Gov Ritter attacked!

[Big Pappa]

Just heard on the radio that a gunman tried to kill Colorado Gov. Ritter Breaking.

[eleny]

1. Ritters shaken but okay

Just on our local tv channel here in CO.

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. What happened? Did they say? n/t

[eleny]

10. The guy was armed and was shot dead but Ritter is okay

Jeez - they went back to the soaps. :eyes:

[in_cog_ni_to]

2. Oh NO! Is he OK?

:scared:

[kestrel91316]

3. Is Gov. Ritter by any chance a Dem?

[mainegreen]

5. Why yes! Yes he is.

My snarky original thought as well.
;)

[in_cog_ni_to]

6. YES. He is. n/t

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. Yup

[nadinbrzezinski]

61. Does the sun rise in the East, every morning?

[MonkeyFunk]

8. Ritter is fine

the gunman was killed. It seems to have occurred outside his office.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

9. Good heavens! Is it on the msm?

[MissB]

12. CNN corrected it and said the gunman was in the welcoming office, not in

front of the governor's office.

[Bluebear]

"Not an act of terrorism, no partisan motivation suspected."

Just writing copy for the cable news networks. You're welcome.

[northernsoul]

24. How do they know that already?

As long as it's okay to speculate about the shooter's motivation, I'm gonna guess that he's a 10,000+ poster over at Free Republic.

[Bluebear]

37. See body of the post.

[Judi Lynn]

72. Does anyone know where Republican strategist, operative David Bossie is?

Here he is hugging the iminently odd Louisiana Republican
Rep. Livingston, who resigned after being outed by Hustler
during the Clinton Monicagate days, while still feeling
"superior," morally! Way to go, Rep. Livingston!





A list of just a few of Bossie's finest moments:

• During the 1992 presidential campaign, Bossie got into a fistfight with a Little Rock, Arkansas, private investigator, Larry Case, who said he had damaging information on Clinton. Bossie told police that Case had punched him after Bossie refused to pay Case a $10,000 advance as they were preparing to board a flight at Little Rock National Airport.
  
  
• That same year, Bossie set out to prove that a young pregnant woman named Susan Coleman had committed suicide in 1977 after having an affair with Clinton. Coleman's mother told CBS that Bossie hounded her relentlessly with his false story, even following her to an Army hospital in Georgia, where she was visiting her husband, in recovery from a stroke. Bossie and another man "burst into the sick man's room and began questioning the shaken mother about her daughter's suicide," CBS reported.
  
  
• Also in 1992, President George H.W. Bush, repudiating Bossie's tactics, filed an FEC complaint against Bossie's group after it produced a TV ad inviting voters to call a hot line to hear (almost certainly doctored) tape-recorded conversations between Clinton and Gennifer Flowers. {Indeed, the Post reported on July 15, 1992, that Bush said of Bossie's organization, "We will do whatever we can to stop any filthy campaign tactics"; and that his son, George W. Bush, sent a letter to 85,697 major donors urging them not to contribute to the group.}
  
  
• In 1994, Bossie traveled to Fayetteville, Arkansas, with an NBC producer, where the two allegedly "stalked" and "ambushed" Beverly Bassett Schaffer, a former state regulatory officer and a lawyer who had played a small role in the so-called Whitewater conspiracy. The two confronted Schaffer outside her office and, after she refused an on-camera interview, reportedly chased her across town, until she found refuge in the lobby of an office building.
  (snip)

http://mediamatters.org/items/200608300007

Disclaimer:

Not saying the shooter was Bossie!

[firefox_fan]

11. Shouldn't it be Vitter?

[Lex]

26. Is Vitter the Governor of Colorado?

:shrug:

[firefox_fan]

34. No, I'm saying, why didn't the guy target Vitter instead?

[trashcanistanista]

39. Vitter isn't in Colorado right now, no opportunity,

I think he surfaced somewhere in Louisiana today.

[MagickMuffin]

13. Any chances they know who would attempt this

of course my guess is freepersvillans.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

14. Man called himself the Emperor.

DENVER — A man who walked into the offices of Gov. Bill Ritter with a gun and declared "I am the emperor" was shot and killed by a member of the governor's security detail, a spokesman said. Ritter was not injured.

The governor's offices include a lobby and several other rooms. It was not immediately clear where the governor or the gunman was at the time.

The unidentified man walked into the office and said, "I am the emperor and I'm here to take over city government," spokesman Evan Dreyer said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4971880.html

[malaise]

20. Was the man

W? :D

[trashcanistanista]

40. Funniest. Post. Of. The. Day!

:rofl:

[Sequoia]

89. No, it was this guy.

September 17, 1859 – Joshua A. Norton, who lost his money in an attempt to corner the rice market, today declared himself Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico.

July 16, 1860 – Decree from Norton I dissolved the United States of America

August 12, 1869 – Decree from Norton I dissolved and abolished the Democratic and Republican parties because of party strife now existing within our realm.

http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/norton.html

[Cha]

94. No, but he was doin' his

best imitation.

[livvy]

31. Did the guy have a red nose, floppy ears, and have trouble keeping his arms at his side?

Does anyone know where the lying weasel is today? :rofl:

On a more serious side, I'm glad the Gov. is okay.

[DavidDvorkin]

15. "I am the emperor"

The gunman said. According to the local CBS channel Web site:

Dreyer said the man walked into the office and said, "I am the emperor and I'm here to take over city government."

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

21. "I'm here to take over the city government!"

"Oh! You want the mayor's office! He's over in the City Hall."

"Oh, shoot. Thanks."

[DavidDvorkin]

32. I guess some emperors think small

[originalpckelly]

49. Today is inauguration day for the Denver City Government...co-incidence?

The city gov. is housed across the way in the Civic Center Building, between our capital and the Civic Center Building there is a beautiful park called Civic Center Park, I go down that way all the time. This is pretty scary to have something like this happen.

God, John Hickenlooper (like the BEST MAYOR EVER) could have been killed if this idiot was a little more coherent.

[SoCalDem]

16. A guy gets stuck in a tree and CNN is all over it, but a governor is attacked and

i hear crickets chirping:shrug:

[MonkeyFunk]

18. they covered it as soon as they got the

earliest reports.

[eleny]

25. Well, Ritter isn't a pretty, blonde white girl

:hi:

[Catshrink]

47. Not one of the celubutant skanks...

Paris, Brittany, Lindsay, and who's the other one?

[KittyWampus]

83. if Ritter had been bitten by a shark, there might be more interest

[Raine]

27. or some car chase

that's what they were all over when I happened by CNN. :eyes:

[chelsea0011]

30. This station was covering a 2 alarm fire in Ca. this AM

They guy should have started a fire, I guess. A car on fire got 24-7 coverage two weeks ago.

[malaise]

17. Please the man didn't even reach his office n/t

[Big Pappa]

22. Thank goodness

It seems security worked.

[kevinbgoode]

19. KOA Radio is reporting that someone came into the Capitol

ranting and raving that he wanted to take over the state. . .

Of course, KOA is a Fox affiliate. . .

The governor was in a makeshift office - apparently some renovations were going on in the Capitol. ..

[kevinbgoode]

23. It appears the Capitol is being evacuated?

eom/

[kestrel91316]

28. Sounds like somebody is off his meds............

[joeunderdog]

54. So they shot him.

Anyone know if the police asked any questions first?

[paulk]

59. well, if you walk into the governors's office waving a gun around

you are most likely going to get shot

[joeunderdog]

81. Vid of Denver Police spokesman sounded cagey to me.

Not saying this guy with a gun wasn't a possible threat, but he didn't fire a shot out of the 5 that were heard. He "basically made some kind of threatening comment...what the statement was we won't get into at this time."

Just a little food for thought before we all conclude that the guy needed to get shot to death. I think he probably needed psychiatric treatment.

[Bluebear]

29. Not a joke: He was shouting "I AM THE EMPORER!" as he waved his gun around

Before he was shot, the gunman said, "I am the emperor and I'm here to take over state government," Dreyer said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070716/ap_on_re_us/colorado_capitol_shooting

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

33. rec. nt

[Madspirit]

35. Grrrrrrr....It Would Be SO Nice!

I would really appreciate it, as a mentally ill person, if the police would start carrying non-lethal ways to take people down. To anyone but a nit, it is obvious, regardless of what party...Democrat, Republican, Martian Liberation, that the guy was mentally ill. The only way our society...the society that doesn't take care of it's ill in the first place...has, of dealing with the ill, when they get out of control, is to kill them. This wasn't a gang of terrorists. This was one lone crazy man. They could have taken him down as easily and as quickly as they took him OUT FOR LIFE.

Thank-you. I'm so glad our lives are so important to so many people. Thank-you very much. Grrrrr.

Lee

[trumad]

36. Sorry...guy has a gun---guy gets shot.

[tammywammy]

38. Yep. n/t

[Madspirit]

43. They have the technology to take people down without killing them

It is unconscionable...and you sound like a Republican sound bite. "Liberal" used to have "bleeding heart" in it. It sure as fuck doesn't any more.

If the guy was a diabetic with his insulin out of control or someone with a brain tumor, it would be NO different. Our culture shuns it's mentally ill, even though the operative word is "ILL". Period. There is NO reason for the first response to be KILLING SOMEONE who probably has no control over his behavior.

If there was NO other way to take someone down and other Innocents were at risk, then so be it but we DO have the technology to take people down without killing them.

During the Cho incident I got so upset with people here I talked about it, a LOT, to my shrink. I actually went so far as to hating some of you, for a time. IT COULD HAVE BEEN ME. It could even have been YOU. Mental illness strikes everyone, every class, every day, just like most illnesses. It's a prima facia case too. The behavior PROVES the illness. Any society worth SPIT should take care of it's ill, then it might not ever come to this. As is, you don't even notice us until we die on your doorstep or shoot up a school.

FUCK THAT.

Lee

[Big Pappa]

62. I agree, we should care for the ill.

But this asshole had a deadly weapon (would love to know how he got it) No one is going to chance not going home to their family for this crackpot.

[nadinbrzezinski]

63. What technology

If he had a knife you MIGHT have a point... and only in a series of circumstances taht were NOT, I repeat, WERE NOT present here

But he had a DEADLY WEAPON, which leads to DEADLY FORCE

I wish it was different, but the arc of deadly force taught to any who may use deadly force is... gun on suspect, deadly force authorized

[trumad]

92. Let me tell you something---

if a guy has a gun---- would you use a taser against him or gun? If you answer taser---you aint to bright.

[InternalDialogue]

41. Local TV website reports the shooting at 2:05 p.m. local time...

...just minutes after I walked around the capitol, past the north doors where the suspect was shot.

Eep. I hate finding out about those little quirks of circumstance.

[originalpckelly]

42. I've got the local news on, they were running a crawler, said it was some nut...

who wanted to take over the government, whatever that means.

[dflprincess]

45. Take over the government?

The gunman wasn't Cheney was he?

[originalpckelly]

48. I didn't know this happened almost an hour ago...

That would explain why other channels don't have anything about it (i.e. crawler)

[charlie]

44. Dead gunman

[Big Pappa]

66. Eerie.

n/t

[originalpckelly]

68. OK, that's creepy.

Where the hell is that from?

[charlie]

70. Denver Post

They have a pretty detailed account of the event. For whatever reason, the dude was wearing a tuxedo.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_6388583

[originalpckelly]

75. OK, that's pretty fucking weird. Why a tux?

:shrug:

Oi vey.

[charlie]

80. Because his tutu was at the cleaners?

The details are starting to take the shape of a nut who had a psychotic break with reality.

[originalpckelly]

85. Yes.

Let's hope there aren't copycatters.

[mitchum]

90. LOL!!!

I'm sorry, but I really AM laughing out loud at your comment.
well done :)

[charlie]

91. That's nice of you

Thanks. It's squirrelly news day :)

[Marr]

46. More right wing terrorism?

[onenote]

50. more likely: more suicide by cop

[originalpckelly]

51. Nah, this guy was going for the Mayor, not the Governor.

He wanted control of the city government.

[Bluebear]

53. "I am the emperor and I'm here to take over state government."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070716/ap_on_re_us/colorado_capitol_shooting

[originalpckelly]

55. Upthread, that must have been a bad quote.

Someone said the guy was going for city gov. I think that was obviously a wrong quote and yours is right.

[Bluebear]

57. Whatever. he wantd to be emporer. Just like Chimpolini. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

64. Possibly

I could also possit some really far crack pot conspiracy theories, (like havng people ahem activated), but I will leave them alone

[originalpckelly]

52. It's almost 4 PM MDT in Colorado, the local news will be on soon....

I post more if it should happen.

[bicentennial_baby]

56. Silly guy...the real Emperor is

[originalpckelly]

58. Scary shit. This is just so odd to watch on TV.

[Blue Poppy]

60. I just watched the news...

the Capitol is locked down, the gunman was shot (by a member of the gov's security detail), and they are processing the scene.
Here is a link to local news: http://www.9news.com/news/top-article.aspx?storyid=73818


I wonder if we will have to deal with these kind of incidents up until the convention?

[originalpckelly]

65. I know, I'm wondering that too.

The nuts may flock to us and start pulling this crap.

And imagine how many crazies they'll be if Barack is picked, I hope he is just to piss the fuckers off, but still we shouldn't be naive, they'll be people who try to kill him.

[Blue Poppy]

67. The freaks will be coming out of the woodwork next year,

especially the ones from the Springs. :scared:

[originalpckelly]

69. Those are the kooky relatives Colorado locks away in the attic...

I have a feeling they're going to escape like you said.

[nadinbrzezinski]

76. Its not colorado, it is the whole country

everywehre we have cooks who now feel justified in pulling off this crap

[originalpckelly]

78. Yeah, I agree. I think people are losing empathy...

they're only thinking about their pain, but don't consider the type of pain they can/do inflict on others in these shootings.

[joeunderdog]

82. I guess it's the price we're willing to pay for our little

Culture of FEAR:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[rockymountaindem]

79. Hey! There are some El Paso County Dems!

There's me, and ummm.... I'm sure I'll think of somebody else :)

Actually we do have John Morse and Michael Merrifield. Marylou Makepeace was/is a liberal disguised as a non-Democrat. But yeah, the scene is pretty wierd down here sometimes.

[originalpckelly]

84. I'm sure there are at least ten Democrats...

;-)

[RC]

71. What happened to having Tasers? Not deadly enough?

[nadinbrzezinski]

74. tasers are not an option when somebody has a gun

I wish sci fi was here and now, and you could disarm an armed person and not risk getting killed in the process'

When you invent those magic rays, you will a market, but when somebody has a gun, guess what? You can shoot him or her.

I know it is not a warm fuzzy, but we don't have the technology

Also... just out of curiosity for you. What is the EFFECTIVE range of a taser? What is the EFFECTIVE range of a pistol?

you do the math.

[rockymountaindem]

73. Thank goodness he's okay n/t

[originalpckelly]

77. This is pretty damn surprising isn't it?

I mean other than Columbine, Colorado's a pretty quiet state.

[rockymountaindem]

86. Except for that time the fans threw iceballs at the Raiders, too

Now *that* was an incident!

[originalpckelly]

87. Raiders don't count.

:-)

[rockymountaindem]

88. Hey, they've got families

I think.

[Big Pappa]

93. Some

asshole killed 5 at shopping mall several months ago.