Image
© unknown
A self-described humorist named a liberal cable news host a "target" on her blog the day after he denounced incendiary political rhetoric in response to an Arizona shooting that claimed the lives of six people, including a federal judge, a congressperson's aide, and a child.

Andrea Rouda's post entitled "Speaking of Target Practice" listed several historical figures who were murdered "by a crazy person" before naming MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, whom she referred to as "the Devil."

"What a waste, especially since there are so many good targets out still out there," she wrote. "Take Keith Olbermann."

She continued, "In the wake of yesterday's horrific shooting of a young congresswoman, the Devil himself who walks among us in the form of a TV 'journalist' has decided that Sarah Palin and the Tea Party are responsible and is spreading his usual vitriol."

"Please, won't somebody stop him?" Rouda concluded.

In her bio, Rouda described herself as a "humor writer, fine artist, excellent cook, devoted wife, loving mother, disgruntled dog owner and intense cat lover."

Olbermann responded Sunday afternoon on Twitter to her post by linking to her page. Mediaite reported that most of the several 100 comments attacked Rouda.

Olbermann soon after asked his Twitter followers not to confront Rouda on her page because "it's already being addressed." Rouda has since taken down the post, which was written in response to his special comment Saturday night.

Olbermann, appearing on a special edition of MSNBC's "Countdown," called for Americans to lay down the violent metaphors in public political discourse. In his comment, he specifically alluded to former vice president candidate Sarah Palin's use of gun imagery to rally her supporters against one who happened to be a "targeted" victim in Saturday's shooting, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (link).

"Left, right, middle - politicians and citizens - sane and insane," he said. "This morning in Arizona, this age in which this country would accept 'targeting' of political opponents and putting bull's eyes over their faces and of the dangerous blurring between political rallies and gun shows, ended."

Olbermann ended by issuing an apology for his own harsh verbiage.

"Violence, or the threat of violence, has no place in our Democracy, and I apologize for and repudiate any act or any thing in my past that may have even inadvertently encouraged violence. Because for whatever else each of us may be, we all are Americans," he concluded.