Seriously. Why were they whooping, yelling and cheering like they are at a NCAA final four game when they are as the Tuscan Memorial service? A standing ovation as he walks to the podium? Really? If I was a family member of one of the slain, I would have been shocked and disgusted by it.


No, I don't blame the President. He gave a somber speech that fit the memorial. It is his idiot supporters that have no class. They even gave out t-shirts for the memorial left on each seat. Disgusting!


The full speech can be seen here. The above video shows the standing ovation and cheering of the crowd that other videos don't show. Ironic that it is a Russian station shows more of the truth than the selective camera control of their US counterparts.

quote Originally posted by Doug85GT: Seriously. Why were they whooping, yelling and cheering like they are at a NCAA final four game when they are as the Tuscan Memorial service? A standing ovation as he walks to the podium? Really? If I was a family member of one of the slain, I would have been shocked and disgusted by it. No, I don't blame the President. He gave a somber speech that fit the memorial. It is his idiot supporters that have no class. They even gave out t-shirts for the memorial left on each seat. Disgusting! The full speech can be seen here. The above video shows the standing ovation and cheering of the crowd that other videos don't show. Ironic that it is a Russian station shows more of the truth than the selective camera control of their US counterparts.

Yeah, I couldn't understand the clapping, whistling, etc... that's always upset me. This isn't the first time that people have done that at a presidential speech for a somber occasion. I think it unfortunately shows the lack of empathy that people have. People aren't raised today to think about their individual impact on others, vs what they consider to be important to them. IE: people see the president whom they like, and they clap, not considering the fact that he's here because there was essentially a small massacre.


I thought his speech was quite good though. There were no nuggets like "ask not what your country can do for you..." or "Mr. Gorbechov, tear down this wall..." but he spoke well, and I'm really glad he stated several times, and bluntly I might add... that the "finger pointing" is dispicable. I'm hoping that Keith Olberman and Rachael Maddow squirmed in their seats a little bit when he said that.

I'm hoping that in the unfortunate circumstance that future psychopaths commit crimes, that people don't immediately jump to place blame again.

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Todd,
2008 Jeep Patriot Limited 4x2
2002 Ford Explorer Sport 2dr 4x2
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter

I didn't listen to the speech and yes, this is tragic, but the media circus around this is getting silly. The guy was a nut ball, nothing else, but just plain crazy.

quote Originally posted by Doug85GT: Seriously. Why were they whooping, yelling and cheering like they are at a NCAA final four game when they are as the Tuscan Memorial service? A standing ovation as he walks to the podium? Really? If I was a family member of one of the slain, I would have been shocked and disgusted by it.

Wasn't the memorial at a University? If so, I think it was just college students being rowdy instead of respectful of what was supposed to be a memorial.

quote Originally posted by jaskispyder: I didn't listen to the speech and yes, this is tragic, but the media circus around this is getting silly. The guy was a nut ball, nothing else, but just plain crazy.

His speech was quite good actually, and he basically said, numerous times, that the Democrats were wrong for the immediate finger pointing that took place. Of course, anyone can try to read into it what they wanted to... but it was pretty clear to me what he was talking about.

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Todd,
2008 Jeep Patriot Limited 4x2
2002 Ford Explorer Sport 2dr 4x2
2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX
1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6
1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter

quote Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: His speech was quite good actually, and he basically said, numerous times, that the Democrats were wrong for the immediate finger pointing that took place. Of course, anyone can try to read into it what they wanted to... but it was pretty clear to me what he was talking about.

I watched it, and agree that the President did a very good job with his speech. Altho it could have been a much more somber or sad event, there was already a memorial held (I think in a church) for the people killed, and of course, the funerals are always sad enough. The memorial last night was not so much for the families and people of Tucson, but for the rest of the nation trying to make sense of all this. It was a very balanced and for a very large part, totally non-partisan. As far as those in attendance being a bit too "enthusiastic", I have no idea what their political affinity was. I am conservative, but if he were to come here, I would certainly try to be in attendance.

As far as singling out the Dems for being wrong to point fingers, I thought his words were directed more toward the media as a whole, and of course to all the rest of us. He "may" have had an underlying political goal regarding his words, considering he certainly realizes he is now faced with working with a completely different congress, but I like to believe that did not enter into it.

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 01-13-2011).]

Everything. (in reaponce to the title) well, not really, it just seems that way some times. Its the extreamist that make the group look bad, I have a few dem firends and they just want to help other people (btw there not the crazy dems)

Matt

quote Originally posted by MaddMatt: Everything. (in reaponce to the title) well, not really, it just seems that way some times. Its the extreamist that make the group look bad, I have a few dem firends and they just want to help other people (btw there not the crazy dems) Matt

but, if we wanna paint a group by its nutz - heres a fine one:
California man arrested for threatening to kill a congressman over tax cuts for the wealthy
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/...ill-congressman.html

Extremists? Are you kidding me? This was not a moveon.org rally. This was a memorial service that was broadcast nationwide that the President attended and was the primary speaker. This is as mainstream as it could be and it is obvious that the President's supporters turned what should have been a somber event into a circus.

This tragedy has been a surreal experience in seeing people seize a "crisis" to further their own agenda.
Kudos to President Obama for giving a respectful and appropriate speech.

I guess I should have also listened to it--I had most of it on "Mute/Closed Caption".

After seeing bits of today's video and reading some of the news artticles (CNN for instance) I understand what is being discussed here. It did indeed sound as if the audience was having a fun time or attending a pep rally.

Nothing new for them. For those that don't remember the 2002 Paul Wellstone memorial.
http://www.slate.com/id/2073324/
Even the Slate thought it was a bit over the top

There's a salutary practicality about many of the liberal clichés repeated and applauded tonight. But there's a creepy arrogance about them, too. The ceremony's closing speaker, Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa, says Wellstone "never took himself too seriously" and "never had to proclaim his decency." Yet tonight, the men and women who purport to represent Wellstone's legacy are taking themselves quite seriously and constantly proclaiming their decency. "We can redeem the sacrifice of his life if you help us win this election for Paul Wellstone," Kahn tells the crowd. Somewhere, Wellstone must be turning on his cross.

Above the stage hangs an immense cubic scoreboard. During basketball games, it's electrified and illuminated from above. Tonight it looms just above the stage lights, blank and unlit. A man has died. This is no time to keep score.

The sad thing is I am almost positive that if the lefties had a way of going back and preventing this tragedy from happening, they would choose not to. This incident has been the best thing to happen for them since Obama got elected, and I have a feeling them and their friends in the liberal media are just getting started using this event for their own political gains. They have already seized the opportunity to paint Palin as a murderer, portray Tea Party supporters as violent, and even further their own anti-gun agenda. This is the moment your president has been waiting for, and him and his minions are going to make the most of it.

His speech was really good.. I mean *REALLY* good..

The audience sucked.

lol - looking at this thread - it sounds like exactly the opposite is what is happening
sounds like all the tea pottiers are out trying to demonize everyone else while they stand with golden halos
c'mon - get them fingers pointing, tea pottiers

quote Originally posted by Pyrthian: lol - looking at this thread - it sounds like exactly the opposite is what is happening sounds like all the tea pottiers are out trying to demonize everyone else while they stand with golden halos c'mon - get them fingers pointing, tea pottiers

Huh?

I just read a thread of people saying that President Obama gave a good speech, but the college students in the crowd (no political affiliation given) acted disrespectfully.

What thread were you reading?

Brad

Edit: Speaking of immature, and disrespectful, what's with the 5th grade name calling? Are you really a 12 year old boy on the playground?

[This message has been edited by twofatguys (edited 01-13-2011).]

quote Originally posted by loafer87gt: The sad thing is I am almost positive that if the lefties had a way of going back and preventing this tragedy from happening, they would choose not to. This incident has been the best thing to happen for them since Obama got elected, and I have a feeling them and their friends in the liberal media are just getting started using this event for their own political gains. They have already seized the opportunity to paint Palin as a murderer, portray Tea Party supporters as violent, and even further their own anti-gun agenda. This is the moment your president has been waiting for, and him and his minions are going to make the most of it.

When I listen to his speeches, including last nights, seems a cross between Martin Luther King and Richard Pryor.

Fellas,

I think it is interesting, and ironic, that gun sales in Tucson rose by over 65% in the last few days If one of the people in the crowd had a gun, they could have shot this lunatic after his first two or three shots and possibly saved a few lives . A well armed society is a polite society.

Yeah, the wooping and whistling was due to the fact that this was staged on the university campus. Undoubtedly, those making all the noise were probably intoxicated. Unfortunately.

Cordially,
Kevin

p.s. this area of Tucson happens to be a VERY liberal area. That may also explain the indecent circumstances mentioned above.

quote Originally posted by Doug85GT: Extremists? Are you kidding me? This was not a moveon.org rally. This was a memorial service that was broadcast nationwide that the President attended and was the primary speaker. This is as mainstream as it could be and it is obvious that the President's supporters turned what should have been a somber event into a circus.

I guess a question might be what emotion should have been struck by the speech or the event for that matter. Partly it was somber, and partly it seemed that the people who were shocked by this tragedy needed something to feel good about, for instance the congress womans progress healthwise, the fact that the person who helped save her life was there, the story of a man who risked his life to save his wife and the belief in politics and country of an innocent 9 year old girl. If this had been only about those who had been killed I think the cheers would have been inappropriate but as it was I had no problem with it.


His words about putting partisan bickering aside and being more civil to one another is something to get behind but already seems lost on many.

WTF is wrong with people?

President Obama gave a somber speech in the wake of a horrible tragedy. He suggested that the political bickering from both sides stop, and that people should focus on being helpful rather than hurtful. Unfortunately, the crowd gathered at the speech did not convey the somber attitude that most people would have expected after such a tragedy. I am sure that this crowd consisted of people of all ages and people of all political affiliations. An opportunity to see the President does not come everyday. For many, the emotions of the moment outweighed the emotions of the last few days following the shooting. Maybe it was an opportunity to have some feelings of joy after days of grieving. Whatever the reason, the crowd did not seem to present the most appropriate behavior considering recent events.

For those that want to find fault with people of different political views then themselves, this obviously presents a great opportunity doesn't if? Just another golden opportunity to bash the other side. Attitudes like that make a person no better than the media whores who make a living spewing hate and vitrol.

Like I started out my post, "WTF is wrong with people?"

Get real folks!

Is he not the President of the U.S.A.?

Does he not have the power to dictate whether a somber environment is maintained?

Did he not have the power to restrict the cheer-leading?

Did he cry 'Clinton tears'?

Everything this man does has a political bent about it.

quote Originally posted by Formula88: This tragedy has been a surreal experience in seeing people seize a "crisis" to further their own agenda. Kudos to President Obama for giving a respectful and appropriate speech.

Sounds like i need to go read the speech. I may not like the guy or his politics so i wouldnt have normally, but if he does a good thing he deserves credit for it.

And i agree, a event like this calls for respect, not waving t-shirts and clapping.

quote Originally posted by User00013170: Only to an extent as people will do what they want. He has more power to chastise them afterward then control them up front.

I'm sorry, I can't accept that. His team stages EVERY event, down to placing tele-prompters for a 3rd grade class. They had the power to limit who came to the microphone and how much time they had.

His speech alone, which COULD have been done from the Oval Office, lasted 33 minutes. It was a political speech, masked in crocodile tears down to the t-shirts and the standing ovations. He had the power, not the will, to stop it.

I offer for contrast:

[This message has been edited by texasfiero (edited 01-13-2011).]

quote Originally posted by texasfiero: His speech alone, which COULD have been done from the Oval Office, lasted 33 minutes.

Not defending the guy, and agree he could have done it remotely just as well, but you know if he did that he would have been raked over the coals like Bush was for his 'flyover' of the Katrina disaster. " he doesn't care "

Sometimes no matter what you do, someone isn't going to like it so you do what you think is best and to hell what people think.

quote Originally posted by texasfiero: I'm sorry, I can't accept that. His team stages EVERY event, down to placing tele-prompters for a 3rd grade class. They had the power to limit who came to the microphone and how much time they had. His speech alone, which COULD have been done from the Oval Office, lasted 33 minutes. It was a political speech, masked in crocodile tears down to the t-shirts and the standing ovations. He had the power, not the will, to stop it. I offer for contrast:

are you trying to imply that previous presidents did NOT pre-plan?

and - really - you actually think doing a speech from orbit would have been in option is your insipid example?
being these kind of speeches are normally done at the scene......

keep trying to wrestle this to fit your agenda....but, is fitting with the thread...gj

Fellas,

Two points here: (intended for the liberals),

First: Obama and his liberal handlers, tried to imply, by phrasing this loaded statement: (i'm paraphrasing), 'We should stop the pointing of blaming the other side for this senseless act'. Being a sales manager I can see this method of phraseology for what it is--throw the first punch or accusation, and the defense therefore, has to answer to a negative, which is never successful. The liberals, who are reading this, should understand the Republican's NEVER blamed others, or suggested an outside third party, was the actual instigator to this horrific act! ONLY the liberal press and Obama marched to this accusation because it cannot be argued against, without the second scud-missile attack that by answering their besotted liberal thinking all American would hug together singing Kumbaya.

Second: If Obama REALY cared about the ceremony, the grieving families and its sanctity, all he had to do was to say to those who are whistling and whooping it up, to STOP! If Obama directed them, they would have paid attention. He did not do so, because he understood that this is a crisis that he, and his ex- chief of staff Emanual know, should not go to waste to highlight their agenda . Shame on Obama.

Cordially,
Kevin

quote Originally posted by kevin: Fellas, Two points here: (intended for the liberals), First: Obama and his liberal handlers, tried to imply, by phrasing this loaded statement: (i'm paraphrasing), 'We should stop the pointing of blaming the other side for this senseless act'. Being a sales manager I can see this method of phraseology for what it is--throw the first punch or accusation, and the defense therefore, has to answer to a negative, which is never successful. The liberals, who are reading this, should understand the Republican's NEVER blamed others, or suggested an outside third party, was the actual instigator to this horrific act! ONLY the liberal press and Obama marched to this accusation because it cannot be argued against, without the second scud-missile attack that by answering their besotted liberal thinking all American would hug together singing Kumbaya. Second: If Obama REALY cared about the ceremony, the grieving families and its sanctity, all he had to do was to say to those who are whistling and whooping it up, to STOP! If Obama directed them, they would have paid attention. He did not do so, because he understood that this is a crisis that he, and his ex- chief of staff Emanual know, should not go to waste to highlight their agenda . Shame on Obama. Cordially, Kevin

Bingo!

quote Originally posted by kevin: Fellas, Two points here: (intended for the liberals), First: Obama and his liberal handlers, tried to imply, by phrasing this loaded statement: (i'm paraphrasing), 'We should stop the pointing of blaming the other side for this senseless act'. Being a sales manager I can see this method of phraseology for what it is--throw the first punch or accusation, and the defense therefore, has to answer to a negative, which is never successful. The liberals, who are reading this, should understand the Republican's NEVER blamed others, or suggested an outside third party, was the actual instigator to this horrific act! ONLY the liberal press and Obama marched to this accusation because it cannot be argued against, without the second scud-missile attack that by answering their besotted liberal thinking all American would hug together singing Kumbaya. Second: If Obama REALY cared about the ceremony, the grieving families and its sanctity, all he had to do was to say to those who are whistling and whooping it up, to STOP! If Obama directed them, they would have paid attention. He did not do so, because he understood that this is a crisis that he, and his ex- chief of staff Emanual know, should not go to waste to highlight their agenda . Shame on Obama. Cordially, Kevin

Someone looking to find fault in any situation will. No matter what Obama did during this speech, I am sure that you and many others would find something to nitpick. Our society is the problem. Do you know what Obama said? Probably not, but here is the snippet that alludes to polarization in our countries politics.

quote You see, when a tragedy like this strikes, it is part of our nature to demand explanations - to try to impose some order on the chaos, and make sense out of that which seems senseless. Already we've seen a national conversation commence, not only about the motivations behind these killings, but about everything from the merits of gun safety laws to the adequacy of our mental health systems. Much of this process, of debating what might be done to prevent such tragedies in the future, is an essential ingredient in our exercise of self-government. But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized - at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do - it's important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.

Your paraphrase of his words does nothing but put your own "spin" on the situation. This is exactly what the "liberal press" you have also mentioned in your post does. Do you see how that works? In case you didn't notice, this could also be seen as a a polite way for Obama to tell the people on his "side" to lay off the blame game.

Here is a link to the text of the speech in its entirety if anyone is interested.

Barack Obama Tucson Speech in full

Obama's a liar, and I don't give a flip what he says. Before reading this thread, I couldn't understand why the media has made such a big deal out of this thing. I mean, there are shootings every friggin day! The prisons are full of crazies who killed someone just for making eye contact, and the cemeteries are full of their victims. I thought it must be because the target was a Congresswoman. But no, I get it now, it's a big deal because the Left wants to use it. That's almost as sad as the death & carnage. I am really sick of American politics. Our society will very soon go over the edge into anarchy.

quote Originally posted by kevin: Fellas, I think it is interesting, and ironic, that gun sales in Tucson rose by over 65% in the last few days If one of the people in the crowd had a gun, they could have shot this lunatic after his first two or three shots and possibly saved a few lives . A well armed society is a polite society. "Cordially", Kevin

Or more likely they would have shot a few innocent bystanders.


Believe it or (likely) not, more guns aren't the answer to every situation.

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[This message has been edited by NEPTUNE (edited 01-13-2011).]

quote Originally posted by NEPTUNE: Believe it or not, more guns aren't the answer to every situation.

I'd rather be armed. Chances are if a person who concealed carryed a firearm was nearby more liberals (in attendance there) would still be alive today...

quote Originally posted by twofatguys: Huh? I just read a thread of people saying that President Obama gave a good speech, but the college students in the crowd (no political affiliation given) acted disrespectfully. What thread were you reading? Brad Edit: Speaking of immature, and disrespectful, what's with the 5th grade name calling? Are you really a 12 year old boy on the playground?

Cherry picking your posts for effect? There are plenty of nasty posts he was referring to.

quote Originally posted by kevin: Shame on Obama. Cordially, Kevin

In a president's first term seldom does he ever do anything without having his mind's eye on his reelection, in his second term it shifts to his legacy.
Last night was no exception.

quote Originally posted by weaselbeak: "Obama's a liar, and I don't give a flip what he says." Says it all for this whole thread. At least you're honest. I think Bush was a liar and I don't care what he said either. So what?

So it doesn't matter how nice his words are, his heart is evil. I might have been interested in watching the thing if he had not been a speaker. My stomach turns at the sight of his smug face on the TV.

WTF was with the thousands of t-shirts ? From everything I've seen, the President showed more class than I thought him capable of; but the crowd and all the 'yes we can' (or whatever) t-shirts made the whole thing come off wrong. Minus those things, Obama could have really shined there.

If you like Obama you liked the speech. If not you didn't like it. Obviously you totally ignored the message to slam the messenger. No surprises here.

You want to know what is wrong with Democrats? Read the article below.
http://www.newsmax.com/Head...2011/01/13/id/382785

quote Even before the applause for President Barack Obama’s homily on civility faded in Tucson, leading figures on the left appeared to be dusting off plans to use the tragedy to push for reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine in a bid to muzzle talk radio. “Free speech is as free speech does,” Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., declared the day after the shooting. “You cannot yell ‘fire’ in a crowded theater and call it free speech. And some of what I hear, and is being called free speech, is worse than that.” Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., had expressed similar sentiments, complaining that the Federal Communications Commission simply is “not working anymore.” “What I’d like to see is if we could all get together on both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans, and really talk about what we can do to cool down the country,” Slaughter told TheHill.com. “Part of that has to be what they’re hearing over the airwaves.” Adding to the concern that some in Washington want to use the shooting rampage that left six dead to elevate civility and political correctness above freedom of speech: Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chaffee's announcement that he will boycott talk-radio appearances and ban all state employees from commenting to talk-radio hosts. Chaffee castigated talk radio as “more entertainment than journalism” and blamed it for the nation’s caustic partisan squabbles over politics. Chaffee, a Republican who turned independent, was forced to modify his directive Tuesday, after it was pointed out to him that his order would prevent emergency-response officials and police from advising the public what they should do during weather situations, traffic blockages, and other circumstances. The reaction from the right to the linkage between the alleged act of a mentally unstable 22-year-old who apparently had harbored a grudge against Rep. Gabrielle Giffords since 2007, and ongoing efforts on the left to return political dialogue to the pre-Ronald Reagan days of network communications hegemony, triggered a predictable, immediate reaction. “What are we seeing again after this week in the shooting?” Fox News host Glenn Beck said Wednesday evening on his program. “We’re seeing them solve problems? No they’re not. They’re offering solutions to things that aren’t a problem. “You know, we had the Fairness Doctrine on talk radio. We had the Fairness Doctrine. It was in the 1950s and '60s and '70s. And while we had the Fairness Doctrine, we lost JFK, MLK, RFK. We had Reagan shot. We had Ford shot at twice. The Fairness Doctrine did not seem to reduce violence. Why, I wonder? That’s not going to work.” Former George W. Bush media adviser Mark McKinnon, one of the founders of the “No Labels” political movement that seeks a more bipartisan political dialogue, tells Newsmax that pushing the Fairness Doctrine is a non-starter. “Tragedies always generate consideration of a lot of ideas, some of them really bad,” McKinnon says. “Like the Fairness Doctrine. Free speech is American and democratic. Mandated speech is not.” Top radio talker Rush Limbaugh, meanwhile, reported on his show that activist Al Sharpton visited with FCC officials in the aftermath of the incident to pressure the agency to rein in free expression on the airwaves. “What I see is the Democrat Party, its representatives and its supporters on the American left, attempting to take a genuine human tragedy, and their first instinct is to politicize it, and that desire, their political desire, is to silence, to quiet people who they consider their opposition,” Limbaugh told listeners. "If that is not attempting to profit off murder, I don't know what it is.” Most analysts believe there is little chance the FCC, which recently voted to impose a modified version of the Net Neutrality regulation against the wishes of its Republican minority, could actually succeed in restoring the Fairness Doctrine. Conservatives maintain that the doctrine historically stifled free speech by requiring constant rebuttals from those with differing views — any attempt to reinstate it would draw an immediate legal challenge in the courts. Boston University Communications professor Tobe Berkovitz tells Newsmax there is “absolutely not” any reason to link the Tucson rampage to a reconsideration of the merits of the Fairness Doctrine. The effort to impose “fairness” on broadcast media, he points out, was based on the scarcity of frequency options available in the age of pre-digital media. Moreover, media content regulation traditionally has relied on the impact on “the average” viewer or listener, which clearly would not apply to the Tucson suspect, he says. “All regulation was based on this concept of spectrum scarcity and limited resources,” Berkovitz explains. “In today’s communications marketplace, in fact there’s more scarcity in print than there is over the electronic spectrum, whether it’s the number of cable television channels we have, the almost limited number of web sites and blogs, the FM spectrum, streaming audio. So the whole reason for the Fairness Doctrine has evaporated, regardless of your politics and whether you think the content is good or bad.” One lawmaker, Rep. Robert Brady, D-Pa., said after the killings in Tucson that he would introduce legislation to make it a crime to threaten or encourage violence against any federal official. Doing so, some may argue, would effectively create a political class that would enjoy special protections from the First Amendment liberties of others. The effort of both parties and the media to sift the heartbreaking events in Tucson for political fodder appears to be in direct opposition to the tenor or Obama’s remarks Tuesday, which won widespread plaudits from both sides of the aisle. “If this tragedy prompts reflection and debate, as it should, let’s make sure it’s worthy of those we have lost,” he said. “Let’s make sure it’s not on the usual plane of politics and point scoring and pettiness that drifts away with the next news cycle.” But conservatives worry that while the president presents his party’s genteel face to the public, others in his party and administration are busily seeking ways to shackle the GOP agenda of neutralizing the big-government agenda of the past two years. In the run-up to the president’s address, for example, Democrats dispatched unidentified sources to the media to launch not one but two new lines of political attack against conservatives. First, they objected that Sarah Palin’s use of the phrase “blood libel,” traditionally a term connected with persecution of Jews, was culturally insensitive and anti-Semitic. No less an authority than Harvard law professor and author Alan Dershowitz there was nothing wrong with Palin’s remark. No less a cultural icon than Rev. Franklin Graham has termed the blatant attempt to pin the blame for the shooting on Palin “outrageous.” The second round of anonymous leaks implied House Speaker John Boehner displayed coldhearted indifference to the Tucson tragedy by declining the president’s invitation to ride along on Air Force One and attend the event. As Boehner’s allies subsequently explained, the invitation from the White House was given for the sake of decorum. White House officials knew that Boehner had prior commitments that made leaving Washington difficult if not impossible. On the House floor Tuesday Boehner delivered a teary-eyed memorial for the victims and their families. Later that evening he hosted a reception for the members of the Republican National Committee, which is preparing to select a chairman. McKinnon tells Newsmax the attack on Boehner “is precisely the kind of thing President Obama was saying last night we need to avoid. It's partisan, petty and and not helpful to healing.” The Wall Street Journal’s Daniel Henninger weighed in Thursday on whether Obama’s call for a less vitriolic rhetoric will bear fruit. “The divide between this strain of the American left and its conservative opponents is about more than politics and policy,” he wrote. “It goes back a long way, it is deep, and it will never be bridged."

There are idiots on, and straddled, both sides of the fence. Most aren't worried about the purpose of the event (memorial), only how they can best use it to their advantage. Most americans are self absorbed, and selfish, unfortunately. Most americans would benefit with ettiquette and moral instruction. The disintegration of family and nobody at home to raise their children has been very destructive for our country.

Jane

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Imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality