Prayers for Cong. Gifford

As Katie reported directly below, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, a Democrat, has been shot.

The motive of the gunman is not yet apparent. Even so, I predict it will not be long before some Democrats and lefties start trying to use this horrific act as a political cudgel, painting all those who disagree with them and their policies as incipient assassins.

This technique -- using the acts of a criminal to discredit an opposing political movement and those who subscribe to it -- was used with some success by Bill Clinton in the wake of the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, when he sought to link terrorist nut-job Timothy McVeigh to the small-government conservative movement (recall that Republicans had just taken Congress in November of 1994).

Some on the left will resort to this sordid playbook again. But good people of all political persuasions understand that in this country, we solve our problems and address our grievances peacefully -- as the framers of the Constitution intended when they provided us with such a splendid founding document.

In the meantime, please join me in saying a prayer for Congresswoman Gifford.