Post date: Jan 09, 2011 7:47:29 PM
In the aftermath of the mass shooting in Tucson, lawmakers in Washington comment on the negative political climate that dominated the 2010 elections. In the two years since Obama won the presidency, anti-government rhetoric has fueled the growth of the Republican Tea Party movement and and led them to win control of the House of Representative.
WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (JANUARY 9, 2011) REUTERS - Lawmakers say the the shooting of Arizona congresswoman happened against a backdrop of increasingly toxic political rhetoric surrounding the 2010 election.
Republicans and Democrats condemned the shooting of Democrat Gabrielle Giffords at a public event in Tucson.Trent Wassner, a Republican from Arizona, said the suspected gunman showed no respect "innocent human life and ultimately no respect for his fellow human beings."
"True tolerance is not pretending you have no differences, it is being kind and decent to each other in spite of those differences,"
It was a sentiment echoed by Cong. Emmanuel Cleave, a Democrat from Missouri blamed Washington who added, "The atmospheric condition is toxic and much of it originates here in Washington and we export it around the country.
Fueling the tension is increasingly charged climate that preceded the 2010 congressional elections, an election which saw a shift in power in the the House of Representatives and the rise of the Tea Party, advocates for fiscal conservatives.
Sarah Palin, the failed 2008 Republican candidate for vice president who has hinted at a possible run for president in 2012, has used some highly-charged language in fund-raising efforts and other forums and has sometimes been depicted toting a rifle.
Popular with the Tea Party movement, a loose union of conservatives who have pushed for more conservative fiscal policy, Palin has also featured a map on her website with crosshairs placed on the districts of key Democrats including Gifford's district.
Sharon Angel, the Republican opponent of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was criticized by the Nevada politician for being "too extreme" for her strong support of the second amendment, the right to bear arms.
Some Tea Party "town hall meetings" have included angry confrontations with incumbent members of Congress.
Republicans, however, are quick to point out that the suspected shooter might not have been acting out of political motivations.
But 10 months ago, in the midst of a tough reelection campaign, Representative Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona Democrat who was gunned down on Saturday, warned that she had been receiving violent threats. Shortly after she voted for Obama's healthcare reform bill, a window in one of her Arizona offices was smashed.
Several politicians have expressed similar concerns about security.
"I think it needs to be a wakeup call to members who have treated security in such a cavalier manner," Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat from Florida said.
In the aftermath of the Arizona shooting, there could be a pause in Washington's harsh talk and infighting, according to some analysts.