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Poll: Most Americans Feel Rhetoric, Tucson Shooting Unrelated — Nearly six in 10 Americans say the country's heated political rhetoric is not to blame for the Tucson shooting rampage that left six dead and critically wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, according to a CBS News poll.
Discussion:
The Hill, The Note, CNN, sisu, Moe Lane, AmSpecBlog, Sister Toldjah, Mediaite, Scared Monkeys, Opposing Views, Hit & Run, TPMDC, The Daily Caller, Weasel Zippers, NewsBusters.org blogs, Guardian, Examiner, JammieWearingFool, Patterico's Pontifications, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, RedState, Ballot Box, Sweetness & Light, The Other McCain, The Gateway Pundit and Questions and Observations
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Ariz. Sheriff Tours Crime Scene, Blasts Limbaugh — Sheriff Clarence Dupnik tell ABC News' Diane Sawyer Gunman Fired ‘As Fast As He Was Capable’ — The Arizona sheriff investigating the Tucson shooting that left U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords critically wounded had harsh words today …
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National Review, TPMMuckraker, Washington Monthly, Open Left, Guardian, Raw Story, Big Government, Right Wing Watch, Daily Kos, Hot Air, Mediaite, Firedoglake, NewsBusters.org blogs, The Right Scoop, Pat Dollard, AMERICAblog News, Balloon Juice, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Liberal Values, JammieWearingFool, Weasel Zippers, Right Wing News and City Journal

The Politicized Mind — Before he allegedly went off on his shooting rampage in Tucson, Jared Loughner listed some of his favorite books on his YouTube page. These included: “Animal Farm,” “Brave New World,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,” “Through the Looking Glass” and “The Communist Manifesto.”


Father of Shooting Suspect May Issue Statement — TUCSON, Ariz.—The father of shooting suspect Jared Lee Loughner has prepared and may release a public statement, according to a neighbor who met with Mr. Loughner's parents Monday. — Randy and Amy Loughner disappeared from view shortly …
Discussion:
Reuters, KTAR.com, AOL News, The Daily Caller, KVOA-TV, Arizona Republic and FrumForum


Palin, Amid Criticism, Stays in Electronic Comfort Zone — Under criticism that her political rhetoric had helped create a climate for political violence, Sarah Palin addressed the issue in trademark fashion: via e-mail to the conservative commentator Glenn Beck.
Discussion:
Politics Daily, msnbc.com, TPMDC, Fox Nation, Hotline On Call, The Politico, National Review, Prairie Weather and The Right Scoop


Tim Pawlenty jabs Sarah Palin over ‘crosshairs’ — Possible Republican presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty took a jab at Sarah Palin, saying he wouldn't have used gun crosshairs to target Rep Gabrielle Giffords and others. — “I wouldn't have done it,” the former Minnesota governor told …
Discussion:
Alan Colmes' Liberaland

Jared Loughner's Anti-War Views
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The Fix, The Mahablog, The Jawa Report, National Review, Johnson, Tim Blair and AOL News


The “Politicized Mind” Of Gabrielle Giffords
Discussion:
Swampland and National Review

The Tea Party and the Tucson Tragedy
Discussion:
Big Journalism, AmSpecBlog, The Huffington Post, Moonbattery and Right Wing News

Tea Party Express raising money in aftermath of Arizona shooting
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The Daily Caller, Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars, Liberal Values and CafeSentido.com

The Wrath of Fools: An Open Letter to the Far Right
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NewsBusters.org, Israpundit, LewRockwell.com Blog, TPMDC and RHRealityCheck.org

Poll: 57% of Americans don't buy media spin on Tucson massacre
Discussion:
Sister Toldjah, The Sundries Shack, Elizabeth Scalia and NewsBusters.org

Twitter Users Wish Death on Sarah Palin
Discussion:
Wake up America, The Right Scoop, Conservatives4Palin and iOwnTheWorld.com

Poll: Americans Don't Blame “Political Tone” for Tucson Killings
Discussion:
Big Government and CNN

The Giffords Tragedy: Is the Media Partly at Fault?
Discussion:
The Daily Dish and DownWithTyranny!

In Giffords's District, a Long History of Tension
Discussion:
The Caucus and AMERICAblog News

Patrick Kennedy points finger at Sarah Palin
Discussion:
USA Today, Right Wing News, Sweetness & Light, Weasel Zippers and The Hill

Tea Party Express Fundraises Off Giffords Shooting: 'Tea Party Won't Be Silenced'
Discussion:
OpenSecrets.org, Daily Kos, Jack & Jill Politics, TPMMuckraker, Firedoglake, TPM LiveWire and Hullabaloo, more at Mediagazer »

Peter King, Leading Republican, To Introduce Strict Gun-Control Legislation — WHAT'S YOUR REACTION? … Rep. Peter King, a Republican from New York, is planning to introduce legislation that would make it illegal to bring a gun within 1,000 feet of a government official …
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, Washington Monthly, Valley Fever, Raw Story and FrumForum
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King: Ban weapons near federal officials attending public events
Discussion:
The Politico

Pima County sheriff should remember duty — On Saturday afternoon, with his friend Gabby Giffords in surgery fighting for her life, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik railed against the tense partisan politics - “the anger, the hatred, the bigotry” - that prompted the mass murders outside Tucson, in his view.
Discussion:
HillBuzz.org and The Gateway Pundit
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WikiLeaks — “WikiLeaks: treat incitement seriously or expect more Gabrielle Gifford killing sprees.” — Wikileaks today offered sympathy and condolences to the victims of the Tucson shooting together with best wishes for the recovery of U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords.
Discussion:
blogs.telegraph.co.uk, Mediaite, AOL News, Raw Story, Guardian, CNET News, Mashable!, The BRAD BLOG and The Nation, more at Techmeme »

Friends, Critics Dispute Arizona Sheriff's Remarks on 'Political …
Discussion:
News Hounds, Top of the Ticket, Big Journalism and Pajamas Media


Doc: Giffords ‘100 percent’ certain to survive — Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is “100 percent” certain to survive, said Dr. Peter Rhee, a surgeon treating her for a gunshot wound to the head. — “As a physician I'm going to get into a lot of trouble for this, but her prognosis for survival is 100 percent …
Discussion:
Washington Monthly, The Politico, The Hill, Hot Air, Gawker and New York Times
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Giffords Doctor: ‘Prognosis For Survival Is 100 Percent’ (VIDEO)
Discussion:
Feministing


Talent no longer a sure bet for Senate race — The once likely candidacy of Jim Talent for U.S. Senate in Missouri is no longer a safe bet. — In fact, Republican insiders are now hedging against it. — While close advisers initially signaled Talent would settle on a decision by the end of 2010 …
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Glenn's letter to the American people, politicians, and media — While Americans are grappling to understand the Arizona tragedy, the absolute vacuum of leadership on both sides is staggering. — We live in a country that has been struck by John Hinckley Jr. and Sirhan Sirhan, Lee Harvey Oswald and Mark David Chapman.
Discussion:
Crooks and Liars, Media Matters for America, Weigel, Salon, Wonkette and National Review
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Bill Maher: Jared Loughner's Chalkboard Likely Looks Like Glenn Beck's Chalkboard
Discussion:
Raw Story

Glenn Beck: We Must Stand Together Against All Violence (With A Gun In Our Hands)
Discussion:
Mediaite, The Wire, The Reaction and GOOD

A Flood Tide of Murder — By all means, condemn the hateful rhetoric that has poured so much poison into our political discourse. The crazies don't kill in a vacuum, and the vilest of our political leaders and commentators deserve to be called to account for their demagoguery and the danger that comes with it.
Discussion:
DISSENTING JUSTICE, The Confluence, Washington Post and Daily Kos
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Blizzard Mystery Solved? Air Bloomberg Was Seen in Bermuda — On the day after Christmas, a request came into the Bermuda airport: a private plane needed to be pulled out of its hangar and readied for takeoff. — The pilots seemed a bit anxious to depart.
Discussion:
Ben Smith's Blog, HillBuzz.org, Atlas Shrugs, Gothamist, FrumForum and Gawker

Mark Halperin: Conservatives should turn the other cheek when scapegoated for murder — During a discussion on MSNBC's “Morning Joe” Tuesday, the panel conceded that conservatives and Tea Party activists were unfairly scapegoated in the wake of Jared Lee Loughner's shooting spree in Tucson …
Discussion:
Hot Air, HillBuzz.org, National Review and Pajamas Media


Downturn's Ugly Trademark: Steep, Lasting Drop in Wages — In California, former auto worker Maria Gregg was out of work five months last year before landing a new job—at a nearly 20% pay cut. — In Massachusetts, Kevin Cronan, who lost his $150,000-a-year job as a money manager in early 2009 …
Discussion:
Hot Air, James Pethokoukis, The Foundry and Calculated Risk

And Speaking Of Krugman And Double Standards At The Times... OK, I am back in Arizona. Pejman has a great piece on inflamed rhetoric which reminds me of this jaw-dropper - a Democratic Congressman who last fall said a Republican candidate for Governor should be shot has a guest piece in today's NY Times talking about civility.
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New York Times, The Reaction and A Chequer-Board of Nights …

Supreme Court: Did it just hint at stance on a health-care law challenge? — The Supreme Court refused to take up a case examining Congress's authority under the commerce clause, a key issue in a legal challenge to Obama's health-care law. Two justices dissented.
Discussion:
Ezra Klein, New York Times, SCOTUSblog, ACS Blog and Hit & Run

Panel calls for drastic steps to stop future deep water oil spills — WASHINGTON (CNN) - If the government does not take drastic steps, another deep water oil spill like the BP spill in the Gulf could devastate the United States' coast, warned an oversight commission Tuesday in a long-awaited report to the president.
Discussion:
The Politico