Do you accept that there is some rhetoric that is out of bounds? To me, this smells too much like manufactured balance a la CNN, where we have to have to treat opposing views equally, even when that's ridiculous.

I believe 100% that David Duke and Fred Phelps are over the line and should be ignored, but I doubt that they have been over the line 100 years ago. Isn't that evidence of progress? And shouldn't we continue to move that line? Not through legislation, but through evolving mores and decency?

i wonder if that's more because of a fear of impending gun restrictions or fear of the kooks

Well, if Arizona was a a wild west town with more lax laws than Tombstone, someone would have shot back...and more random bystanders would be killed

I am now finally picking up something I mentioned Saturday, and that is that people are much more interested in mental health issues than the debate over who says what and how.

Fu, I hear ya, and if I could work the iPad better, I would have long ago posted a clip of The Simpsons where Paul Anka and Bart write the "Just Dont Look" song to stop the advertising monsters run amok. That is your real answer. Ignore these morons. I have long since switched off the cable news channels, save for The Only Civil Show in America - Morning Joe.

This has been one of my tactics in just removing myself from getting worked up over people like Beck, Rush, etc. Once you break down the system and realize that these people are hired to hit a certain demographic, then things get a little less fuzzy. Then, when you break it down further that these shows are there to make money (advertising), and that they certainly are not on air to create awareness of anything. Unfortunately, people kid themselves that people are on tv for some public good. This is wrong. They are on-air to make money. Whatever pulls in the money, will put on air.

I curbed my politics diet by probably 90% a few months ago. Echo chambers and made me feel annoyed and frustrated, so I don't pay much attention right now.

I absolutely agree that one thing we should improve in the wake of this is improving our mental health programs and resources. Unfortunately, in LOWER TAXES OR DIE states like Arizona (and Texas), massive budget shortfalls only make an inadequate system even worse.

I pay a lot of attention, but not to what anyone says.

Once ol CCSP (Christian Conservative Sarah Palin) gets drubbed in her next run for office, she will fall by the wayside except for appearances at Jesus Based Learning Centers, and places like CPAC - you know, the place 90% of people, even in a "Buckle of the Bible Belt"-style of state like Bammer, completely fuckihg ignore.

I could be wrong, but I think she's doing herself pretty bad in the aftermath of this whole thing. I agreed with David Frum's criticism of her apology, and rather than seizing an opportunity to show what kind of leader she could be, she's dug her heels in, made excuses, and now starts throwing "blood libel" around. You're the pro, but in my not-at-all professional opinion, she should have sent her condolences, accept responsibility for errors in past judgment, pledge to be more civil, and then lie low for a couple months as opposed to keep getting your name attached to the shooting (deserved or not), and then pissing off the Jews (who run the media).

I fled to what I call "the quiet news" aka The PBS News Hour sometime in 2009 and haven't really regretted it a bit. I catch a little ScarJo and Imus sometimes and still monitor the Limbaugh/Beck/Hannity circuit on the radio, but cable news is frankly, beneath me.

I did the same. I guess I'm just too relaxed for cable news. Too aggro most of the time.

source? Also, people are idiots. "O'Baumer gon' outlaw dem Glocks!"



That's all we'll get, because like Gar said, politics is about winning, losing and power. Those who seek political office have one agenda: get me some power, get re-elected, and in the current GOP/TeaParty: fuck over the other side's agenda.

Let it never be said legislation can't be pushed through quickly if needed:

But, her base is the 20-30% of the country that is HARDCORE conservative, "If a Dumbocrook politician is moving his lips he's lying to steal my money and give it to teh blacks/let mexies steal mah job/implement Sharia Law" who frankly don't want her to moderate, and hate Jews anyway.

Which is why TPaw dropped a suttle bomb on her, and why in the end she won't run for office, or will run and get drubbed like a cheap gong. She doesn't need public office, what she needs is the ability to rile up her voters, and make money.

Also, http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/jar ... ews_b48040

Thanks. I was just coming to post a couple of sources.

EXACTLY. She can go around working the same act she started on the campaign trail in '08, doing Facebook/Twitter posts on the issue du jour (it's funny how in a presidential campaign you are always trying to "win" the day's media coverage--Sayra has been working this same strategy for something like 30 straight months now. Exhausting.) and never really have to have an actual policy or governing philosophy. Oh yeah, and make money at it. Nice work if you can get it.

Like I needed MORE of a reason to hate humans.

Barry was pretty brilliant tonight.

Pretty moving stuff.

Not exactly the same thing, but remember immediately after the 2008 election:

:p

He definitely struck a better tone that CCSP.

Also, anyone read the stories about Loughner's morning? The dad confronts him and he runs off with a black bag. Gets pulled over by the cops, for running a red light, but gets let go for lack of PC.

If only the fucking dad calls the cops and says "he might hurt someone or hurt himself" everything is averted.

You really are a living, breathing, buzzkill.

Must you ruin EVERYTHING.

Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Life is full of experiences like this. Maybe it would have been averted that day, but who's to say he wouldn't have done something more catastrophic (see Timothy McVeigh). Guilt is a dangerous thing. I'm sure the father is wrestling with this right now, and replaying the morning over and over in his head. Hindsight is always 20/20.

On a semi-related noted, has Monty posted since the shooting?