Could these friends of Loughner's be lying about his liberalism?

[Poiuyt]

What if his friends are conservative and are claiming that he was liberal just to protect their "conservative values"?

[RandomThoughts]

1. That could be.

Weather he is a conservative or liberal, his values of using violence is what is wrong.

[lapfog_1]

2. My guess is that he told them that he was libertarian

and they aren't smart enough to know the difference.

[DCKit]

5. In two more weeks, he'll be a "Librarian" and Librul, for sure. nt

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. My guess is that there is some confusion between liberal & libertarian

[Cleita]

7. I agree. Some people thought Arnold S. was a

liberal, but he really was a Libertarian, which Thom Hartmann defines as Republicans who like to smoke pot and get laid. Most conservatives are pretty ignorant and really don't know what a liberal is. All they know is that it's something they don't want to be because it might be communist or something sinister like that.

[valerief]

4. Maybe. But he's obsessed with gold as currency (very Beckian) and he shot a Dem

(well, Blue Dog but not RW extremist) congresswoman. That doesn't sound liberal to me.

[Lex]

6. exactly so . . . nt

[Cleita]

9. Righties really don't make a distinction between

Blue Dogs, DLC and liberals. To them we're all the same.

[ingac70]

8. That bitch can't even spell his name. n/t

[merh]

10. His writings are that of a libertarian

The gold supporting currency has been a main focus of libertarians for years.

If they are conservatives they could confuse the words "libertarian" and "liberal" - after all, they both have L. I. B. E. R. as their first letters.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

11. His friends are probably reporting truthfully as far as they know,

which, at least per one report I read, dates back about three years. His more recent ideology, if you want to call it that, seems to be anti-government conspiratorial tinfoil-hattish goofball stuff that has much in common with some far-right stuff that's out there (David Ickes, for example), though not exactly typical teabagger material. My guess is that that guy is mentally disturbed and was inspired by some of the more extreme theories and incendiary rhetoric that's been floating around lately. He may have espoused some "liberal" beliefs at one time, but right now he seems to be a guy whose tinfoil hat is way too tight. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised if it turns out he's schizophrenic and the shooting was motivated only by the "politics" of his own mind.

[demmiblue]

12. I am only aware of one person, not numerous. So, "friend" would be more appropriate. n/t

[JDPriestly]

13. Liberals do not shoot guns at people.

A liberal would especially never shoot a gun at a Democrat in a political meeting sponsored by the Democrat. That is just absurd.