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Arizona Shootings: 'It Was a Colossal Failure of Journalism'
American Spectator ^ | on 1.9.11 @ 10:24AM | By Robert Stacy McCain

Posted on 01/09/2011 11:18:10 AM PST by Behind Liberal Lines

There is no evidence that Loughner was a Sarah Palin fan. There is no evidence that he was associated with the Tea Party or that he was concerned with immigration. Instead, there is a steadily growing heap of evidence that Jared Loughner was suffering from a mental illness, quite possibly paranoid schizophrenia.

One of Loughner's classmates in high school and community college, Caitie Parker, voided much of the baseless media speculation with a few Twitter messages Saturday afternoon. Parker, herself a liberal, said Laughner was "a really good friend," whom she described as having been "left wing," "a political radical" and "quite liberal" when she knew him, although she lost touch with him after 2007 when he "became very reclusive." Loughner was a "loner" and a "pot head," Parker said ....

There was clear evidence that Loughner's mental condition was deteriorating. "He disrupted class frequently with nonsensical outbursts," said one student who had attended a pre-algebra class... with Loughner. In mid-December, Loughner wrote on his MySpace page, "I don't feel good: I'm ready to kill a police officer!"

In his recent online activity -- including a series of YouTube video texts transcribed by conservative blogger Warner Todd Huston -- Loughner unloaded paranoid gibberish about brainwashing and "mind control." Loughner listed Mein Kampf and the Communist Manifesto among his favorite books....

None of this lines up with the early reporting on the Tucson shooting which heavily implied that Gabrielle Giffords and 17 others were shot because of political activity of Palin and the Tea Party. And yet none of the news organizations that fed that frenzy of speculation has apologized for their irresponsible reporting.

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: gifford; giffords; jaredloughner; journalism; loughner; obama; palin; reichstagfire; shooting
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1 posted on 01/09/2011 11:18:13 AM PST by Behind Liberal Lines
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

What the hell is “conscience dreaming”? I’ve never heard anyone at the TEA Party rallies ever talk about that. Must be some kind of leftwing kook thing. Like “global warming”.


2 posted on 01/09/2011 11:21:32 AM PST by FlingWingFlyer (DNC memo - "Don't let this thing go to waste! Exploit! Exploit! Exploit!")
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

The guy was a classic left wing kook.


3 posted on 01/09/2011 11:25:07 AM PST by Cisco Nix (Real Conservatives stay sober and focused)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Plus he was a Gifford supporter, mad at her for voting against Pelosi. He had attended Gifford political events by invite in the past.

Why do we even have to listen to the vile attacks of teh left? They are inciting hatred against Sarah Palin and others.


4 posted on 01/09/2011 11:26:21 AM PST by Williams (It's the policies, stupid.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines
#11 January 9, 2011 at 9:47 am
Chisum commented:

Xian @ #3,,

Here you go.

I found this list at JOM.

Why don’t people who are so intent on blaming things politicians have said for this tragedy ever mention rhetoric from Democrats and liberals including:

President Obama:

“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,” Obama said in Philadelphia last night. “Because from what I understand, folks in Philly like a good brawl. I’ve seen Eagles fans.”

And “I need you to go out and talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors. I want you to talk to them whether they are independent or whether they are Republican. I want you to argue with them and get in their face.”

Or John Kerry who said on the Bill Maher show: “I could have gone to 1600 Pennsylvania and killed the real bird with one stone.”

Or Howard Dean “I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for…”

and: “This is a struggle between good and evil and we’re the good?”

and “we need to remember that the enemy here is George Bush, not each other.”

Or Senator Chuck Schumer who called a flight attendant a “bitch.”

Or the Florida Democrats who ran an ad calling for the assassination of Donald Rumsfeld

Or New York State Comptroller Alan Hevesi who called for Senator Schumer to “put a bullet between the president’s eyes?”

Or Jonathan Chait who said “I hate President George W. Bush.”

Or singer Rickie Lee Jones who aid of President Bush “You’re an ignorant, low-class, opportunistic man, both personally and politically, who does everything for political gain and nothing for the wellbeing of the people, and you should not be in office, and the kind of fascism you’re perpetrating on our country we don’t want, and you’re out. We’re done with you. Ffffhgggmm.”

And when asked if she would be willing to take Bush out for the benefit of democracy? “If I say that, I might get arrested when I go back. And I have to go home.” She’s thinking it out carefully. “I guess the question is, would I kill anyone? And the answer is, no. But would I feel sorry if someone killed him? No, I wouldn’t. It would depend on who killed him, I guess.”

Or “The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn” where they superimposed the words “Snipers Wanted” over an image of Bush delivering his acceptance speech at the Republican convention.

Or Nobel Peace Prize winner Betty Williams who said she could kill President Bush?

Or Randi Rhodes who joked about killing the President?

Or Reverend Wright who called Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Condoskeeza [sic] Rice.

Or England’s Charlie Brooker who wrote: “On November 2, the entire civilised world will be praying, praying Bush loses. And Sod’s law dictates he’ll probably win, thereby disproving the existence of God once and for all. The world will endure four more years of idiocy, arrogance and unwarranted bloodshed, with no benevolent deity to watch over and save us. John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley Jr – where are you now that we need you?”

5 posted on 01/09/2011 11:27:09 AM PST by B4Ranch (Do NOT remain seated until this ride comes to a full and complete stop! We're going the wrong way!)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

The leaders of the TEA Party ought to insist on public apologies, as should Sarah Palin. It is past time that the Leftist media is forced to own up to its scandalous accusations. In fact, they should be sued for libel and put out of business.


6 posted on 01/09/2011 11:27:27 AM PST by kittymyrib
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Will some “journalists” (propagandists) be SUED AT LAST for SLANDERING DEFAMATION ?

S. PALIN and Tea Parties should sue a bunch of fake journalists. It would be a good backclash !

Remember, “don’t let waste a good crisis” !


7 posted on 01/09/2011 11:27:35 AM PST by Ulysse (I)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

This is a leftwing kook. He was a gay commie.


8 posted on 01/09/2011 11:27:48 AM PST by GeronL (How DARE you have an opinion!!)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Actually there was some excellent reporting done as shown in the link below.

Too bad it was ignored by Shep/Whorealdo/Fox news and of course the left wing ABCNNBCBS mediots:

The local sheriff should pull his liberal head out of his rectum and read this article.

The local sheriff may be trying to blame Palin/Rush and other conservatives for his failure to do his job re this self identified potential terrorist. Like why did this nut case have a gun and get by with threatening to kill cops?

What was the relationship if any between the sheriff and the parents/mother of the killer if any.

Why haven’t we read one thing by the left wing mediots about the parents of this insane killer?

Below is the excellent article re the insane killer with a lot of his personal quotes. No where did he profess any love/devotion for Palin/Rush or the Tea Party.

http://azdailysun.com/news/local/state-and-regional/article_663d67a8-0e82-569b-a2fe-46306174e1fe.html

Suspect in rampage called ‘very disturbed’

TIM STELLER Arizona Daily Star azdailysun.com

The man arrested for opening fire at a community meeting held by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords Saturday — killing six people and injuring 13 others — disrupted classes at Pima Community College, tried to manipulate his dreams and posted rambling messages on the Internet.

The suspected shooter is Jared Lee Loughner, a 22-year-old who lives on the northwest side. He is mentally unstable and may have had an accomplice, Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said Saturday evening.

A former classmate of Loughner at Pima, from which he was suspended Sept. 29 for code-of-conduct violations, said he was “obviously very disturbed.”

“He disrupted class frequently with nonsensical outbursts,” said Lynda Sorenson, who took a math class with Loughner last summer at Pima Community College’s Northwest campus.

Dupnik said the suspected shooter has made death threats before and been contacted by law-enforcement officers. The threats weren’t against Giffords, Dupnik said.
Investigators are looking for a second person who may be an accomplice, Dupnik said. “We are not convinced he acted alone,” Dupnik said of the shooter. “We have photos,” he said, of a man in his 50s.

“There’s some reason to believe that (the shooter) came to this location with another individual. And there’s reason to believe the other individual would in some way be involved,” he said.

Loughner has several online accounts, which suggest he has spent most of his life on the northwest side: His MySpace profile says he attended Thornydale Elementary School, Tortolita Middle School and Mountain View High School.

As a middle school student, Loughner was “kind of an outcast,” said Shannin Macey, who said via e-mail she attended Tortolita and Mountain View with him.

In high school, Loughner was in jazz band and played the saxophone, but he dropped out in junior year, said Tommy Marriotti, who was a high-school friend of Loughner. At the time he dropped out, Loughner was having drug problems, Marriotti said, but he seemed to do well once he started taking classes at Pima.

Loughner attended Pima courses from summer 2005 until he withdrew in October after his suspension, the college said.

He tried to enlist in the Army in 2008 but was rejected, said First Sgt. Brian Homme, who oversees Army recruiting in Tucson. Loughner was sent to Phoenix to take a test and physical, but “he was found to be unqualified,” Homme said.

Loughner registered to vote for the first time in 2006, said Chris Roads, Pima County’s registrar of voters. He registered as an independent and last voted in the 2008 general election.

Sorenson, Loughner’s classmate at Pima, said he was asked to leave the pre-algebra class several times and eventually was barred from class.

Pima officials said in a news release that from February to September 2010, Loughner had five contacts with PCC police for classroom and library disruptions at Northwest and West campuses.

Another Pima classmate, Lydian Ali, said Loughner would frequently laugh aloud to himself during the advanced-poetry class they attended. Only about 16 people were in the class, so Loughner’s behavior stood out, Ali said.

“It almost seemed like he was on his own planet, because his comments would have nothing to do with what we were talking about,” Ali said.

Loughner’s online accounts contain some political comments but are dominated by bizarre discussions of his desire to establish a new currency and his disdain for what he considered the public’s low literacy rates. He also wrote threatening and despairing messages.

“WOW! I’m glad i didn’t kill myself. I’ll see you on National T.v.! This is foreshadow .... why doesn’t anyone talk to me? ..” he posted on MySpace Dec. 14.
On Dec. 13, he wrote: “I don’t feel good: I’m ready to kill a police officer! I can say it.”

In a posting on YouTube, Loughner wrote repeatedly about a new currency. “I’m thinking of creating a new currency,” he wrote. “Therefore, I’m thinking of a design for my new coins size, shape, color, material, and image to start a new money system.”

He also wrote repeatedly about literacy. In a message on YouTube, Loughner wrote: “The majority of people, who reside in District-8 are illiterate — hilarious. I don’t control your English grammar structure, but you control your English grammar structure.”

In a message posted on his MySpace account, titled “Goodbye friends,”Loughner said: “Dear friends...please don’t be mad at me. The literacy rate is below 5%. I haven’t talked to one person who is literate.” It was unclear when it was posted.

In a MySpace profile, Loughner said “My favorite interest was reading, and I studied grammar. Conscience dreams were a great study in college.” Conscious dreaming is trying to manipulate your dreams, an interest Loughner pursued, Marriotti said.

He lists among his favorite books “Mein Kampf” and “The Communist Manifesto”. But he also includes a broad variety of other titles, including: “Animal Farm,” “Brave New World,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”.

In another YouTube message, Loughner said: “I know who’s listening: Government Officials, and the People. Nearly all the people, who don’t know this accurate information of a new currency, aren’t aware of mind control and brainwash methods. If I have my civil rights, then this message wouldn’t have happen.”

“In conclusion, my ambition - is for informing literate dreamers about a new currency; in a few days, you know I’m conscience dreaming! Thank you!”

In a YouTube video dated Dec. 15, titled “Introduction: Jared Loughner,” he describes himself as a U.S. military recruit who had applied to join the Army.

In the video, Loughner makes a rambling mention of “MEPS in Phoenix” an apparent reference to the Military Entrance Processing Station in the state capital that all Arizona recruits from every branch of service pass through before leaving for basic training.

“Every United States military recruit at MEPS in Phoenix is receiving one mini bible before the tests,” it said. “Jared Loughner is a United States military recruit at MEPS in Phoenix. Therefore, Jared Loughner is receiving one mini bible before the tests.

“I didn’t write a belief on my Army application and the recruiter wrote on the application: None.”

Sgt. Homme declined to say why Loughner was rejected, citing confidentiality laws.

Loughner has had at least two minor run-ins with police, online court records show.

In October 2007, Loughner was cited by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department for possession of drug paraphernalia, a charge that was dismissed in November 2007 when he completed a diversion program.

One year later, in October 2008, Loughner faced a “local charge” in Marana Municipal Court. That charge was also dismissed following the completion of a diversion program in March 2009.

Court records indicate the Marana case file is due to be purged in December 2013. It’s unclear what the exact charge was.

Grant Wiens, 22, attended Mountain View High School with Loughner, although they were not in the same grade. Wiens also took a class at Pima Community College with Loughner, where they occasionally talked, he said.

“He was a guy in high school who definitely had his opinions on stuff and didn’t seem to care what people thought of him,” Wiens said. “He did his own thing.”

Star reporters Carol Ann Alaimo, Alex Dalenberg, Fernanda Echavarri, Patrick Finley, Ernesto Portillo Jr. and Sarah Trotto contributed to this report.


9 posted on 01/09/2011 11:27:59 AM PST by Grampa Dave (ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS DESTROYING AMERICA-LOOK AT WHAT IT DID TO THE WHITE HOUSE!)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

It matters not. Journalists have succeeded in setting the tone and defining the “truth” in many peoples’ minds. I nearly walked out of church this morning when the deacon who preached referred to much of this in his sermon this morning. I am still fuming about it.


10 posted on 01/09/2011 11:29:12 AM PST by Mygirlsmom (Giving back a little of what has been given to me: Proud monthly sponsor of FR.)
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To: Ulysse

It’s almost impossible for a public figure to win a slander suit.


11 posted on 01/09/2011 11:31:00 AM PST by Behind Liberal Lines
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

The liberal instituted policy of releasing mental patients and closing down the mental institutions inevitably bears its bitter fruit.


12 posted on 01/09/2011 11:31:15 AM PST by null and void (We are now in day 719 of our national holiday from reality. - 0bama really isn't one of US.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Way to go!

“As we understand it, there have been law enforcement contacts with the individual where he made threats to kill,” Dupnik said during a press conference Saturday evening. But he wouldn’t say who those threats were aimed at.

http://www.npr.org/2011/01/09/132780313/sheriff-accused-shooter-unhinged-made-threats?ps=rs


13 posted on 01/09/2011 11:31:20 AM PST by listenhillary (20 years in Reverend Wright's church is all I need to determine the "content of his character")
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Thank you for posting this. In the age of twitter and soundbites, those who shout the most extreme news gets the viewers.

I was appalled by the fact that they reported Rep. Giffords dead.


14 posted on 01/09/2011 11:31:30 AM PST by panthermom
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Can I be irresponsible? I’m willing to wager more than a few libs were hoping for an incident like this for just the opportunity to smear Palin and the Tea Partiers. As the article states, there’s absolutely no evidence that this nut was a fan of Palin or the Tea Party. Yet they raced to be the first to blame Palin for the crime. Nevermind all the Republicans “targeted” by Dem strategists in recent elections. The people blaming Palin and the TP are slime.


15 posted on 01/09/2011 11:32:31 AM PST by driftless2 (For long-term happiness, learn how to play the accordion.)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

16 posted on 01/09/2011 11:33:01 AM PST by rawcatslyentist (It is necessary that a person be born of a father who is a citizen; ~Vattel's Law of Nations)
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To: FlingWingFlyer
What the hell is “conscience dreaming”? I’ve never heard anyone at the TEA Party rallies ever talk about that. Must be some kind of leftwing kook thing. Like “global warming”.

I think that Mr. Everyone Is Undereducated Except Me probably meant "conscious dreaming," which, had he paid any attention to anything, has been called "lucid dreaming" since before he was born. He apparantly is not a very good speller, as well as not being a very good anything else.

17 posted on 01/09/2011 11:33:01 AM PST by Steely Tom (Obama goes on long after the thrill of Obama is gone)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines

Liberal bag of Druggie rat shit.

Born of Liberal parents.
Raised with liberal parenting.
Taught by Liberal teachers.
Lived the :anything Goes Liberal lifestyle.
Became a junkie like so many lineral spawnlings do.
Became a full fledged demented and delusional Liberal.
Swallowed the m,ind control BS of anyone who gave him, someone else to blame for his life.

Inevitably the end producy of the death cult Liberal zietgiest of thugs, sluts, and pervy boys.

Became a mass murderer.

The Left is a devolving death cult.


18 posted on 01/09/2011 11:33:33 AM PST by DGHoodini (Iran Azadi)
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To: B4Ranch
Or England’s Charlie Brooker who wrote: “On November 2, the entire civilised world will be praying, praying Bush loses. And Sod’s law dictates he’ll probably win, thereby disproving the existence of God once and for all. The world will endure four more years of idiocy, arrogance and unwarranted bloodshed, with no benevolent deity to watch over and save us.

That I have to admit was funny.

19 posted on 01/09/2011 11:33:38 AM PST by pnh102 (Regarding liberalism, always attribute to malice what you think can be explained by stupidity. - Me)
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To: Behind Liberal Lines
failure? why is this a failure?

The left wing has succeeded in telling their minions that the NAZI's were right wing, that communist were not bad and Islam is misunderstood.

how is this a failure?

How else is Sauron army going to be built without lies?

20 posted on 01/09/2011 11:34:48 AM PST by Steve Van Doorn (*in my best Eric cartman voice* 'I love you guys')
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