a mob panic.

I think most republicans aren't nuts, and don't believe most of the panicy language. But the rhetoric of the right is dangerous, and it will probably lead to worse than this shooting if it continues.

@3 sadly, you are correct... and nothing is more infuriating

When you have Sharon Angle (a Palin endorsee) and other right-wingers espousing the use of "Second Amendment remedies" and no one from her own party or political persuasion smacking her down over it, then Palin and ALL in the lunatic-fringe baiting right are culpable.

Sadly, this is not a surprising result.

I thought that having everyone armed to the teeth was supposed to stop this stuff. They say the shooter was "tackled." I suppose if only the 9-year-old had her piece on her, none of this would have happened. That must be how Palin & the NRA will spin this.

Rove's thumbprint too

Sarah should at least have the courage to come right out and say what she's thinking:
"That Liberal Pinko Left-wing Socialist Commie-lover got just what she so had coming! I'm just so sorry that I didn't get to, you know, do it myself, gosh darn it!"

If you're a right-winger, treat yourself to a moment of "To-Thine-Own-Self-Be-True."
You got your wet dream to come true: somebody murdered a legislator who voted for the health care bill!

John Boehner, now you have something to cry about.

So am I in the minority by thinking some fucked up kid (the "suspect" is 22 years old) is solely responsible for his fucked up actions? Yup...this kid got some idea in his mind to do this.

It is not Sarah Palins' fault...it is not Obama's fault...it is not ever Gabbie Giffords fault..

It is the fault of this fucked up kid. Period. God forgive him.

whoever is scrubbing her facebook page got a workout saturday. i made a post asking how it felt to have her career go down the toilet, and was banned in seconds.

I am not glad this happened. But I can admit to assholishly hoping that this tragedy marks the beginning of the end of the T-party movement. Or at least signals the end of Republicans gamely tolerating Palin's disruptive presence.

@19 And if god forgives the "kid" who did this, I hope I end up as far away from heaven as possible.

I think the 22 year old whom shot Gifford and the others is responsible for his own actions and thoughts. Undoubtfully he already was know for psychiatric problems. To blame Sarah Palin or the vote for the Health Care Bill is wrong, put blame where it belongs to the person who did it. That is what is wrong with our society today, someone else is always to blame where if we held each individual responsible for their own actions instead of the blame they want to put on others America would be a better place. Its like the twinkie defense. It is time we held people responsible for their own actions.

@23 I don't think it's an issue of blame so much as agency. Palin has agency in what happened (more than a random joe on the street like me or you) because she painted a target on Giffords. That's not to say she has as much agency as the killer--not even close. But it's an amount greater than zero.

@19 Every word is a speech act that produces some effect upon the actions, thoughts, or feelings of the listener, and words like "RELOAD" and "it's time to take a stand" juxtaposed with names and gun crosshairs—these cause real harm. The metaphor "Politics Is War" causes real harm.

Gabrielle Giffords is white. The Tea Party has just proved they're not racist.

Dear Mr. 26,

Giffords has shown herself to be a race traitor by opposing NM's racist law. White race traitors (or spic apologists in this case, as it were) are frequently thought by racists to be worse than those ignorant minority animals because they should know better.

@26
see comment in Phoenix New Times by resident racists JT Ready "Gabrielle Giffords was the first Jew to Congress from Arizona. That fact is already playing out in the media."

http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bastard…

so unfortunately for you and other teabag apologists this doesn't say anything about the rampant racism in the tea party.

Ugh. I feel sick, from all of it. I need to move to Brazil....