Jan. 10, 2011 - PPM – The Blame Game

This week's PET PEEVE MONDAY (PPM) is about the media's and the local law enforcement's quick blame of this weekend's shootings in Tucson.

The media was wrong from the beginning. They erroneously reported that Congresswoman Giffords was deceased. How terrible for her family and friends.

Then the media wanted to place blame on a political agenda before the police tape was in place. It had to be a gun-loving, right-wing, Glenn Beck watching, individual.

There's no way it could have been an unbalanced CRAZY person.

The media's rush to judgment is nothing new. It dates back to 1865 to the New York Times reporting that Lincoln was faking a headache in order to get out of going to the theatre.

The bottom line is that this is a terrible politicization of a tragic event.

If it were up to media, Sarah Palin would also be responsible for the Chilean mine failure, the terrible weather, and the fact the BCS doesn't have a playoff.

Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Additionally, the Arizona sheriff investigating the shooting had harsh words today for those engaging in political rhetoric. He called conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh "irresponsible" for continuing the vitriol.

"The kind of rhetoric that flows from people like Rush Limbaugh, in my judgment he is irresponsible, uses partial information, sometimes wrong information," Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said today. "[Limbaugh] attacks people, angers them against government, angers them against elected officials and that kind of behavior in my opinion is not without consequences."

This is the same Sherriff that said there were multiple shooters and misidentified the "heroes" that stopped the shooter. Hey Sheriff, here is some advice.

Get away from the microphone and cameras. Stick to policing and investigating. Then again, you don't seem to be very good at that either. You give the Barney Fife's of the world a bad name.

NEVER LET THE FACTS GET IN THE WAY OF A GOOD STORY.