Nightmare In Tucson

Gary Bauer, Contributing Author: The murderous attack by 22-year-old Jared Loughner on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and dozens of other Americans is yet another body blow to our constitutional republic. Congresswoman Giffords is in critical condition. Six people were killed including federal judge John Roll and a nine year-old girl, Christina Green, who was born on September 11, 2001. Fourteen other people are being treated for their wounds.

We join millions of Americans in praying for Congresswoman Giffords' recovery, along with the others who were wounded, and for the families who lost loved ones. We ask for God's comfort for all the families touched by this evil act.

Who Is The Killer? Jared Lee Loughner appears to be a seriously mentally ill individual who had been obsessed with Congresswoman Giffords for years. He attended one of her "Congress On Your Corner" events in 2007 and kept the form letter he received after that event in a safe in his parent's home. A former classmate, Caitie Parker, called Loughner "left wing" and "a pothead."

Among his favorite books are Hitler's Mein Kampf and Marx's Communist Manifesto. Some reports indicate he hated religion and often railed against God. The New York Daily News reports that he had a "sinister shrine" in his backyard revealing a possible occult influence. From February to September 2010, campus police at Pima Community College were called to subdue Loughner five times for causing classroom disruptions. I'm sure we will learn more in the days ahead. 

Left Exploits The Tragedy As millions of Americans heard the news of this vicious attack, the natural reaction to pray and be concerned for the dead and wounded. But on the ideological left, there was an immediate, shameless attempt to exploit the incident and smear conservatives.

MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, whose own vitriolic rhetoric against conservatives is legendary, blamed Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly for the assassination attempt. Within in an hour of the shooting, left-wing websites like the Democratic Underground and Daily Kos were filled with comments from left-wing activists suggesting that the Tea Party, Rush Limbaugh and anyone opposing Barack Obama were responsible.

Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC) blamed conservative Sharron Angle, who lost her race against Harry Reid. Congressman Robert Brady (D-PA) used the murder spree as an excuse to promote legislation that would criminalize certain criticisms of elected officials.

New York Times left-wing columnist Paul Krugman intoned that "violent acts are what happens 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." The Washington, D.C., newspaper Politico quoted an unnamed Democrat political consultant as saying that President Obama and his operatives needed to hang this event around the necks of the right.

To blame conservatives for the action of this assassin is to engage in exactly the kind of "hate speech" the left claims it wants to end. In fact, it has been the political left that has regularly tried to demonize millions of Americans who hold conservative views.

Tea Party supporters have been regularly labeled as racists. Conservatives who cite moral values in debates over same-sex "marriage" or abortion have been repeatedly called "the American Taliban." Just a few weeks ago, Democrat senators and even Barack Obama suggested that negotiating with Republicans on tax cuts was like negotiating with hostage takers.

The smear campaign against conservatives in the wake of the shooting spree is beyond disgusting. It is a part of the ongoing campaign to demonize, delegitimize and ultimately silence millions of Americans who want constitutional government, lower taxes, less power concentrated in Washington, life to be protected and marriage to remain the union of one man and one woman.

To Krugman, Olbermann and the rest of their ilk: You should be ashamed of yourselves!

The Substance of Symbolism The recitation of the Constitution, the first order of business for the new House on January 6th, clearly bothered many Democrats and their media allies. Liberal Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) scoffed that the reading was "purely symbolic." Many liberal diehards refused to participate.

The initial moves of the new Congress may seem to be guided more by symbolism than by substance. But symbolism matters in politics. Symbols can be powerful reminders of what the parties stand for. & And, as I argue in my Human Events column today, the symbolism of the House's action couldn't have been more needed. It punctuated the 112th Congress' historic undertaking: a recommitment to constitutional governance.
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Gary Bauer is is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families.

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