Rasmussen Poll: 45% Concerned Obama's Opponents Would Resort To Violence

Abbreviated pundit round-up
New York Times: It is a president’s responsibility to salve a national wound. President Obama did that on Wednesday evening at the memorial service in Tucson for the six people who died in last weekend’s terrible shooting. It was one of his Most Powerful and uplifting speeches. Mr. Obama called on ideological campaigners to stop vilifying their opponents. The only way to move forward after such a tragedy, he said, is to cast aside "point-scoring and pettiness." He rightly focused pr...

Obama to the nation: We can be better than this
Summoning the soul of a nation, President Barack Obama on Wednesday implored Americans to honor those slain and injured in the Arizona shootings by becoming better people, telling a polarized citizenry that it is time to talk with each other “in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds.” Following a Hospital bedside visit with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the target of the Assassination, he said: “She knows we’re here, and she knows we love her.” In an electrifying mo...

Obama leads memorial for Tucson shooting (AFP)
Tucson, Arizona (AFP) – President Barack Obama led a national outpouring of grief while calling for unity at an emotional memorial after a shooting that unleashed fierce debate about inflammatory political Rhetoric. In a Speech repeatedly interrupted by applause for those who tackled the gunman -- and the announcement that a US lawmaker who was shot in the head had opened her eyes -- Obama said the attack must not lead to new divisions. "At a time when our discourse has become so sh...

Dupnik Denounces 'Vitriolic Rhetoric' -- With Left-Wing Vitriolic Rhetoric (Larry Elder)
Creators Syndicate – Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik took time from gathering the facts about the Tucson, Ariz., shooting to denounce the "vitriolic Rhetoric" that he claims played a role in the carnage. He insisted, without any evidence, that Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' support for ObamaCare helped trigger the shooter's wrath, resulting in six dead and 13 wounded, including Rep. Giffords, who was shot point-blank in the head. "I think it's time as ...

Palin defends her bloodlust politics
Sarah Palin: Does she even give a damn? Prominent Republican Sarah Palin defended her fiery Rhetoric on Wednesday but ignited a fresh Controversy by accusing critics of “blood Libel” in linking her to a deadly Arizona Shooting Spree. A defiant Palin, leaping into a roaring debate on the consequences of overheated political rhetoric, said her critics had been irresponsible in rushing to blame Saturday’s gun rampage on vitriolic campaign Speech. “Especially within hours of ...

Church won't picket 2 Tucson funerals
TUCSON, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- An anti-gay church will not picket Thursday's Funeral of a 9-year-old girl killed in the Tucson shooting rampage because it got radio airtime, the church said. "It's how many ears we can reach," Margie Phelps, a lawyer for the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., told the Los Angeles Times. "That is our job. That is our goal." GALLERY: The aftermath of the Rep. Giffords shooting The church, headed by her father, disbarred lawyer Fred Phelps, and consisting mostly of...

Church won't picket two Tucson funerals
TUCSON, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- An anti-gay church will not picket Thursday's Funeral of a 9-year-old girl killed in the Tucson shooting rampage because it got radio airtime, the church said. "It's how many ears we can reach," Margie Phelps, a lawyer for the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., told the Los Angeles Times. "That is our job. That is our goal." GALLERY: The aftermath of the Rep. Giffords shooting The church, headed by her father, disbarred lawyer Fred Phelps, and consisting mostly of...

Obama's Message In Grief: Talk In A Way That Heals
President Obama paid tribute the Victims of the Tucson, Ariz., shootings Wednesday, urging Americans to change the nation's vitriolic public dialogue by "talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds." Obama, speaking at a memorial service at the University of Arizona, somberly called for an end to the political recriminations that have ignited in the days since a gunman killed six people and injured 13 others, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ). Enlar..

Obama to Americans: 'We can be better'
TUCSON, Ariz.  — President Barack Obama mourned Victims of the Tucson Shooting Spree Wednesday and urged Americans not to let a political debate over the tragedy be used as "one more occasion to turn on one another." In a Speech at a service for those killed in a weekend massacre that left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords gravely wounded, the president appealed for national unity and soul-searching after the shootings. He urged Americans to "expand our moral imaginations" and "sharpen our ins...

AP poll shows Obama approval at 53%
In the latest poll from the Associated Press, Barack Obama gained six points to regain majority approval for the first time in months.  Republicans in Congress also gained ground, but so did Democrats, who now lead the GOP for trust on The Economy.  It’s part of a mixed-bag result for the survey of general-population adults: Americans give higher marks to President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans after a holiday season of Compromise paid dividends for both, according

Bernie Sanders uses shootings to raise campaign funds
An independent U.S. senator from Vermont drew criticism Tuesday from Republicans for citing this past weekend’s shootings in Arizona in a Fundraising letter for his 2012 re-election campaign. The e-mail that Sen. Bernie Sanders sent Tuesday begins by mentioning the Shooting Spree in Tucson that killed six people and left Democratic U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 13 others wounded. The letter also mentions issues such as Health Care, Social Security and taxes. In his discussion of the sho...

God Never Apologizes. ... But Don't You Think It's About Time He Did?
BEYOND WESTBORO The instance of Jared Lee Laughner's horrendous Assassination attempt of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has prompted the MSM to analyze just how much politicians and pundits exacerbate violence with their Speech and actions. Notice, however, that not one commentator mentioned anyone within the Religious Right communities: Giffords has weighed in as a pro-choice, pro- ENDA and pro-Health Care Reform. There are over 500 churches in the Tucson metropolitan area, with Baptist (approx. 80...

Obama urges unity in face of shootings
Provide feedback to the multimedia producers. Thank you. Your feedback was successfully sent. Video will begin in 5 seconds. What type of connection do you have? Your video format settings have been saved. President Barack Obama says the United States needs healing in the wake of the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Tucson: Seeking to bring unity after several days of rancorous debate over why the shooting here last Saturday happened, Barack Obama was mostly on song in his address t...

Obama Distances Himself From Loons on the Left
President Barack Obama called on the nation to resist the temptation to assign blame for a shooting rampage here that may never fully be explained, but to emerge from the tragedy a more thoughtful, civil nation. Concluding a memorial service for the Victims of Saturday's violence, Mr. Obama urged: "Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let us use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy." You must logi...

Sarah Palin, once again, has found a way to become part of the story. [Reader Post]
“Sarah Palin, once again, has found a way to become part of the story.” [Reader Post] I am almost without words. (Almost) Two blithering idiots from ABC News- Rachel Madcow look-alike Amy Walter and Michael Falcone - posted what has to be one of most offensive, biased and flat-out stupid articles in a very long time. Not since Hurricane Katrina has the media been so completely derelict in its reporting. And now they’ve just jumped the shark. Just hours before President O...

Obama strives to comfort mourners and unite a nation
"We can be better," he said, striking a familiar refrain. "What we cannot do," he said, "is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on each other." What's required now, he said, is that we "expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy." Obama, interrupted repeatedly by cheers from the crowd, eulogized those who died and praised the people who rushed to the scene of the shooting --the two men who wrestled suspect Jared Loug...

Christina Taylor Green's slaying has profound impact on Tucson children
Tucson - The bodies of the six dead will be buried here beginning Thursday, and the first in a series of ceremonies set to take place across this grieving city will be perhaps the most poignant. This Story Tucson shootings: Let us heal together, Obama says at memorial event Sheriff releases past reports involving Loughner Obama: Gabby opened her eyes Hero intern Daniel Hernandez talks with The Post Obama Tucson Speech: A way that heals Obama visits surviving Victims in Tucson, plans to speak ...

Grieving Tucson braces for victims' funerals
TUCSON, Arizona (Reuters) - She sang like an angel in the church girls' choir, was a top Student, and was gunned down at nine years old as she went to see government in action on a Tucson street corner. Christina Green, the youngest Victim of a Shooting Spree last Saturday that claimed six lives and left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords battling for her life, will be the first to be buried on Thursday as Tucson grieves for its dead. "She showed an appreciation for life uncommon for a girl her age," Pres...

Palin, "blood libel", Krauthammer and the lefthave we completely lost our minds?
What a mess. Watching the political world in the light of the Tucson tragedy has been disheartening and disgusting. While the President’s Speech last night was fine, the venue was awful. And T-shirts? Really? It wasn’t a pep rally, but it seemed like one (I’m primarily talking about crowd reaction). What a more somber Oval Office Speech wasn’t proper enough? And this Sarah Palin thing. Am I ever tired of Sarah Palin. That said, I’m even more tired of the left̵...

New York Times: Salving a National Wound Is Presidents Responsibility
Thursday, January 13, 2011 By Susan Jones (CNSNews.com) - "It is a president’s responsibility to salve a national wound. President Obama did that on Wednesday evening at the memorial service in Tucson for the six people who died in last weekend’s terrible shooting," said a New York Times editorial. The newspaper pronounced it one of Obama's "Most Powerful and uplifting speeches" -- then contrasted Obama's words "to the ugliness that continues to swirl in some parts of the country." Sara...

Gun control? Civility? My Predictions
Nothing will happen. I anticipate we will see reduced restrictions on Gun Control actually, as the NRA and its allies push back against the Tucson tragedy. That means no laws requiring gun registration, closing private sale and gun show Loopholes, reinstating the ban on extended clips, eliminating open carry laws, better Background Checks, etc. That's just not the way gun proponents roll, regardless of the tragedy. After all Columbine had no effect, nor did the Virginia Tech shooter. Why shoul...

Corn on MSNBC: Sarah Palin's Petty Response to the Tucson Story
David Corn joined former Bush Speechwriter David Frum and host Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC's The Last Word to discuss Sarah Palin's petty video response to criticism of her political Rhetoric in the wake of the Tucson shooting. When asked about Palin's latest bombshell remarks, even sympathizers aren't running to her defense. With her "blood Libel" charge, does Palin display narcissism or ignorance—or both? Corn on Hardball: Who is Jared Loughner?...

Obama: 'Their death helps usher in more civility in our public discourse' Press pans Palin Kurtz confesses mistake after New Y
JOSH MARSHALL, on TPM: “Today has been set aside to honor the Victims of the Tucson massacre. And Sarah Palin has apparently decided she's one of them.” Air Force ONE was wheels down at 1:41 a.m. PRESS CHARTER, 3:38 a.m. Brian Williams hitched a ride back from Tucson on the press plane, and will make his way back to NYC for “Nightly.” --UNSOLICITED E-MAIL from one of the nation’s top Republicans, with the subject line, “Potus Speech”: “Changes ever...

Obama tells polarized nation: 'We can be better' (AP)
TUCSON, Ariz. – Summoning the soul of a nation, President Barack Obama on Wednesday implored Americans to honor those slain and injured in the Arizona shootings by becoming better people, telling a polarized citizenry that it is time to talk with each other "in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds." Following a Hospital bedside visit with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the target of the Assassination, he said: "She knows we're here, and she knows we love her." In an electrifying moment, ...

Many factors key to Giffords' survival, docs say
It looks like Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is one of the lucky ones. Few people who take a bullet to the brain — just 10 percent — survive such a devastating wound. Yet doctors have reported the critically injured woman has been steady progress each day since she was wounded last weekend. Then Wednesday night, President Barack Obama made the dramatic announcement that the congresswoman had opened her eyes for the first time. If all goes well, she may be "out of the woods" on Friday, said ...