Free Republic

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- The deadly shooting spree in Colorado consumed the presidential campaign Friday, sidetracking a bitter political contest with a tragedy that at least temporarily brought the candidates together in common purpose. President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney altered their campaign schedules to address the killings.

President Barack Obama's reelection campaign is pulling down its attacks ads against Mitt Romney in the aftermath of the tragic mass shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, a spokeswoman says. "We have asked affiliates to pull down our contrast advertising for the time being," Jen Psaki told reporters, according to a pool report from the Washington Post's David Nakamura, traveling with Obama on a campaign swing through Florida. "It takes time for stations to be able to do this, but we are making every effort."

If I were 10 years old, would I be badgering my parents to take me to see the new Batman film, The Dark Knight? You bet I would. It's the latest and biggest release in the superhero genre, which children instantly understand as a direct appeal to their special interests. It's also touched with the alluring suggestion of forbidden fruit: the maniacal, deranged face of The Joker, grippingly played by the late Heath Ledger, leers from posters all over town. If I were the parent who relented and took a 10-year-old child to see The Dark Knight, would I be...