Targeting like ...A Surveyor

I generally avoid commenting on anything political; I find nature and the galaxy a far more compelling topic for discussion.  But I do like the Onion for its satire, and I read the Post, the NYtimes and the WSJ when they are in front of me, mostly the business sections.

Today, in the Post's Style section, I came across a quote from the Palin camp that actually made chuckle.  It was their response to the shooting of Arizona Rep, Gabrielle Gifford and other US citizens in Tucson by a gun-toting lunatic, and any possible linkage to frequent combative language across party lines.  (Incidentally, my opinion is that there is no straight connection, but public figures should have integrity and understand how their conduct adds or detracts to civility in our nation).

Anyway, the Post's article, addresses both party's propensity to punch below the belt or incite public outrage whenever possible:

On Sunday, Palin's camp issued an awkward response: "We have nothing whatsoever to do with this," Rebecca Mansour, an aide to Palin, said in a radio interview on Sunday. "We never ever, ever intended it to be gun sights. It was simply cross hairs like you'd see on maps," like, she suggested, a "surveyor's symbol."

I took the antecedent to "this" in her statement to be "the shooting."  They were not suspects in the case, but I am glad they cleared that up.  And like George Washington himself, Palin must love the cross hairs of surveying.  Not retreating and reloading are common surveying parlance also.

Here is the rest of the article:

After tragedy, toxic talk in the media cross hairs

By Jason Horowitzand Lisa DeMoraes
Washington Post Staff Writers 
Monday, January 10, 2011

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Since the post above a few people provided some links and graphics that fill in the back story: