Fox Anchor Slams Sheriff for Blasting 'Vitriolic' Arizona

Stop putting a 'political spin' on shooting, Megan Kelly complains
By Mary Papenfuss,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 10, 2011 3:45 AM CST

Megan Kelly of Fox News jumped on an Arizona sheriff for lambasting the "vitriolic" political atmosphere that he believes risks inflaming violence in the state where Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head. Kelly pressed Sheriff Clarence Dupnik for any specific political messages that may have set off suspected shooter Jared Lee Loughner. When Dupnik said he had no specifics—yet—she zinged him for "injecting speculative opinion" and "putting a political" spin on the investigation he's leading into the attack that killed 6.

Dupnik earlier blasted the "vitriolic statements made night and day on radio and TV" about Giffords' "support of health care, and some of the vitriol got a lot of people agitated." He stood by his remarks, adding: "When people try night and day to inflame the public, there are going to be consequences. It's irresponsible." Giffords herself was concerned about violence in her state, home of a volatile mix of people both "anti-government and pro-gun," she recently told colleague Rep. James Moran of Virginia, the Washington Post reports.
(More Megan Kelly stories.)

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