Faced with rising anger against ideological zealots who have turned the murderous atrocity in Arizona into a political circus, President Obama had to respond. In an excellent speech eulogizing the six dead and paying respect to the critically injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., Obama appealed to the nation to cool down and stop the nonsense. His signature line was: “What we cannot do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on each other.”

Unfortunately, his words came too late.