Dem Planning Bill to Outlaw Threatening Lawmakers
By Jon E. Dougherty at 10:01 am Eastern
(Newsroom America) -- In the wake of the shooting of Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a Pennsylvania Democrat is considering introducing a bill in Congress that would make it a federal crime to use symbols or language that could be perceived as threatening to federal officials or members of Congress.
Rep. Robert Brady told CNN he wants federal officials and lawmakers to have the same protections against threats that the president has. He made his pitch on Sunday, a day after Giffords was shot at a political rally outside a supermarket in Tucson.
"The president is a federal official. You can't do it to him; you should not be able to do it to a congressman, senator or federal judge," Brady said in a telephone interview with the news service.
Liberal lawmakers have begun to criticize former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for her use of a bullseye graphic on a map posted on one of her websites of 20 congressional districts that voted for Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in the 2008 presidential election, but had Democratic members that voted in favor of healthcare reform. Palin was criticized because the graphic resembled the crosshairs of a gun scope.
Palin suppoters, however, point to a nearly identical political map used by a Democratic Leadership Committee publication in 2004 that featured nine bullseyes over regions where Republican candidates were considered vulnerable during that election cycle. The map was captioned, "Targeting Strategy," and was followed by a smaller one that read, "Behind Enemy Lines."
Giffords, who was shot in the head, remains in critical condition at a local hospital. Six people were killed in the attack, and 13 others wounded.
The suspect, 22-year-old Jared Loughner, has been charged with one account of attempting to assassinate a member of Congress, two counts of killing an employee of the federal government and two counts of attempting to kill a federal employee. Other charges are expected, reports said Monday.
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