Rep. Steve Scalise shot at congressional baseball practice

Breaking news ths morning from the AP: Top House GOP leader shot at congressional baseball practice:

A top House Republican, Steve Scalise of Louisiana, was shot by a rifle-wielding gunman Wednesday at a congressional baseball practice just outside of Washington. Several other people were also believed to have been hit, according to a lawmaker who witnessed the shooting.

Capitol Police said officers who were part of Scalise’s security detail returned fire and wounded the shooter, who was taken into custody.

Scalise, the House majority whip, was in stable condition at George Washington University Hospital, according to one congressional aide. His injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. It was not known the condition of the others who were shot.

President Donald Trump said he was “deeply saddened by this tragedy” and was monitoring developments.

The shooting occurred at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia, where lawmakers and others were gathered for a morning practice.

“We were doing batting practice,” said Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. “All of a sudden we heard a very loud shot. The gunman was over by the third base dugout with a clear view of the field.” He said the gunman had “a rifle of some sort … a lot of ammo.”

Rep. Mike Bishop, R-Mich., said Scalise was at second base when he was shot.

“I was looking right at him,” Bishop told Detroit radio station WWJ. “He was a sitting duck.”

Rep. Mo Brooks, an Alabama Republican, said two law enforcement officers were believed to be among the others shot.

Brooks said that Scalise, 51, was down on the ground with what Brooks described as “a hip wound.” The Alabama lawmaker said he colleague “crawled into the outfield, leaving a trail of blood.”

“We started giving him the liquids, I put pressure on his wound in his hip,” Brooks said.

House Speaker Paul Ryan’s office said Scalise’s wounds were not believed to be life-threatening and that a member of the security detail was also shot.

Katie Filous was walking her two dogs near the field when she heard “a lot of shots, probably more than 20.” She said the shooting “went on for quite a while.”

Filous said she saw the shooter hit a uniformed law enforcement officer, who she said was later evacuated by helicopter. She said the officer had gotten out of a parked car, drawn a handgun and shouted something to the gunman, who then fired.

Rep. Jeff Duncan said in a statement that he was at the practice and “saw the shooter.”

Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was the victime of a mass shooting in Tucson in January 2011, responded to the news of the shooting. Gabrielle Giffords Responds To Congressional Softball Shooting:

Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) issued a statement on a shooting that targeted Congressional Republicans in Alexandria, Virginia, on Wednesday.


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43 thoughts on “Rep. Steve Scalise shot at congressional baseball practice”

    • “I feel the same way about scalise that right wingers felt about gabby giffiards.”

      And what way is that, Captain?

    • The state Republican convention was being conducted on the day that Gabby Giffords was shot. They immediately began praying for her and people were walking around crying.

      You can’t get more right wing than that group.

  1. More from Rep Martha’s Facebook TL, also known as the alternate universe of the GOP. Apparently she was on CNN.
    Rep. Martha McSally
    2 hrs ·

    “The rhetoric, the vitriol, the demonizing, the hatred—we have to change the way we interact. We need to be able to debate sincerely held beliefs but not be disagreeable to each other. All of us–our community, our public officials, our country–need to look in our hearts so that this unity is not for just one day, but is a true change in our nation.”

  2. What an interesting array of comments. I was curious what you all would have to say about this and I am sorry to say I was not surprised at what appeared. Only 1 tiny comment condemning the shooter and only 1 tiny comment wishing good will toward the victims. The rest is round about ways of attacking the Republicans as bringing it on themselves and ridiculing them as deserving it. No mention at all of how the horrible and hate filled rhetoric of the left might have encouraged him to shoot people. No soul searching as to maybe the left should back off a bit from the anger and hatred it continues to spew against the right. No, nothing like that. Just a “blame the victims” tone and the hint that it might have been set up by the Republicans to garner sympathy. Like I said, I was not surprised but I was still a bit disappointed.

    I can only imagine the howls and outrage and screams about how awful the right is if it had been a republican shooter shooting at democrats.

    Of course the media is helping you out by saying we shouldn’t jump to conclusions here. This despite the man having worked for Sanders during his campaign, his social network page spilling over with raw hatred toward Trump and the Republicans, and his specifically asking if the team was made up of Republicans or democrats before he started shooting. Obviously there is no way to know what his motivation might be…especially of you don’t want to. But again, if it was a republican shooter the media would have no trouble jumping to conclusions.

    You tell a lot about yourselves when you write on these pages, and this does not speak well for you. When politics triumphs the death of other human beings, something is lacking. When the deaths of people are seen only as a means to an end, something is lacking. When politics keeps you from ackowledgeing the obvious truth, something is lacking. Well, something IS lacking.

    • For crying out loud, Steve, is there a single right wing talking point that you missed? Get over yourself and put a lid on your preaching which, quite frankly, is nothing but hypocritical horsesh!t.

      No one here suggested that anyone deserved to get shot.

      The GOP supports gun “rights” as defined by the NRA who contributes to their political campaigns. And they have vehemently opposed any form of gun control legislation no matter how “sensible”. I have no intention of discussing this ANY further as it is exhausting and repetitious to just keep saying things that are well known facts.

      The GOP also does not support universal health care which may have actually prevented some of these shootings. We’ll never know now will we?

      The logical conclusion is that the GOP believes that these shootings are the price we pay for our gun “rights”.

      And since you believe that the “horrible and hate filled rhetoric of the left might have encouraged him to shoot people”, your assignment for today is to investigate the other 151 SHOOTINGS that have occurred so far in 2017 and report back on what influenced these shooters to pick up loaded guns and fire into the bodies of human beings. Let us find out once and for all what motivates these people so we can stop MAKING THINGS UP!

      Here is President Obama speaking after the Senate failed to pass very limited gun control legislation after the Sandy Hook massacre:

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQGoyQ-TXwoAnd to suggest that the Democrats

        • Here’s all you need to know about the GOP right here….

          “Republican Colorado House Minority Leader Patrick Neville on Wednesday defended using the shooting of U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) to raise funds.”

          The smoke hasn’t even cleared yet, literally.

          • “Here’s all you need to know about the GOP right here…The smoke hasn’t even cleared yet, literally.”

            I would never pretend that the GOP doesn’t have it’s share of slimey pigs (no offense intended to pigs) and this guy is one of them. But he hardly represents all of the GOP.

        • “Furthermore, for any Trump voter to start pointing out the character deficits of other people is fairly outrageous.”

          What if the character defects are really there? If the defect is there, it is worthy of note and comment by anyone. Trying to say that a certain group of people are prohibited from commenting is just plain silly!

      • “The GOP supports gun “rights”…” / “The GOP also does not support universal health care…” / “…investigate the other 151 SHOOTINGS that have occurred so far in 2017…” / “…failed to pass very limited gun control legislation after the Sandy Hook massacre…”

        (SIGH!)Let’s see here…I was not talking about gun rights; I was not talking about universal health care; I was not talking the 151 shootings you cited; and I was not talking about Sandy Hook. I was talking about this blogs reaction people being shot in what was obviously a politically motivated shooting spurred on by the left and there was no condemnation of the act by anyone on this page except Larry Bodine who said, “I hope they catch the bastard!” Not one other voice spoke in condemnation. If I am preaching, it is because you deserve it. If you all are so politically driven that you can not spare a few simple words stating that this was the wrong thing to do, then something is seriously wrong. You can throw up another thousand straw men like gun control, health care, other shootings and Sandy Hook, and it doesn’t alter the fact that basic humanity is lacking in not being able to say it was the wrong thing to do. Even Bernie Sanders and Nancy Pelosi came forward condemning the act.

        “For crying out loud, Steve, is there a single right wing talking point that you missed?”

        Oh, Liza…is that all this incident is to you, a talking point? I know it is irelevant to you, but I find that a bit disappointing. To me, people being killed is not a “talking point”, it is a shame. Besides, as I have told you before, I have no idea what the right wing talking points are and I have no idea where to find them.

        “Get over yourself and put a lid on your preaching which, quite frankly, is nothing but hypocritical horsesh!t.”

        When preaching is deserved, I will do it. I have seen people die close up and have killed, and I know the gravity of death. When I see people become so caloused that it does not seem to affect them, even in passing, that is time for a sermon.

        As to “getting over” myself…well, I am getting old enough to know when to be humble and when my life experiences give me authority to speak. I have no false illusions any more about who I am and where my life has taken me. I am still learning things and am always willing to change my position on things when presented with good arguments why I should do so. This blog has changed my mind on some issues I had strong feelings about, but realized I was wrong. And I have admitted many times here when I was wrong about something. That is something I don’t see leftists doing here even when confronted with irrefutable evidence they are. Instead they throw up straw men and try and change the subject. No, I am comfortable with whom I am.

        • I think where you are going with this is to not so subtly suggest that people who write comments here, like me for example, are sympathetic to this form of terrorism because the victims were Republicans.

          I fully realize that what you are saying echoes the right wing nonsense being spewed on any given day. But it might be time to engage a filter or two and give some thought to what you are actually accusing people of thinking or believing or saying.

          I don’t take kindly to these accusations. And if you think that people do not have the right and the obligation to discuss the relevant issues, those being “sensible” gun control and accesss to healthcare, then you simply have another think coming.

          I don’t want to get shot and it is not a fate that I wish for others.

          • “I think where you are going with this is to not so subtly suggest that people who write comments here, like me for example, are sympathetic to this form of terrorism because the victims were Republicans.”

            You could not be more wrong, Liza. I wanted to know WHY no one said anything about it being wrong. While was there silence. I didn’t think anyone could be sympathetic to this type of terrorism. That never even for a second entered my mind which may be why I phrased my response the way I did. NO ONE on this blog, nor anyone I know, would support this.

            At least now, I understand your anger…I would be angry, too, if I thought someone accused me of that. I apologize for miscommunicating, Liza, and I apologize to everyone on the blog if they got they that impression, also. And this IS sincere!

            “And if you think that people do not have the right and the obligation to discuss the relevant issues, those being “sensible” gun control and accesss to healthcare, then you simply have another think coming.”

            Of course these subjects are ripe for discussion at any time. I have discussed them at great length here on the blog. You have have taken me to great task for my views on more than one occasion. However, in this instance, I was not talking about those things. I think I was fairly clear about that.

            I hope this clear up a serious misunderstanding. I enjoy our exchanges and this needs to be cleared up ASAP>

      • “Honestly, Steve, I can’t even respond to your fictitious pretending-to-be-so-sincere drivel.”

        Well, Liza, I will admit you hurt me a little with that one. I never try to be anything other than what I am. I am too old to play that kind of game. One of the tings about a blog is it provides enough anonymity that you can either (1) lie like crazy, or (2) be brutally honest. To lie takes too much energy to remember what you and is really kind of pointless. So, telling the truth is the only way to go. I try not the be brutal because most people deserve respect and being mean isn’t my nature. In any event, I feel bad you think I wasn’t being sincere, because I was…very much so. And I will continue to be so in the future.

        My best wishes to you!

        • If you are sincere then something else is lacking. Like the ability to see the big picture, for example.

    • Here’s a fun fact, kids.

      Congress was scheduled to vote on a bill relaxing regulations on gun silencers this morning.

      • Well, the GOP legislators including Scalise are strong advocates for “gun rights” and they figure that these shootings are the price we pay for this “freedom”. They offer their “thoughts and prayers” to the surviving victims and the devastated families.

        These GOP politicians who are now speaking about “unity” are barking up the wrong trees.

  3. chauncey devega‏ @chaunceydevega 2 hours ago

    Scalise spoke to a white supremacist group and a black man saves his life. Universe has its own logic.

    Source: Twitter

  4. No one is saying much about the shooting in San Francisco this morning.

    These shootings have become so commonplace that they don’t survive one news cycle if they make it at all. Yet the victims and the devastated families and communities keep piling up.

    We’re really at a point where this can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone.

    • This is true. Mass shootings are not getting the coverage they used to, because they’re so commonplace they’re not getting the ratings they used to.

      It’s not that no one cares about mass shootings, they just care more about being entertained.

    • Martha has posted on Facebook three times today regarding the shooting. She is calling upon us to “unify”.

      “Tonight I joined Chuck Todd on MSNBC with Rep. Himes to discuss how today’s shooting hits home for Arizona’s Second Congressional District. Our country needs to put aside the vitriolic rhetoric, and unify.”

      Earlier on Facebook:
      “Today’s tragedy reminds us that we have more that unites us than divides us. We are all Americans, united under one flag, and it is time to come together to defend the principles that our flag represents.”

      And this…
      “My thoughts and prayers are with Congressman Steve Scalise and the other victims as they recover from their wounds after the shooting this morning. We are grateful for the excellent work of Capitol Police in responding to this violence. I will continue to monitor this situation closely.”

      • It’s always interesting when people who so enthusiastically support one of the most evil, mean spirited agendas in our nation’s history tell the rest of us to get behind some unity.

        What kind of unity? And how does opposing the GOP’s evil, anti-populist agenda violate “the principles that our flag represents”?

        Martha the Moderate Lion is now Martha the Preacher. Sorry, dear, it doesn’t suit you.

        • martha mcsally was really upset when she saw jeff flake on tv. he said I got lucky as he missed me!

  5. I wonder if alan jones will say this is a false flag operation by gun control republicans to curry sympathy? good arguments about this on DU also on DI but I don’t know what that site is.

  6. Reports in the NY Times indicate that the shooter, a white male, was killed at the scene.

  7. This is horrible! Some good comes out of every tragedy and hopefully this is a wake up call to Congress to stop defending the NRA’s platform of allowing assualt weapons and massive amounts of ammunition to be purchased by the mentally ill and other unlicensed people.

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