Citing no evidence that the Arizona shooter had ever heard of Sharron Angle of Nevada or her remarks about Second Amendment remedies, a top Dem leader has nevertheless tied the shootings to Angle's statement.
Rep. James Clyburn, third in the House Dem leadership, made his allegation on Fox News Sunday today. He began with a general statment, then made a specific accusation.
JAMES CLYBURN: I think that what is happened here is that the vitriol has gotten so elevated until people feel emboldened by this. And people who are a little less than stable, and people aren't thinking for themselves are so easily influenced, they go out and do things that all of us pay a great price for.
Brett Baier, subbing for Chris Wallace, then read to Clyburn a statement from Tea Party leader Judson Phillips predicting that the left would blame the shootings on the Tea Party movement. That didn't deter Clyburn, who proceeded to tie the shootings directly to Sharron Angle.
View video after the jump.
CLYBURN: Well I would say this to the gentleman who wrote that. We just came out of an election. We saw a candidate for the United States Senate saying if you can't get what you want at the ballot box, let's seek Second Amendment remedies. What does that mean? That is a very vitriolic statement, and I think that somebody is responsible for speaking up, denouncing that kind of stuff. And if you don't denounce it, people keep ratcheting it up, and people get to a point where you cross the line. And I think that in this instance, this issue has crossed the line.
