Jared Loughner and political assassination

by David Safier

People can argue about Jered Loughner's political views and how they influenced his decision to open fire during Giffords' Congress on Your Corner. But it's hard to conclude it wasn't a political act. Loughner targeted a sitting member of Congress whom he had talked with years before, and he was obsessed with the government and currency. He went after Giffords, not one of his teachers or an ex-employer or a TV personality. He had politics on his mind.

Now it's clear he had political assassination on his mind. According to Politico, a search of Loughner's browsing history on his computer revealed that he had been reading up on political assassinations.

In the days leading up to his attempt to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), alleged shooter Jared Lee Loughner researched political assassins and punishments he could face for murder, an examination of his computer has found.

The Internet-browsing history on Loughner’s computer indicates that the 22-year-old visited websites that contained information on political assassins, solitary confinement and the process and effects of lethal injections, the Washington Post reported Wednesday, citing law enforcement sources close to the investigation.

There is little doubt Loughner is seriously mentally ill, but that doesn't mean his actions were random. His shooting that morning was clearly premeditated, and his mind was on political assassination.