The RNC hearts Blackwater

By GottaLaff

Ben Smith reveals that the RNC has Xe hots for Blackwater. They're about to cohabitate at a fundraiser:

Spokesmen for the Republican National Committee and for Xe Services, the embattled military contractor formerly known as Blackwater, denied to me last month that the party had any plans to host a donor retreat at Xe's U.S. Training Center in North Carolina.

Today, however, spokesmen for both said the event -- which appeared in a calendar in the leaked RNC fundraising presentation -- is on.

Here is a snippet of Ben's original post:

The Republican National Committee is planning to raise $60,000 at a fundraiser next month at the North Carolina compound owned by the company formerly known as Blackwater.

The event is going to be held by the under-40somethings called the "Young Eagles".

If you still aren't familiar with who and what Blackwater really is, please take a look at the primer I compiled called "Blackwater for Dummeez".

Here are a few screen grabs of the leaked presentation. And remember, they put the FUN back in FUNdraising!

(click on image to enlarge)

Nothing more reassuring than teaming up with a bunch of thugs. That should lend as much credibility to the party as their RNC chair spending nearly two grand at a kinky bondage-themed club.

H/t: Gr8RDH

Feds: Blackwater Saves Taxpayers Money

By GottaLaff

I wouldn't care if they saved us billions, there is no justification for their existence. Period:

But a new government report says they may actually have saved U.S. taxpayers money. The State Department saves roughly $900 million a year using private firms to protect American diplomats in Iraq rather than relying on U.S. government employees, according to a recently published review by the non partisan Government Accounting Office.

Here are the reasons they give for the differences. Ready?

The state department did not have to pay overtime or provide benefits or vacation time to the contractors. They were not saddled with extensive travel and housing costs. And they did not have to outfit them with weapons and gear.

Seriously. Those are the reasons. Well, then, by all means, go with Blackwater, er, Xe, er, Blackwater, er, Murder Inc.

But wait, it gets even better:

The report noted that the State Department would have been "reluctant to hire third country nationals to provide security in Iraq because the department does not want to be perceived as hiring mercenaries."

I'm sorry, but did I just wake up in Crazy World?

Moral of the story: Money first... Except for Jan Schakowsky. She's smart that way:

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), who has sponsored a bill to outlaw government contracts to private security companies, defended her bill against the report, told ABC News that money was not the biggest factor in assessing the value of contractors in war zones.

And with that, it's time to re-introduce my old primer, Blackwater for Dummeez. Consider it a refresher course on who these thugs are:

BLACKWATER FOR DUMMEEZ

What is Blackwater USA, boys and girls? Blackwater USA is an international security contractor founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and is based in the U.S, . state of North Carolina where it operates a tactical training facility that it claims is the world's largest. Wow!

Let's take a peek into their world, in their very own words, where they claim to be: "The most comprehensive professional military, law enforcement, security, peacekeeping, and stability operations company in the world".

Our leadership and dedicated family of exceptional employees adheres to an essential of core corporate values- chief among these are integrity, innovation, excellence, respect, accountability, and teamwork.

In doing this, we have become the most responsive, cost-effective means of affecting the strategic balance in support of security and peace, and freedom and democracy everywhere.

Blackwater's Federal Contracts

Year Amount Paid

2001 $736,906

2002 $3,415,884

2003 $25,395,556

2004 $48,496,903

2005 $352,871,817

2006 $593,601,952

Well, howdy-do, that's impressive!

Now! What do they do? Stuff that includes integrity, innovation, excellence, respect, accountability, and teamwork? Nah, they were just kidding. They do this:

The lead Suburban in our convoy loomed up behind an old, puttering sedan driven by an older man with a young woman and three children. As we approached at typical breakneck speed, the Blackwater driver honked furiously and motioned to the side, as if they should pull over. The kids in the back seat looked back in horror, mouths agape at the sight of the heavily armored Suburbans driven by large, armed men in dark sunglasses. The poor Iraqi driver frantically searched fora means of escape, but there was none. So the lead Blackwater vehicle smashed heedlessly into the car, pushing it into the barrier. We zoomed by too quickly to notice if anyone was hurt.

That's what they do.

Who's in charge? Just a dickens of a guy! Erik Prince! And what a resume has he!

Born: 6-Jun-1969 Religion: Born-Again Christian Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Business, Military Party Affiliation: Republican Executive summary: Founder, Blackwater USA Military service: Navy SEAL Team Officer (1993-96, Bosnia, Haiti)

Erik Prince is a multi-millionaire right-wing fundamentalist Christian from a powerful Michigan Republican family. His wealth came from his father, Edgar Prince (d. 1995, billionaire, started Family Research Council with Gary Bauer). A major Republican campaign contributor, he interned in the White House of President George H.W. Bush and campaigned for Pat Buchanan in 1992, finding time to intern for conservative congressman Dana Rohrabacher as well. Prince founded the security and mercenary firm Blackwater USA in 1997 with Gary Jackson, another former Navy SEAL.

Prince's sister Betsy DeVos is a powerful conservative in her own right. Married to the son of Richard DeVos (Republican bankroller and co-founder of Amway), she served as chair of Michigan Republican Party in the 1990s. His mom is Elsa Prince Broekhuizen (Republican Party funder, remarried)

Can you say mercenary? I knew that you could. Now why would I go and ask a thing like that? Here's why!

In the capital, American officials said a joint U.S.-Iraqi commission formed to look into last month's shooting incident in which Blackwater USA security guards killed at least 11 Iraqis had yet to meet. In addition, most members of an FBI team that also will investigate the Sept. 16 shootings have not arrived and probably will not get to Iraq until next week, said U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo.

Why, there were more killings than we can count! There was the one where a drunk killed a guard on Christmas, and there was one where…oh never mind. Now remember, boys and girls, killing is bad. Killing for money is worse. And killing for money with no repercussions is worst of all!

No need to worry, because there's o-ver-sight. Can you say oversight? Yes, the U.S. Congress is on the job! Or are they...?

Darrell Issa: On the "Democrat side", this isn't about Blackwater. It's a repeat of the MoveOn dot Org attack on Petraeus' patriotism. They'll simply switch targets. I'm here to defend General Petraeus and our men and women in uniform.

Oooopsies! Well, kids, sometimes love can be misplaced. Erik Prince has a lot of love to share, too, but in the form of big fat checks:

Prince's latest donation was in July, when he gave $20,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee. California recipients of Prince's $1,000 checks include Reps. Jerry Lewis and Duncan Hunter, a current GOP presidential candidate, and former Rep. Richard Pombo.

The former serviceman has given almost all of his donations to Republicans. There was, however, an exception in 2006, when he donated $5,000 to the Green Party of Lucerne County, Pa. That was a Republican ploy to ensure the Green Party's U.S. senate candidate got on the ballot in an effort to peel votes away from Democrat Bob Casey and help Republican Rick Santorum. The effort failed and Casey won.

What's a mercenary to do? He has to invest his hard earned wages somewhere, doesn't he?

Well, kiddies, that's enough for today. No go eat your supper before it gets cold. You can sit in front of the TV and catch up on the latest news. What could be more fun than all the dinner you can eat, and all the Blackwater you can stomach?

Iraqis want Blackwater deal voided

By GottaLaff

The other day, I posted about Blackwater cutting a deal with Iraqis, a deal that didn't go over too well with many of them. They're not too fond of their family members and friends being murdered by mercenaries, followed by hearing that their lives were worth a few lousy bucks, that poor wittle Blackwater was about to become penniless, and finally, being told to just go away.

In fact, now we discover that they were forced into a deal:

Several victims of a 2007 shooting involving American private security guards employed by the firm formerly known as Blackwater alleged Sunday that they were coerced into reaching settlements, and they demanded that the Iraqi government intervene to have the agreements nullified.

The Iraqis said they were pressured by their own attorneys into accepting what they now believe are inadequate settlements because they were told the company was about to file for bankruptcy, that its chairman was going to be arrested and that the U.S. government was about to confiscate all of the firm's assets. This would be their last chance to get any compensation, the victims said they were told.

When criminal charges against the guards were dismissed by a U.S. federal judge on Dec. 31, the Iraqis concluded that they had been duped and that Blackwater, now called Xe, was not in the kind of legal and financial trouble they had been led to believe. [...]

The settlements were reached last fall in meetings at Baghdad's Rasheed Hotel, where the claimants say they were required to sign a paper, written in English, and make videotaped testimony in Arabic, relinquishing all future claims against the company.

Short version: We get to kill your loved ones indiscriminately, shove a few dollars at you, lie to you, and tell you to shut up and get lost.

Xe worst.

US to review court decision on Blackwater killings

By GottaLaff

Earlier I posted about how much an Iraqi life is worth to Blackwater. And prior to that, I posted about charges being dismissed against them in the deadly 2007 shooting.

In fact, every post I write about Blackwater is jam packed with death and destruction, ethics vacuums, and overall creepiness. And yet the U.S. government still has them on their payroll.

Which is why I have my doubts that they this will lead to a satisfactory conclusion:

The US government said Friday it will review the decision by a US court to drop charges against American private security guards accused of killing 14 Iraqi civilians in an unprovoked attack in 2007.

"We respect the independence of the judiciary. The decision of the judge does not exonerate the defendants or necessarily terminate the proceedings," State Department spokesman PJ Crowley told reporters.

"The Department of Justice, in consultation with the State Department, will carefully review the judge's decision and assess all available legal options," said Crowley, the assistant secretary of state for public affairs.

Color me jaded.

Blackwater to Iraqis: Your lives are worth $100K, take it or leave it

By GottaLaff

It's nice to know Blackwater values life so highly. And here I thought a human being's life was worth only a couple of hundred dollars. What was I thinking?

The security firm formerly known as Blackwater has reached a settlement in seven civil lawsuits filed against it by families of Iraqis killed during what the suits called "senseless slaughter" by company guards. [...]

In Baghdad on Thursday, a shooting victim who has not settled said he still wanted the guards prosecuted in criminal court.

"Iraqi blood is not that cheap," said Mehdi Abu Zaman, 45, who said he lost his sight after being shot. "The civil suit is not enough. There is no justification for this. If they gave me all the money in the world, my vision will not come back."

Another wounded man, Sami Hawas Hamoud Abu Iz, told the Associated Press that the company had offered $100,000 to each family of a person who died and $30,000 to those wounded. He said plaintiffs' lawyers told victims they might not receive anything if they did not agree to a settlement.

Brown lives are on special, apparently. As for wounded brown people? They're worth less than a Ford Taurus.

That Xe, er, Blackwater, er, Xe... they just ooze generosity and love of their fellow man:

The civil suits alleged that Blackwater "fostered a culture of lawlessness amongst its employees, encouraging them to act in the company's financial interests at the expense of innocent human life."

The suits alleged that some of the "shooters," as the plaintiffs said the guards were known, were "chemically influenced by steroids and other judgment-altering substances."

The suits accused Prince of making "a series of verbal and written statements that evidenced his support of the wanton killing of those of the Islamic faith."

Their consistent high regard for human life is illustrated here, too, via Jeremy Scahill.

Go here for more.

Iraq regrets Blackwater case dismissal, may sue

By GottaLaff

Giving Blackwater thugs immunity, great idea. That worked out well, didn't it?

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq expressed its disappointment on Friday with a U.S. federal court ruling that threw out all charges against five Blackwater Worldwide security guards accused of gunning down Iraqi civilians in 2007.

Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the five men had committed a "serious crime" in the September 2007 shooting in Baghdad, which strained U.S.-Iraqi relations and became a symbol for many Iraqis of foreign disregard for local life.

Dabbagh said Iraq may sue the private security company, now known as Xe Services.

New Years resolution: Cut Blackwater off. Xe ya later.

Justice Dept.: Blackwater Contractor Saw Killing Iraqis as 9/11 Payback

By GottaLaff

Here's a little refresher course I call Blackwater for Dummeez. Check it out (it also includes Jeremy Scahill's excellent reporting), and then you'll have some context for this:

These allegations are contained in court records [PDF] filed on Monday by Justice Department lawyers prosecuting five Blackwater contractors for the September 2007 shooting frenzy in Baghdad's Nisour Square that killed 14 Iraqis and wounded 20 others. [...]

According to the court filing:

In addition to verbal expressions of hatred towards Iraqi civilians, the defendants engaged in unprovoked and aggressive behavior toward unarmed Iraqi civilians in Baghdad. In so doing, the defendants routinely acted in disregard of the use of force policies that they were required to follow as a condition of their employment as Blackwater guards.

...

This evidence tends to establish that the defendants fired at innocent Iraqis not because they actually believed that they were in imminent danger of serious bodily injury and actually believed that they had no alternative to the use of deadly force, but rather that they fired at innocent Iraqi civilians because of their hostility toward Iraqis and their grave indifference to the harm that their actions would cause.

The prosectors maintain that one of the defendants, Nicholas Slatten, believed that by killing Iraqis he was avenging the 9/11 attacks:

During the twelve months proceeding the events charged in the indictment, while assigned to the Raven 23 convoy operating at various locations in the Red Zone in Baghdad, Iraq, defendant Nicholas Slatten made statements that he wanted to kill as many Iraqis as he could as “payback for 9/11,” and he repeatedly boasted about the number of Iraqis he had shot.

Prosecutors also say that in the year leading up to Nisour Square, Slatten "deliberately fired his weapon to draw out return fire and instigate gun battles." [...]

This anonmyous ex-employee also alleges:

Mr. Prince operated his companies in a manner that encouraged and rewarded the destruction of Iraqi life. For example, Mr. Prince's executives would openly speak about going over to Iraq to "lay Hajiis out on cardboard." Going to Iraq to shoot and kill Iraqis was viewed as a sport or game. Mr. Prince's employees openly and consistently used racist and derogatory terms for Iraqis and other Arabs, such as "ragheads" or "hajiis."

There now, aren't these the kind of stellar warriors you'd want guarding your family members and representing your country?

Blackwater, as well as these animals, are who the BushCo and the ObamAdministration have chosen to do business with, and with whom our State Department has recently renewed contracts.

One word: Unacceptable.

Scott Roeder (Dr Tiller's Murderer) Preaches Justifiable Homicide From Jail

So he gets to advocate for his heinous crime while waiting for prosecution? I'm gobsmacked.

WICHITA, Kan. - A man charged with murdering Kansas abortion provider Dr. George Tiller has been advocating through mailings from his jail cell that such killings are justifiable.

Scott Roeder sent Oregon anti-abortion activist Linda Wolfe a pamphlet that lauds Paul Hill, the convicted murderer of an abortion doctor, as an "American hero," and includes examples of Hill's writings about how it is justifiable to kill abortion doctors.

The Rev. Donald Spitz, whose anti-abortion group Army of God celebrates Hill's teachings, says he provided Roeder with seven of the pamphlets upon Roeder's request.

Head of a minuteman group arrested for double homicide

By GottaLaff

Of course, Beck, O'Reilly, et al. will say they were actually ultra far leftists while simultaneously defending their Second Amendment rights. And of course, Forde should be exonerated because she's been keeping evil brown people from entering our country:

Three people have been arrested in connection with last months deadly double homicide in Arivaca that left a nine-year-old and her father dead. One of the people arrested for the homicide is the National Executive Director of the Minuteman American Defense group (M.A.D.), a group known for patrolling the border, and is dedicated to "Defending America's Borders" according to their website.

Jason Eugene Bush, 38, Shawna Forde, 42 and Albert Robert Gaxiola, 43, were all taken into custody and charged in connection with the murders of 29-year-old Raul Flores and 8-year-old Brisenia Flores. Both were killed during an alleged home invasion. [...]

The mother survived the shooting, called police, and found a gun. Sheriff Dupnik says the three returned moments later to make sure everyone was dead. At that point, the mother shot and injured Bush, and the three fled the scene.

The trio has been charged with two counts of First Degree Murder, one count of First Degree Burglary, and one count of Aggravated Assault.

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik says, "Jason Bush was in fact the shooter of all three of these people under orders from Ms. Forde." [...]

Sheriff Dupnik adds, "To just kill a 9-year old girl because she could be a potential witness, to me, is one of the most despicable acts I have ever heard of."

Forde is known for being the head of the minutemen group M.A.D., where she is listed as the National Executive Director.

"If you look at her history closely, and you know what we know, she is at best a psychopath," says Sheriff Dupnik referring to Forde during a press conference Friday. [...]

Upon leaving the press conference, Forde stated to reporters, "I have nothing to do with the murder."

M.A.D. indeed. In more ways than one.

H/t: Liberalchik

Video- Hundreds Attend Funeral for Dr George Tiller, OB/GYN

Nice to see so many come out to support his life.

Video- Rick Sanchez Rips Bill O'Reilly For Lying About CNN And Murdered Army Recruiter

Water wet, sky blue, O'Reilly lies.

Video- O'Reilly 2006 anti-Tiller rant: "[I]f I could get my hands on Tiller, well, you know, can't be vigilantes.

Speaks for itself. Your turn Bill.

Quote of the Day

Randall Terry or your run of the mill Al Qaeda member? You decide. Via dmsilev.

We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God.

Bill O’Reilly To Address Critics Tonight Over Murder Of Doctor

There will be much building of strawmen and subsequent destruction of same... There's an awful lot of "facts" for him to ignore though. Via Greg-

Bill O’Reilly — who’s taking a beating for the jihad he’s waged against George Tiller, the doctor who performed late-term abortions and was gunned down yesterday — will address the killing and the criticism directed at him on his show tonight, a Fox spokesperson confirms to me.

O’Reilly has attacked Tiller in dozens of episodes, frequently referring to him as “Tiller the Baby Killer,” Salon reports. After the news spread of Tiller’s murder yesterday, multiple critics fingered O’Reilly for fomenting a hate campaign against him.

I asked Fox spokesperson Richard White if O’Reilly had a response to the criticism. “Mr. O’Reilly will be addressing the issue/topic on tonight’s show,” White answered.

Video sampling of Bill O’Reilly’s jihad against Dr. George Tiller

This is who killed Dr. George Tiller

By GottaLaff

To all those who scoffed and belittled the DHS report about right wing extremists, here's a little something about the alleged killer (51-year-old Scott Roeder of Merriam, Kansas):

Via diarist FreeStateDem, Militia Watchdog previously reported of Roeder:

July 7, [1997], Kansas: Scott Roeder is sentenced to sixteen months in state prison for parole violations following a 1996 conviction for having bomb components in his car trunk. Roeder, a sovereign citizen and tax protester, violated his parole by not filing tax returns or providing his social security number to his employer.

He was also an active member of Operation Rescue; in 2007 a "Scott Roeder" posted this on the Operation Rescue website (which has been down throughout the day, probably more as a result of increased traffic than any sense of collective shame):

[May 19th, 2007 at 4:34 pm] Bless everyone for attending and praying in May to bring justice to Tiller and the closing of his death camp. Sometime soon, would it be feasible to organize as many people as possible to attend Tillers church (inside, not just outside) to have much more of a presence and possibly ask questions of the Pastor, Deacons, Elders and members while there? Doesn’t seem like it would hurt anything but bring more attention to Tiller.

The Lawrence Journal-World and News relays that Kansas City station KMBC reported a post-it note with a phone number for Operation Rescue in his car at the time of his arrest.

So a bombmaker, tax protester, member of the "sovereignty" movement, anti-abortion zealot and Operation Rescue member: the arrested suspect manages to fit every stereotype of right-wing militia teabagger.

Just your average guy who "values life" above all else, so much so that he (allegedly) felt compelled to take one.

Once he's convicted, finding a place to imprison him will be a real challenge, since our super-max facilities apparently aren't secure enough to hold, you know, terrorists.

Bill O'Reilly's campaign against the assassinated Dr. Tiller + Tiller VIDEO

By GottaLaff



Video via.

To quote Joan Walsh, the definitive look at O'Reilly's campaign against Dr. Tiller:

O'Reilly will say, was a man who was guilty of barbaric acts, but a civilized society does not resort to lawless murder, even against its worst members. And O'Reilly, we can assume, will genuinely mean this.

But there's no other person who bears as much responsibility for the characterization of Tiller as a savage on the loose, killing babies willy-nilly thanks to the collusion of would-be sophisticated cultural elites, a bought-and-paid-for governor and scofflaw secular journalists. Tiller's name first appeared on "The Factor" on Feb. 25, 2005. Since then, O'Reilly and his guest hosts have brought up the doctor on 28 more episodes, including as recently as April 27 of this year. Almost invariably, Tiller is described as "Tiller the Baby Killer."

Tiller, O'Reilly likes to say, "destroys fetuses for just about any reason right up until the birth date for $5,000." He's guilty of "Nazi stuff," said O'Reilly on June 8, 2005 [...]

O'Reilly has also frequently linked Tiller to his longtime obsession, child molestation and rape. Because a young teenager who received an abortion from Tiller could, by definition, have been a victim of statutory rape, O'Reilly frequently suggested that the clinic was covering up for child rapists (rather than teenage boyfriends) by refusing to release records on the abortions performed. [...]

While he never advocated anything violent or illegal, the Fox bully repeatedly portrayed the doctor as a murderer on the loose, allowed to do whatever he wanted by corrupt and decadent authorities. "Also, it looks like Dr. Tiller, who some call Tiller the Baby Killer, is spending a large amount of money in order to get Mr. Morrison elected. That opens up all kinds of questions," said O'Reilly on Nov. 6, 2006, in one of many suggestions that Tiller was improperly influencing the election. [...]

Tiller, said O'Reilly on Jan. 6 of this year, was a major supporter of then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. "I think it's unfairly characterized as just a grip and grin relationship. He was a pretty big supporter of hers." She had cashed her campaign check from Tiller, "doesn't seem to be real upset about this guy operating a death mill, which is exactly what it is in her state, does she?" he asked on July 14 of last year. "Maybe she'll -- maybe she'll pardon him," he scoffed two months ago.

This is where it gets most troubling. O'Reilly's language describing Tiller, and accusing the state and its elites of complicity in his actions, could become extremely vivid. On June 12, 2007, he said, "Yes, I think we all know what this is. And if the state of Kansas doesn't stop this man, then anybody who prevents that from happening has blood on their hands as the governor does right now, Governor Sebelius." [...]

O'Reilly didn't tell anyone to do anything violent, but he did put Tiller in the public eye, and help make him the focus of a movement with a history of violence against exactly these kinds of targets (including Tiller himself, who had already been shot). In those circumstances, flinging around words like "blood on their hands," "pardon," "country club" and "judgment day" was sensationally irresponsible.

I left out a lot, so, please, go read the whole thing. Billo is not a clown, as we like to call him when we're in snarkier moods. No, he's not a clown, nor is he at all funny. He is, however, complicit in inciting violence that led to an innocent man's murder.

H/t: Joan Walsh

The Crazy Right Tweets About the Assassination of Dr Tiller.

By GottaLaff

Again, these people call themselves "pro life". Do they sound like they value life to you?:

A small sample of the hatred expressed on twitter after the assassination of Dr Tiller.

• Crap, I always forgot hashtags. I'm happy Tiller's dead. - Jennifer Waite, Selah, Washington
  
• UPDATE... Doctor George Tiller was aborted today in his 204th trimester - aren't paybacks a bitch - Punch
• oh HAPPY DAY! Tiller the baby killer is DEAD! - Samantha Pelch
• George Tiller the baby killer was shot dead this morning. God bless the gunmen who hopefully won't be caught. - readnwatchchris, Creedmor. NC
• was George Tiller the baby killers brain scrambled the way he scrambled full term fetuses.. one can only hope - Brad S
• Infamous baby killer George Tiller gunned down at (irony) church. Why do I not feel sorry for him? Have fun at Judgment Day. - James Fiddler
• tiller the baby killer shot dead...wow. is it insensitive of me to say what goes around comes around? - Brad M. Negulescu Cleveland.
• George Tiller the Baby Killer shot dead. May he rot in Hell. - Amy Strong
• Tiller Baby Killer was shot and killed this morning Justice has been served. - Shirl Ledeux
• Thinking about "Tiller the baby killer" He now knows the wages of sin is death. - Dianne McDowell
• May Tiller rot in Hell , infanticide is the murder of babies, he WAS a provider of death like Hitler, Bundy the list goes on.... - Dennis, A People Voip Company
• Burn in hell George Tiller - mikedanben Sparta, NJ (41.005501,-74.672)
• No need to pray for George Tiller. We know he went straight to hell!!!!! - Laurie D. Bailey Olive Branch, MS
• Good ridence to Tiller - babies will not be murdered because he is now gone. Wonder how he likes hell! - Jay Emess, Southern, NJ
• Karma is a beautiful thing. Cheers to the hero who sent George Tiller where he belongs... straight to hell. - Matthew Kamar
• omg!george tiller abortion dr. was killed n his church parkn lot! hell yea! - Sarah Gulick, Wtichita, Ks
• George Tiller: Burning in Hell for the last three hours. - darthdilbert Kettering, Oh
• Hmm, I know it's wrong, but I feel like the Late-Term Abortion Doctor George Tiller, got what was he deserved..... - Mary Keogh London England
• Boom Boom Boom. George Tiller was served a very very late term abortion this morning. - Chad Coleman, coeur d'alene, Id

[...] The overwhelming majority of tweets from both sides of the abortion issue expressed horror at the assassination of Dr Tiller.

If you are as outranged as we are by this senseless assassination please donate to Planned Parenthood in honor of Dr Tiller.

H/t: EileenLeft

President Obama's statement about the Tiller murder

By GottaLaff

Here is President Obama's statement on the death of George Tiller:

"I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church services this morning. However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence."

VIDEO: "Kudos to the shooter. I hope Tiller died a very slow, agonizing & painful death."

By GottaLaff

Here's a "pro-lifer" who couldn't wait to say his vile piece:



Yes, this is what he felt compelled to say upon hearing about an innocent man's murder.

UPDATE, statement from Dr. Tiller's family:

Dan Monnat and Lee Thompson, Dr. George Tiller's attorneys, issued the following statement today at the request of Mrs. Jeanne Tiller, the Tiller's four children and ten grandchildren:

"Today we mourn the loss of our husband, father and grandfather. Today's event is an unspeakable tragedy for all of us and for George's friends and patients. This is particularly heart wrenching because George was shot down in his house of worship, a place of peace.

We would like to express the family's thanks for the many messages of sympathy from our friends and from all across the nation. We also want to thank the law enforcement officers who are investigating this crime.

Our loss is also a loss for the City of Wichita and women across America. George dedicated his life to providing women with high-quality heath care despite frequent threats and violence. We ask that he be remembered as a good husband, father and grandfather and a dedicated servant on behalf of the rights of women everywhere."