By Drew Zahn
© 2011 WorldNetDaily
Shortly after news broke of the attempted murder of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., the left-leaning blog Daily Kos was swift to scrub its post from a Tucson writerexplaininghow the congresswoman was now "dead to me."
One of the blog's diary writers, identifyinghimselfas BoyBlue, had written a post only two days before the shooting titled "My CongressWOMAN voted against Nancy Pelosi! And is now DEAD to me!"
 Partial screenshot of Daily Kos diary post before it was scrubbed |
"I am from the Tucson area and live in Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' district," BoyBlue wrote. "Today, just a little while ago, I saw on Andrea Mitchell Reports that Giffords voted against Nancy Pelosi as our minority leader. … Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is dead to me now."
Several news sources and commentators have sought to analyze yesterday's mass shooting in Tucson that left six dead and Giffords in critical condition, while many blogs and columns have blamed the nation's heated political "rhetoric" forinspiringpeople toward violence against theirelectedofficials.
Sarah Palin in particular has been singled out forcriticismby CBS News, the Guardian and others for publishing a "target map" on her website using images of gun sights to identify the districts of 20 House Democrats up for election in last year's mid-terms, including Giffords.
Daily Kos joined in thecriticism, and the blog's founder, Markos Moulitsas, tweeted early yesterday, "Mission accomplished, Sarah Palin," with a link to Palin's map.
Moulitsas, however, had also posted what he called a "target list" identifying Giffords.In a 2008 Daily Kos post, Moulitsas listed Giffords as one of dozens of representatives with "a bull's-eye on their district" for being a "bad apple" Democrat.
The "dead to me" diary has since been deleted from Daily Kos, while Moulitsas' "target list" is still viewable.
Police have named and apprehended 22-year-old Tucson resident Jared L. Loughner as the perpetrator of yesterday's massacre, making it highly unlikely that "BoyBlue" is also the shooter.
The Daily Kos diary writer identifieshimselfas a "gay" man whose wife left him last year and who suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face. BoyBlue also appeared on the blog again today, issuingan apologyto "this site, the victims and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords."
"Most of you know by now my diary bemoaning Rep. Giffords' voting against Nancy Pelosi has been taken by the far right to preemptively protect themselves," Boy Blue writes of his now-scrubbed, previous post.
"I made a VERY poor choice of words when I partially titled the diary, 'now dead to me,'" he continues. "Of course I wishednoharm to Gabby."
He continues, "Ifullyapologize to all the victims in this shooting, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, for my poor choice of words in that diary. I fully and respectfully apologize to this blog and to Markoshimselffor the bad publicity amongst the right wing this has caused. … I apologize to the DailyKos membership and readership for being maligned by the far right blogs.
"However, I have to offer a heartfelt 'f--- you' to the right-wing blogs," he writes, "for even mentioning my username here in any connection to that unspeakable and unthinkable horror."
In his "apology" post, BoyBlue twice states that he suspects the shooting is instead best blamed on supporters of Giffords' opponent in the 2010 mid-terms, Republican Jesse Kelly.
"I would betmy housethat it will come out that some disgruntled former Jesse Kelly right-wing supporters did this," BoyBlue writes.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama, in a setback to hopes for the quick closing of the Guantanamo Bay prison, reluctantly signed a bill on Friday barring suspects held there from being brought to the United States for trial.
Making plain he would fight to repeal language in the law obstructing civilian U.S. trials for Guantanamo terrorism suspects, Obama said he was left with no choice but to sign the defense authorization act for fiscal 2011.
"Despite my strong objection to these provisions, which my administration has consistently opposed, I have signed this act because of the importance of authorizing appropriations for, among other things, our military activities in 2011," Obama said in a statement.
Obama has vowed to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which has drawn international condemnation for the treatment of detainees, but has met stiff resistance at home.
The bill includes sections blocking funding for the transfer of suspects from the Guantanamo prison to the United States. It also restricts the use of funds to ship them to other countries, unless specified conditions are met.
"The prosecution of terrorists in federal court is a powerful tool in our efforts to protect the nation and must be among the options available to us," Obama said. "Any attempt to deprive the executive branch of that tool undermines our nation's counterterrorism efforts."
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said the legislation Obama signed into law showed there was overwhelming bipartisan opposition to bringing Guantanamo detainees to the United States for trial and detention.
"When it comes to terrorism, we should err on the side of protecting the American people," McConnell said in a statement.
The provisions expire on September 30, at the end of the current fiscal year. What happens at that point depends on what Congress decides on defense authorization.
Until then, the law will make it very difficult for the Obama administration to pursue criminal trials for terrorism suspects, including the self-professed mastermind of the September 11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who had been slated to face a trial in New York.
FIGHT FOR REPEAL
"My administration will work with the Congress to seek repeal of these restrictions, will seek to mitigate their effects, and will oppose any attempt to extend or expand them in the future," said Obama, who pledged during his 2008 presidential campaign to close Guantanamo.
There are still 174 detainees at the Guantanamo prison and about three dozen were set for prosecution in either U.S. criminal courts or military commissions. Republicans have demanded the trials be held at Guantanamo.
In a May 2009 speech, Obama said there was a need for "prolonged detention" for some terrorism suspectswho could not be tried but posed a threat to security.
U.S. officials say trials are not possible in some cases because evidence was obtained through torture or is classified.
(Additional reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky; Editing by Peter Cooney)
