DNC's Debbie Wasserman Schultz Uncivil for Blaming the Tea Party for Giffords Shooting
COMMENTARY | Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, blamed the tea party for the shooting of Rep, Gabrielle Giffords, according to the Washington Examiner. She made this charge during a broadcast on C-Span2.
To be fair, Wasserman Schultz did not suggest a conspiracy among the tea party to take out the moderate Democrat from Arizona. Without apparent irony, she blamed the "lack of civility" in political discourse which she blamed on the tea party. She pointed to raucous town hall meetings where tea party members confronted their members of Congress over their vote to impose health care reform as evidence.
One could wonder what is so civil about accusing one's political opponents of being complicit in the maiming of a member of Congress and mass murder. In the alternate universe in which Wassermann Schultz resides, calling one's representative in Congress on a vote for a bill most Americans still abhor is "uncivil." Accusing the same people of inspiring a mass shooting is just casual conversation on a morning talk show.
It should be noted, as it was when Sarah Palin was accused of being the inspiration for the shooting, that the crime was committed by Jared Lougnher, a mentally disturbed man with no obvious political agendas.
Wasserman Schultz was not just being goofy by slinging this accusation against the tea party. Her statement had two purposes.
The first purpose was to demonize the tea party as purveyors of political violence. If their cause, smaller government, less spending, and lower taxes can be associated with a crazy man shooting up a Safeway parking lot, then the said cause will be less likely to advance.
The second purpose is to try to shut the tea party up or at least distract its followers into defending themselves against the charge. The more time that the discussion is about whether or not the tea party is racist, sexist, homophobic, and violent and the less time is spent discussing how the government is bloated and unwieldy, the better from the point of view of Wasserman Shultz.
On the other hand, the statement makes the head of the DNC look silly. It is a sword that cuts both ways.
Source: DNC chair blames Tea Party for Tucson shooting, Joel Gahrke, Washington Examiner, Jan 11, 2011
Published by Mark Whittington
Mark R. Whittington is a writer residing in Houston, Texas. He is the author of The Last Moonwalker, Children of Apollo, Dark Sanction, and Nocturne. He has written numerous articles, some for the Washington... View profile
- Tea Party Protest Not Political Party RallyTea Party protests are for the people to speak and must not be a platform for politicians to campaign. Politicians need to stay home and listen.
2009 Memphis Tax Day Tea Party Held in Audobon ParkThe party was planned but how many showed up? This article describes the 2009 Tax Day Tea Party held in Memphis and highlights signage.- Tea Party GamesTea parties are no longer just about tea. Incorporating fun games into your tea party will keep people interested and awake.
Top 3 Tea Party Games for AdultsTea parties are a fun way to sit with friends and chat about the neighbors. But after the conversations are over, what else is there to do? Answer: Tea party games!
Promoting a 9/12 Group or Tea PartyPromotion tips for your 9/12 group or Tea Party.
- New DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Shultz Makes Inauspicious Debut
- Host a Tea Party No One Will Forget!
- How to Have an Earth Friendly Tea Party
- How to Host a Sweet Old Fashioned Tea Party with Tea Party Games
- How to Host a Little Girl Tea Party
- Where to Find Free Printable Tea Party Invitations
- Top Five Tea Party Kids' Games
2 Comments
Post a CommentIt's so refreshing to see and article get it right. Thanks, Mark. I often find the outrageous statements of Wasserman-Shultz and her ilk upsetting, but when you call her out for it, it at least makes me feel like I'm not losing my mind. She goes on to lament that she doesn't think it's fair that instead of simply having a difference of opinion, some people at Townhalls have called her a "liar". This woman says things that are so far from the truth that they can only be defined as "lies". There is a huge difference between having a different opinion and manufacturing an alternate Universe that distorts the truth far beyond recognition for political gain. You can have your own opinion, but not your own facts.
I have no respect for your comments. The Gffords shooting was the result of a "deranged individual" but I didn't expect "deranged remarks" about it coming from the Democratic party. I know the Obama team would like to blame Santa Clause for its own impotence in leading the country, but this takes the cake, I suppose you should be careful "what you promise". The Teaparty in this country is "calling our government, and particularly your President, out" for the outrageous direction this country has taken in the past 3 years. And I'm being kind cause I voted for Obama. Dismal disappointment. Determined not to make the same mistake twice.