Arizona Democratic Representative shot in the head.

According to NPR, Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head and killed this morning.  May she rest in peace.

If the intent was to defeat liberalism, the killer instead created a liberal martyr that will be remembered long after people have forgotten the shooter's name.  Is Arizona the new Alabama?

/update/
Gabrielle Giffords had coincidentally / ironically tweeted just before she was shot:
"Dinner @ Char's Thai. Sadly learned that Toi, the wonderful waitress who loved to make collages, passed away. Mark & I will miss her."

/update 2/
LA Times via Reuters is reporting that Representative Giffords in alive but in surgery. [crossing fingers]

/update 3/
The surgeon said that he believes Representative Giffords has a good chance of survival.  Among the dead: a federal judge who was himself targeted by Conservatives previously, and a young child. The shooter has been identified as Jared Loughner.  If you google his name, you'll find his youtube postings, and right away you get the sense this is another Timothy McVeigh.  Note that, since Loughner killed a federal judge, he is going to end up eligible for the federal death penalty under 18 U.S.C. 1114.

/update 4/
Sunday morning and we now know that Representative Giffords was responsive immediately after the shooting, and that she was able to communicate using simple commands with doctors this morning after surgery.

Slain federal judge John Roll had been at Mass that morning as he does every morning, and decided to visit his friend Representative Giffords to say hi.  As USA Today noted, the suspect had previously proclaimed his lack of faith in God in his youtube videos.

The gun used in this violent act was purchased legally in Arizona at a sports show.  It is no coincidence that Timothy McVeigh, the Oklahoma City Bomber, as well as David Koresh, the Waco cult leader, also had a preoccupation with gun shows.  We appear to have a nexus to much of the violence in America.