Tiller Murder: Ann Coulter's Happy Day?

The killing of Dr. George Tiller, who provided abortion services to women with the hardest cases, will likely be attributed to some lone and deranged individual, acting on his own. Indeed, Operation Rescue, the hold-no-prisoners anti-abortion group, issued an immediate statement from Operation Rescue President Troy Newman, decrying Tiller's shooting as "a cowardly act."

In fact, the hands are many in the death of George Tiller, some more directly than others. Take Ann Coulter, for example. I watched her describe, to a church full of right-wing activists, abortion-clinic doctors and health care personnel who were murdered as either having been shot, "...or, depending on your point of view, had a procedure performed on them with a rifle." And she's still out there today, spewing the same bile with violent force.

Several weeks ago, President Barack Obama's commencement address at Notre Dame University spurred controversy when anti-abortion activists pressed the Catholic university to withdraw its invitation to the pro-choice president. Coulter responded with the suggestion that for next year's ceremony, "Notre Dame have an abortionist perform an abortion live on stage? They could have a partial-birth abortion for the advanced degrees."

As if that wasn't enough, Coulter added this:

Being such a prestigious institution, Notre Dame could probably get famed partial-birth abortion practitioner George Tiller to do the demonstration at next year's graduation. Obama could help -- inasmuch as Tiller the abortionist is a close friend of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

George Tiller, M.D., was unlikely national figure, but to the religious right, he was Enemy Number One.

Close watchers of national news may have known the name of George Tiller from the extraordinary actions of former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline, who, three years ago subpoenaed from Tiller's clinic the records of hundreds of women who had undergone abortion procedures there. Kline, a frequent speaker at religious-right gatherings, claimed he needed the records for an investigation as to whether Tiller was following the law, but many in the reproductive health community saw Kline's actions as an attempt to intimidate women who were considering undergoing late-term abortions. Kline's case against Tiller was dismissed in 2006, after Kansas voters booted the AG from office.

Tiller's name became part of inside-the-Beltway parlance with the nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to head the Department of Health and Human Services, when campaign contributions from Tiller and his associates became a bone of contention in her confirmation process. (She has since been confirmed, and is now HHS secretary.) Sometimes, it seems, having friends in high places only increases one's danger.

So my question to Ann Coulter is: Did George Tiller have "a procedure performed on him with a rifle"? Did he simply get his just desserts?

If the murderer was not a follower of Coulter's, he certainly acted from the sort of hateful sentiment she disseminates in popular and right-wing media.

Consider this comment left by a reader of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune's posting of Associated Press coverage of the Tiller murder:

Although I would never do something like this, he got what was coming to him. Now he needs to answer to God for the thousands of innocent babies he has murdered.

Sounds like one of Annie's kids to me.

Comments

[Thorn76]

You leftist should be carefull before exploiting this killing to squelch pollitical dissent. If Ann Coulter or Bill O'Reilly are responsible of Tiller killing, then prehaps New York Times (as well as other MSM) with their constant anti-gun hysteria are responsible for the government massacres at Waco and Ruby Ridge. Liberal professors could take the blame for genocide in Cambodia, after all Pol Pot was brainwashed in the marxist propaganda in Sorbonna University.

[esperanza4me]

Let's be careful about cutting down the First Amendment, limiting free speech for those
we disagree with, and blaming violent acts of individuals on pundits of any political leaning.
It's an excuse.

Video games, rap music, rock and roll, heavy metal music, internet postings, books, films, etc.,
have been the target of blame for acts of violence for a long time. Now, we're going headfirst
after a few pundits.

As Obama pushes for a 'do not criticize Obama' act in the Fairness Doctrine of 1800 it seems....
it's easy to see why they wish to line up the consv. pundits to a crime like this. A la Bill Clinton
verbally assaulting Rush over the OKC bombing. Even though there was never any link presented
in fact.

Let's prosecute the suspect legally and fully. Let's find out if he had any help.

But, don't blame a person with a pen or computer or a soundtrack or a film camera or a radio
microphone speaking freely....and not advocating violence of any kind.....for the violent actions of
a criminal.

[mark24609]

What Tiller did as a profession was murder. I don't know how you can call late term abortions anything else even if you are pro-choice. However, that does not give anyone the right to murder Tiller. We are a nation of laws. His murder has been denounced by every major pro-life organization. I denounce it. There are loons from both the left and the right.

Mark
http://mark24609.blogspot.com/

[GunneraGirl]

i have a group of friends who are ob/gyns. the word from them is that off-the-record late term abortions happen in hospitals more often than you would think.

[meko]

I hope so. Otherwise there are only 2 people left in the country who do them.

[huffbob]

Thanks for the denunciation, Mark. One suggestion -- next time, skip the part where you mislabel Dr. Tiller as a murderer and people might actually think you are sincere.

[gino618]

A few things -

One need not be a 'fundamentalist' or a rabid conservative to disagree with abortion - especially the heinous actions of late term procedures.

The death of Dr. Tiller is tragic, and every major pro-life group has expressed so.

Ann Coulter is a 'shock-jock' pundit, no doubt, but her point about Notre Dame raises an interesting question.... if more 'pro-choice' people actually saw the procedures in totality and witnessed what was being done..... would their feelings change?

[skiddlybop]

Appalling post. And completely true.

You should be booked on every single morning show and cable news show to tell who is responsible for this murder.

[Paul Baack]

I'm sure that, if confronted with this, Coulter will publicly point to herself in (mock) shock, and say "moi?;" while winking to her followers and boasting "c'est moi!"

[WestcoastSteve]

Things like this are why I can't stand fundamentalists. Christian, Taliban, extreme animal rights activists - you name a cause and there's some enforcer of ideological purity to cause grief to sensible people.

[earlyautumn]

Limbaugh, Coulter, Hannity, O'Reilly, Savage, Beck--they all preach hatred. Hatred is their game. Inferior people have to have someone to look down upon. Racism is more often found among frustrated people who try to elevate themselves by comparing themselves with those who have less, or who are "just different" (skin color, for example).

It all comes out finally, whether it is the mass killings on a campus, or an abortion doctor. These hate mongers bear much of the responsibility for what is going on. Why they are allowed to use the publicly owned airwaves to spread their venom is hard to understand.

[mommadona]

This was done 'in their name'

They are to be held accountable for inciting assassination.

Period.

NO MORE "PC" with these people.

They are perfectly happy with themselves:

http://digg.com/d1sb2P