Too Much to Hope For

I guess it was too much to hope for that yesterday's tragedy would not be demagogued by the left for political gain.

Exhibit 1. H/T Hot Air. CNN attempts to tie yesterday's shooter to Sarah Palin without a shred of evidence. Of course, this same network was all over the "let's don't blame radical Islam" in the Major Hassan, Fort Hood shooting. Stinking hypocrisy.

Exhibit 2. H/T Drudge. In the never let a crisis go to waste category, from Politico:

One of the fiercest gun-control advocates in Congress, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), pounced on the shooting massacre in Tucson Sunday, promising to introduce legislation as soon as Monday.

The dead haven't even been buried and some of the wounded are still fighting for their lives, so let's make this political and start dividing the country.

Have you no shame?

Exhibit 3. Keith Olbmermann and commenters at DailyKos and other lefty sites are seeking to blame the Tea Party for "overheated rhetoric." Pardon me, but the Tea Party has always been about energizing an electorate to vote against more spending. Such a canard only further divides this country in a time of tragedy.

As Ed Morrissey pointed out in the original link, both parties use wartime rhetoric to describe their strategies and to rally their followers. Only the deranged take this to mean that actual violence is contemplated.

Exhibit 4. Daily Kos can blame Sarah Palin for putting a bullseye on Congresswoman Gifford's district, but takes down this diary, as if no one would notice (image courtesy of WND):

BoyBlue's excuse for posting and taking down? He meant no harm. But Moulitsas can somehow impugn Sarah Palin's motives? The left's rush to ascribe evil motive says more about their mind set than anything about the Tea Party.

The extreme of the left is always angry and full of vitriol. If they lose elections, they are angry at some conspiracy. If they win elections they are angry that they didn't win enough or they guy won't be lefty enough. If anyone is full of the hate they accuse everyone else of, it is themselves.

Eventually, all of the facts will come out in this case and we will be able to discern motive and mental capacity. In the mean time, could we tone down the rhetoric?

Why couldn't the left take their cue from this statement from our President?

This morning, in an unspeakable tragedy, a number of Americans were shot in Tucson, Arizona, at a constituent meeting with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. And while we are continuing to receive information, we know that some have passed away, and that Representative Giffords is gravely wounded.

We do not yet have all the answers. What we do know is that such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society. I ask all Americans to join me and Michelle in keeping Representative Giffords, the victims of this tragedy, and their families in our prayers.

His follow on statement wasn't bad either.

I would also like to commend Temple of Mut for a more detailed review of the issues surrounding the smear campaign conducted in the aftermath of this tragedy.