Paul Krugman: Assassination Attempt In Arizona

[cal04]

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/01/08/assassination-attempt-in-arizona/?src=twt&twt=NytimesKrugman

A Democratic Congresswoman has been shot in the head; another dozen were also shot.

We don’t have proof yet that this was political, but the odds are that it was. She’s been the target of violence before. And for those wondering why a Blue Dog Democrat, the kind Republicans might be able to work with, might be a target, the answer is that she’s a Democrat who survived what was otherwise a GOP sweep in Arizona, precisely because the Republicans nominated a Tea Party activist. (Her father says that “the whole Tea Party” was her enemy.) And yes, she was on Sarah Palin’s infamous “crosshairs” list.

Just yesterday, Ezra Klein remarked that opposition to health reform was getting scary. Actually, it’s been scary for quite a while, in a way that already reminded many of us of the climate that preceded the Oklahoma City bombing.

You know that Republicans will yell about the evils of partisanship whenever anyone tries to make a connection between the rhetoric of Beck, Limbaugh, etc. and the violence I fear we’re going to see in the months and years ahead. But violent acts are what happen when you create a climate of hate. And it’s long past time for the GOP’s leaders to take a stand against the hate-mongers.

[seabeyond]

1. they cant win without the hatemongering.... hence, it will continue. and justified. nt

[Johnny2X2X]

2. Too early for this

Even though my opinion might match Krugman's, this is too early and the Left will all look like fools and isiots if this isn't what we think.

[Faygo Kid]

3. Nails it. Superb, as usual.

"the answer is that she’s a Democrat who survived what was otherwise a GOP sweep in Arizona, precisely because the Republicans nominated a Tea Party activist."

[Tippy]

4. K&R....Republicans will not take a stand against the hate-mongers

They are the hate-mongers....I wish KOLD.com would quit reading Palens facebook comment....

[somone]

5. Krugman got it right: Assassination

[Peace Patriot]

6. A federal judge was killed in this attack, who had ruled in favor of immigrants

and was then targeted by rightwing hate radio followed by hundreds of death threats. He was given U.S. Marshalls' protection because of it. He was with Giffords at this event, and there are numerous reports that he was killed by the shooter.

I think it's possible that he was the main target--given this history. I know things got nasty around the health care bill--including Gifford's house getting trashed shortly after the health care vote--but I find it hard to believe that anyone would go on a shooting spree over people getting medical care help, even from the government, or over one "liberal" vote in what is now a Diebold/Puke Congress. Racism, however, is more notorious for inspiring hate crimes--and unhinging people. That's why I'm thinking the judge may have been the main target.

Another possibility is a plan to create general mayhem and terror--and that could be a wide range of possible perps (behind the shooter), up to and including government 'security' contractors, war profiteers of various kinds, secret far rightwing billionaires and their cabals, etc., or even a secret government plan to create conditions for heavy repression--for the Boot finally coming down here.

I've been looking into the recent murder (12/30/10) of John P. Wheeler, a highly-connected Air Force consultant--the man who was seen on the parking lot surveillance footage, looking disheveled and disoriented shortly before he was killed and his body stuffed into a dumpster or dump truck. He was working for a corporation, Mitre, with ties to Saudi businessmen who were funneling money to Osama bin Laden. Mitre is a very, very big, very, very important, very, very central high tech corporation with at least five federal R&D contracts, mostly for the Defense Dept, and operations across the U.S. and all over the world involving airspace protection and other critical defense and war systems. I'm thinking the "conspiracy theory" thought that this shooting spree in Arizona was triggered to drive the Wheeler murder out of the headlines. Though it seems far out, it is another possibility. There is so much weirdness in the Wheeler murder that I think there is a very high probability that this was some kind of insider hit--possibly a hit that went wrong, with the assassins then hunting him down and finishing him off. And if that is true, then there could serious reason to get it out of the newsstream--serious enough to deploy a "mayhem and terror" shooting spree like this. The shooter may have had individual motives--or may be just nuts--but was he being "controlled"? That is an important question about this shooter, whatever may lie behind the shooting.