Sarah Palin broke her silence Wednesday with a video message meant to denounce those critics who believe her own political rancor and vitriol may have led to the assassination attempt of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona.
It was a tasteless and poorly staged moment of self-promotion, complete with a backdrop which included a fireplace and American flag. Palin attempted to appear “presidential” while using the moment to chastise those who believe she and her conservative colleagues should dial back the divisiveness of their message.
As she tried to defend herself and seize control of a debate that has been boiling for days, Palin opened a new controversy by invoking the phrase “blood libel,” loaded with religious symbolism about the false accusation used by anti-Semites of Jews killing Christian children. It was unclear if Palin was aware of the historical meaning of the phrase, or actually used it purposely.
“Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own,” Palin said. “Especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence that they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible.”
The timing of Palin’s video, complete with her odd choice of words, totally dominated the political landscape for nearly 12 hours before President Barack Obama arrived in Tucson to speak at the planned memorial service honoring the shooting victims. But there will almost certainly be more backlash directed toward Sarah Palin and her failed attempt to make things better (for herself).
