Slaying of abortion doc could put a chill on all right-wing rhetoric, at least temporarily

May 31st, 2009 at 03:34pm Pat Cunningham

 

 If it turns out that the murder this morning of Dr. George Tiller in Wichita (see the post just below this one) was motivated by the victim’s abortion practice, which seems a good bet at this early juncture, the political ramifications could go well beyond the abortion debate.

 Maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself here, but I see the possibility that the Wichita case could bring widespread public disfavor for overheated right-wing rhetoric in general, no matter the specific topics.

 While such a scenario would bode well for liberals, it also raises the possibility — nay, the inevitabilty — that some on the left will unfairly seek to lump all anti-abortion activists with the tragegy in Wichita.

 In any event, the political aftermath of this killing will play out for weeks, perhaps months.

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