Tea Party Express Calls Jared Lee Loughner Liberal, Fundraises Off of Media 'Slander'

[cali]

Posted Tuesday, January 11, 2011 1:16 PM | By David Weigel

Act I of the politicization of the Tucson shooting was pundits and liberal politicians asking if right-wing rhetoric contributed to the violence. Act II was conservatives rejecting this and pointing out, by the way, that the media did not rush to judgment when Nidal Hassan killed 12 people at Fort Hood.

Act III is the conservative fightback, as exemplified by this message from the Tea Party Express to its members.

Dear Friends:

The attack on conservatives and the tea party movement has continued over the past 24 hours. Media figures and liberal activists continue to falsely suggest that Rush Limbaugh, Gov. Sarah Palin and the tea party movement had anything to do with the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

They've launched this attack even though they know it is a total and complete lie.

During the past few days friends of the shooter, Jared Loughner, have stepped forward to say that they knew him to be a political liberal. He admired the Communist Manifesto and burned the American flag.*

<snip>

http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/weigel/archive/2011/01/11/tea-party-express-calls-jared-lee-loughner-liberal-fundraises-off-of-media-slander.aspx

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. It should be Tea Party Lite - to match the void in their heads.

[Botany]

2. Sal Russo the founder of the tea party express has been a dick and ..

.... and a republican operative since 1966. When you have no shame you can do anything
you want.

[tularetom]

3. That David Weigel he sure does love him some tea party

He must get tired jumping backward through his own asshole defending them.

Fortunately it appears that Countdown no longer has him on.

[underpants]

4. Just like the NRA will fund raise off of it and the the RW will play victims and extend the endless

issue that is gun control

[Kurovski]

5. This is all going to get worse before it gets better.

The Outragatron 2000 is nuclear-fueled now.

[pipoman]

6. It's hard to deny, what with the hundred of threads right here on DU

that many Democrats and liberals rushed to blaming them and the right. It isn't surprising that they are now, that it is becoming apparent he really wasn't very political one way or the other, lashing out.

[Kurovski]

7. I just fucking hate to say this, but...

they started it. And the state of the state for thirty years has been: they are going to do it no matter what the fuck happens. So...you can sit there and get shit upon, or toss a turd back at'em. Like, y'know--a super-duper real turd. Not a manufactured peanut-butter-covered baby ruth. (I'm assuming you are around fifteen years old, or are new to paying attention to politics.)

The fact that nothing is yet apparent, and all info has not been released puts you as a crouton atop the Right-Left poop soup you decry by stating that "it is becoming apparent he really wasn't very political...".

[pipoman]

9. "They started it"

And you call me 15? You, are a fucking joke.

[Kurovski]

11. Now you got it.

See ya, crouton.

[HuckleB]

8. This crap began on the day of the shooting.

They knew that their rhetoric was putting people at risk, and we knew that it was putting people at risk. The chickens came home to roost, and Democrats paid the price. No one should let the hate mongerers off the hook.

[pipoman]

10. I am all about having the discussion about inflamitory, provacative

speech. It is a monumental mistake to begin that discussion based on an event which it isn't crystal clear was inflamed by these right wing haters. It is no more effective than those calling for gun control on rifles based on this incident, which had nothing to do with rifles.

It would be a mistake for Obama to frame the discussion around the screamers on the right when the real cause of this incident was mental illness. How about we talk about the sorely under funded mental health system in this country (thanks to St. Ronny of course).

[WinkyDink]

12. Funny how the mentally-ill never kill Republicans. Maybe because they don't listen to Left-Wing Rant

Radio?

[HuckleB]

13. You claim to know the real cause, yet you have no ability to know the real cause.

And yet when others point to his clearly right wing youtube rants, you say they have no evidence of the guy's current political leanings.

Bizarre.

"That guy must be crazy"
http://scienceblogs.com/webeasties/2011/01/that_guy_must_be_crazy.php