Grijalva: Tea Party Must Look At Their Own Behavior

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who represents a district adjacent to Gabrielle Giffords's, said that Saturday's shooting is a consequence of the vitriolic rhetoric that has arisen over the past few years among extreme elements of the Tea Party.

"The climate has gotten so toxic in our political discourse, setting up for this kind of reaction for too long. It's unfortunate to say that. I hate to say that," Grijalva said in an interview with The Huffington Post. "If you're an opponent, you're a deadly enemy," Grijalva said of the mindset among Arizona extremists. "Anybody who contributed to feeding this monster had better step back and realize they're threatening our form of government."

Grijalva said that Tea Party leader Sarah Palin should reflect on the rhetoric that she has employed. "She -- as I mentioned, people contributing to this toxic climate -- Ms. Palin needs to look at her own behavior, and if she wants to help the public discourse, the best thing she could do is to keep quiet."

Grijalva said that his family has been provided with protection and that he expects further precautions will be taken by Capitol Police when he returns to Capitol Hill.

"Her whole future's ahead of her," Grijalva said of Giffords. "She's a moderate; I'm not. She's my friend. Our difference of opinion did not interfere with our friendship."

"This is a very sad day for the nation."

Comments

[Brooklyn Red Leg]

02:16 PM on 01/11/2011

>Grijalva said that Tea Party leader Sarah Palin should reflect on the rhetoric that she has employed.<

Apparently the Congressman is ignorant of the fact that Palin is NOT the Tea Party leader. If anyone is, its Dr. Ron Paul, who is an advocate of peaceful civil disobedience.

[sammi 56]

11:43 AM on 01/23/2011

The teaparty is 100% behind her --thats sounds like a leader to me.

[edgeninja]

03:24 AM on 01/11/2011

In your comment, you're saying "I'm a racist".

[bgnthree]

08:07 AM on 01/12/2011

yea sure I am

i guess its hate too

[thetruth92802]

10:13 PM on 01/10/2011

Blame Obama for the high gas prices

[thetruth92802]

10:12 PM on 01/10/2011

Jared Loughner, Alleged Shooter in Gabrielle Giffords Attack, Described by Classmate as "Left-Wing Radical

[sammi 56]

11:45 AM on 01/23/2011

Dream on.

[DUSAA-1775]

10:08 PM on 01/10/2011

How terribly sad for another political hack to to use these terrible murders for some cheap print time.

[Mondayboy]

01:00 PM on 01/11/2011

He is not a hack. He is a Congressman - are you jealous?

[DUSAA-1775]

01:31 PM on 01/11/2011

Are you seriously asking if I am jealous because I do not get the opportunity to cheapen the senseless deaths of so many for my hackneyed political gain?

[Blak Dayz]

02:45 PM on 01/12/2011

He is a congressional hack.

[Telemachus]

04:49 PM on 01/11/2011

Grijalva is a Congressman.

He represents a district that's adjacent to Giffords' district.

He has received death threats from Tea Party types.

Who would be more qualified to speak on this subject?

And yet here you are, calling him a "hack" and accusing him of "using" the situation for "cheap print time".

How terribly sad you have nothing of value to contribute.

[TeaLady005]

10:02 PM on 01/10/2011

Government today is "ruling" instead of "governing". --Have we forgotten the famous Pelosi "deem and pass" regarding the budget never voted on,,, and Reid's "reconciliation" voting? Have we forgotten Obamacare,,which was passed in the dead of night, on Christmas Eve, with bribes, and without anyone having time to read the 2,000 pages they were voting on? --Have we forgotten the unconstitutional takeover of private businesses using taxpayer money? --Have we forgotten the privately owned Federal Reserve printing money out of thin air to purchase bonds that fail to sell at auction...with no constitutional authority to do so? It is time to tie the hands of an out of control federal government that no longer is listening to the people/

[vascopyjama]

09:24 PM on 01/10/2011

The problem is that there is so much wrong with our present form of government that is doesn't take much to stir up the fringe element in our society. Why not go after the root cause and fix the present form of government. Holding politicians accountable and banning lobbyists would be a good start.

[freethinking moderate]

06:38 PM on 01/10/2011

Its not enough for these people to be right. They need to be RIGHTEOUS and this is what makes them such a threat to our country.

"What is objectionable, what is dangerous about extremists, is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents." – Robert Kennedy

[Blak Dayz]

02:47 PM on 01/12/2011

The quote best describes the bias evident in most posts on this site.

[Dora D]

06:25 PM on 01/10/2011

It is disgraceful how some are turning this tragic event into a political rally. Today I am ashamed to be a Democrat!

[glojet]

07:53 PM on 01/10/2011

i doubt u are one but ok. the only folks i have even heard even using the word "political' in the after math of all this...are republicans.

[LeFlaneur]

09:49 PM on 01/10/2011

Well... based on all your other posts I'd say... oh wait ... this is your one and only post.

[RepChicksDoRock1]

05:55 PM on 01/10/2011

The shooter was a registered independent. I'm sure you liberals are seething that he wasn't a tea partier.

[glojet]

07:54 PM on 01/10/2011

most of us are saddened by the loss of an elected official but way to try to be inflammatory...

[RepChicksDoRock1]

12:14 AM on 01/11/2011

Oh my... you must have not read the tens of thousands of comments from the liberals on this board about this being republicans or tea party members or Palin's fault.

And don't try to pretend that you know my reaction to this tradegy.

[Backtalkisahorse]

08:14 PM on 01/10/2011

well I can say personally that evertime I see a small sheet covering a Child's small dead body...I seethe. You?

[RepChicksDoRock1]

12:14 AM on 01/11/2011

Actually I mourn for all of those who lost their lives or are still fighting for their lives.

[thetokensquare]

05:08 PM on 01/10/2011

While the vitriol from the tea party types can get extreme, I'm not seeing much different from many of the posters here in this very article. For example:

realsocialist - "these tea baggers are domestic terrorist and should be treated as enemy combatants­."

It's like saying I'll let down my gun if you do. Who goes first? Apparently not realsocialist and so many others here. YIKES

[Telemachus]

05:17 PM on 01/10/2011

No, it's like saying put down the gun because you're waving it around like a domestic terrorist.

Yikes, indeed.

[RepChicksDoRock1]

06:03 PM on 01/10/2011

No it's like the President of our country who called conservatives "the enemy". Who calls the opposing party the enemy? What kind of man does that?

[RepChicksDoRock1]

06:15 PM on 01/10/2011

What about Obama's comment?

That's exactly what Barack Obama said he would do to counter Republican attacks "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun," Obama said at a Philadelphia fundraiser Friday night. "Because from what I understand folks in Philly like a good brawl. I've seen Eagles fans."

[ellawensmom]

04:56 PM on 01/10/2011

I'll say something...when I heard there was a shooting at a political meet and greet, I knew that a Democrat had been shot before I read it. No way was it going to be a Republican...

[Lorianne]

11:24 PM on 01/10/2011

The Federal Judge who was killed was a Republican and a conservative.
 

[ellawensmom]

04:46 PM on 01/10/2011

Why have I not seen just ONE person on the right say something like, "You know, I agree, we really do need to tone it down and start holding our heroes responsible."?

Just one person...

[really just the right]

10:52 PM on 01/10/2011

Perhaps it would be the discussion began with people calling us MURDERS!!

[ZeraLee]

07:53 AM on 01/11/2011

From Ann Coulter to Rush Limbaugh, the "right" has reacted to any request for civility as if it were a revocation of the First Amendment.

It is as if they consider themselves incapable of civil discourse.

[Q45]

04:33 PM on 01/10/2011

WHERE ARE OUR RESPONSIBLE GOP LEADERS AND WHY ARE THEY NOT HOLDING

NEWS CONFERENCES ONE AFTER ANOTHER DENOUNCING THEIR TRADEMARK

ABHORRENT BEHAVIOR?

[Laddy McFaddy]

04:50 PM on 01/10/2011

Because, as right wingers they are duty bound to worship hierarchy and the hierarchy in this case, as in most cases like this, sees apology as weakness. War is the answer. On all levels and at every opportunity. Compromise and non-hierarchical decision making process are for those pinko weaklings.

Google: Right-wing authoritarianism.
Some people have no shame. Ever.

[Q45]

05:26 PM on 01/10/2011

Thanks Laddy. It's also a fair and reasonable description of a cult. How creepy.

[bgnthree]

05:31 PM on 01/10/2011

yea look at their members ha te

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN5StQAr7n0&feature=related

[Q45]

06:28 PM on 01/10/2011

bgnthree this country has always had pockets of hate groups here and there where people vent their frustrations and in no way can that clip be compared to what actually happened this weekend.

BTW this clip is five years old and since that time I have not read or heard of this man killing anyone, nonetheless five people.

[mothergrace]

04:21 PM on 01/10/2011

I would like to know why there is a list of links below pertaining to violence supposedly promoted by the left (although these are generally one offs by comedians and such as opposed to the constant barrage from FNew) but whenever I try to post links arguing the other side, my comments do not make it through the mauds.