Arizona shooter singled out Giffords 3 years ago. The Tea Party did not exist 3 years ago, Sarah Palin was unknown.

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1/9/11, "Shooting suspect's nihilism rose with isolation," AP

• Shooter tried to enlist in US military but was rejected. He attended a "Congress on your Corner" Giffords event at a Tucson mall in 2007. The only 'rhetoric' at the time was left wing screaming against George Bush. If they want to blame 'rhetoric,' there was plenty of it when the shooter singled out the congresswoman, but all from the far left.

"At an event roughly three years ago, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords took a question from Jared Loughner, the man accused of trying to assassinate her and killing six other people. According to two of his high school friends the question was essentially this: "What is government if words have no meaning?"

Loughner was angry about her response — she read the question and didn't have much to say....

Loughner had at least one other contact with Giffords. Investigators said they carried out a search warrant at Loughner's home and seized a letter addressed to him from Giffords' congressional stationery in which

• she thanked him for attending a "Congress on your Corner" event at a mall in Tucson in 2007. Saturday's shooting occurred at a similar event.

Other evidence seized from his home included an envelope from a safe with messages such as "I planned ahead," ''My assassination" and the name "Giffords" next to what appears to be Loughner's signature. Police say he purchased the Glock pistol used in the attack in November.

Loughner lives with his parents about a five-minute drive from the shootings, in a middle-class neighborhood lined with desert landscaping and palm trees. Sheriff's deputies blocked off much of the street Sunday."...

• "Rhetoric" perfectly accepted in 2007: "Kill Bush, bomb his f----house," Anti war protest March 18, 2007, San Francisco, via zombietime.com.