The 'Who's going to shoot Obama?' incident: Rep. Broun's controversial response

Some say the Republican congressman should have condemned a supporter who questioned him about assassinating the president

According to some accounts, Rep. Paul Brown (R-Ga.) laughed off a Town Hall attendee's question about assassinating the president.
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At a town hall in Athens, Ga., earlier this week, an unidentified attendee asked Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.), "Who is going to shoot Obama?" To the shock of some observers, the conservative congressman failed to condemn the question, simply saying, "The thing is, I know there's a lot of frustration with this president," before changing the subject. By some accounts, Broun even laughed along with the crowd. In response to growing criticism, Broun issued a statement earlier today calling the assassination question "abhorrent," condemning all such threats, and noting that his office "took action with the appropriate authorities." Especially given the recent attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' life, was Broun's initial response inadequate?

Broun blew it: The congressman "tried to show empathy for the questioner," says Zaid Jilani at Think Progress. That's telling given that, of all Congress members, "Broun has used perhaps the most vitriolic rhetoric to describe his political opponents, including Obama." He's compared the president to Hitler and said that health care reform would "kill" seniors. This "outlandish" question can be seen as a consequence of Broun's caustic political discourse.

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