Rep. calls for Fairness Doctrine
January 19, 2011

Amid all those suggestions that the Tucson massacre had its origins in a climate of hate created by harsh political rhetoric and right-wing talk radio, one voice could be heard making a very specific policy prescription.

Rep. James Clyburn, the South Carolina lawmaker who is the House's third highest-ranking Democrat, called for the reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine, which once regulated TV and radio broadcasters under the oversight of the Federal Communications Commission.

"Free speech is as free speech does," Clyburn told the Charleston Post and Courier last week. "You cannot yell 'fire' in a crowded theater and call it free speech. And some of what I hear, and [what] is being called free speech, is worse than that."

Even though President Obama has flatly rejected the notion that a political motive could be found for the Tucson killings, Clyburn was eager to revive his push for the controversial regulations on broadcasters in the wake of the violence that left six dead and 13 wounded.

The 10-term lawmaker had issued a similar call in the spring of 1995, after the Oklahoma City bombing. At the time, Clyburn had singled out that era's reigning conservative on talk-radio: G. Gordon Liddy.

Enacted under President Truman in 1949, the original intent of the Fairness Doctrine was to ensure that discussion over the airwaves of controversial issues did not exclude any particular point of view. A Supreme Court ruling in 1969 upheld the constitutionality of the regulation, but chiefly on the grounds that there were so few channels at the time.

"That just simply isn't the case today," said Harold Furchtgott-Roth, a former FCC commissioner who served on the panel during President Clinton's second term. "There are unlimited number of channels. There are sources of information that the American public has: on the Internet, through the print media, through other media."

Under President Reagan, in 1987, the FCC abolished the doctrine, casting its requirement that broadcasters devote equal time to all points of view an unconstitutional abridgement of free speech. (Broadcasters are still required to provide equal opportunity for airtime to political candidates.) The following year, Rush Limbaugh debuted on the nation's airwaves and conservatives have predominated on talk radio ever since.

The most serious effort at developing a for-profit liberal talk-radio network, Air America, lasted for only six years, its signal going dark almost exactly one year ago. Among its hosts was Al Franken, the former "Saturday Night Live" cast member who is now the junior senator from Minnesota, and a Democrat.

Conservatives view calls for the reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine as partisan efforts to harness the powers of the federal government to redress an ideological imbalance that they say is driven purely - and properly - by free-market forces.

"The Fairness Doctrine is one of those nicely named things that's just completely wrong," said Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, who sits on the House Judiciary Committee. "The American people need to decide who they're going to be listening to, and the federal government can't be deciding what is fair speech, and neither can Mr. Clyburn make that decision."

Few Democrats, though, have followed Clyburn's charge. A spokesman for President Obama told FoxNews.com, shortly after Obama's inauguration, that the president opposes reinstatement of the Fairness Doctrine.

Also opposing the regulation is current FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn - the congressman's daughter. At her confirmation hearing in July 2009, Clyburn told members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee that the FCC should not be "in the business of censoring speech or content on the basis of political views and opinions."

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China & U.S. relations
January 19, 2011

Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in the United States on Tuesday for a state visit that will include high-profile talks with President Barack Obama on trade, currency, North Korea and other issues.

The three-day trip includes a state dinner on Wednesday and the eighth face-to-face meeting between Obama and the Chinese leader, which administration officials say illustrates the importance of relations between two global powers at a time described by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as a "critical juncture."

Chinese state media has reported that Hu will stress how a constructive, comprehensive partnership between the two nations could be mutually beneficial and help ensure stability in Asia and worldwide, despite differences between Beijing and Washington on issues such as human rights and currency controls
In addition to Obama, Hu is also scheduled to meet with top legislators and business executives. After Washington, Hu will make a stop in Chicago on Thursday.

Vice President Joe Biden greeted Hu when the Chinese leader arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Tuesday afternoon. A military honor guard saluted Hu and a military band played the national anthems of both countries as Hu and Biden stood on a red carpet on the air base tarmac.

Hu later arrived at the White House for what officials called a small dinner gathering with Obama, Clinton and National Security Adviser Tom Donilon.

"This provides a bit of an informal setting in which to have some of these discussions," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said earlier Tuesday about the dinner.

On Wednesday, the two leaders will hold bilateral talks followed by a joint news conference, and Hu will be the guest of honor at a formal state dinner in the evening.

Before Hu's arrival, U.S. legislators and demonstrators criticized China's human rights record, including political repression, and called for Obama to press the issue in his talks with the Chinese leader.

"It is more important to honor and remember those who cannot attend this State Dinner rather than those who will be in attendance," said a statement by the Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition. "While the guests are dining on expensive and extravagant food there will be scores who will be oppressed and placed behind bars by the Chinese government because of their faith and political beliefs; people like Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Liu Xiaobo who is in prison," and others.

Gibbs said that Obama would raise human rights concerns with Hu.

"Obviously that is a topic of some significance that the two leaders will talk about," Gibbs told reporters. "We will continue to have difficult conversations" with China on the subject.

This week's meeting between the leaders of the world's two largest economies also put the spotlight on criticism that the government-controlled People's Bank of China artificially undervalues the yuan, bringing down the cost of Chinese exports, which would give it an advantage in the international market.

Last week, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said China must do more to address its undervalued currency and dependence on exports, adding that such a move is in Beijing's best interest because it will control inflation.

Senate Democrats this week renewed their push to crack down on countries that manipulate their currencies, with China clearly in their crosshairs.

A bill introduced Monday by New York Sen. Charles Schumer and two other Democrats would impose penalties, including possible tariffs, on nations that manipulate their currencies.

The senators told reporters in a conference call that China's currency and trade polices undercut U.S. manufacturers and are costing American jobs.

"China's currency is like a boot on the throat of America's economic recovery," Schumer said.

But Hu dismissed the argument that price stability is a reason for yuan appreciation, telling the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal that Chinese inflation is "moderate and controllable."

In an apparent attempt to smooth relations ahead of this week's meeting with Obama, the Bank of China last week began providing the yuan directly to U.S. traders for the first time.

The Chinese president has complaints of his own, particularly with Federal Reserve policy aimed at stimulating the economy. The policies especially affect China, given that it holds billions of dollars in government debt. The Federal Reserve policy makes U.S. bonds a less attractive investment for the Chinese.

In a speech Friday at the State Department, Clinton said China must assume the responsibility of being a world power, rather than basing policies on its own self-interest.

Clinton acknowledged that relations between Beijing and Washington were at a "critical juncture," noting persisting tensions on economic and security issues and accusing China of discriminatory practices that put American firms at a disadvantage.

Still, insisting that the United States doesn't view China as a threat, she said, "our economies are intertwined and so are our futures."

One hot-button issue that Beijing addressed on Sunday was the Korean peninsula, days after Clinton urged China to use its "unique ties" with North Korea to tamp down tensions there.

Urging an early resumption of long-stalled six-party talks committed to reining in North Korea's nuclear program, Assistant Foreign Minister Hu Zhengyue told Xinhua that "the peninsula's denuclearization and the normalization of relations" was in all parties' interest.

"China will continue to work with all the parties concerned and the international community to ensure peace, stability and prosperity," he said.

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MLK day used for school snow days
January 18, 2011

School officials in southern U.S. states are under fire for mandating students show up for classes Monday on Martin Luther King Day to make up for snow days.

Various federal and state statutes mark Jan. 17 as a public holiday to honor the birthday of the black civil rights leader who was assassinated in 1968.

However, unusual winter weather has created a problem for some southern school boards, The New York Times reported from Atlanta.

So-called snow days that closed schools created a shortage of class time, and some school districts in Georgia, North and South Carolina have decided to make up for them by requiring attendance on Monday, which would have been King's 82nd birthday.

That doesn't sit well with civil rights advocate the Rev. Al Sharpton, the Times said.

"We're urging people to keep their kids home," he told the newspaper. "It's un-American not to observe the holiday."

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Bipartisan seating at State of Union
January 18, 2011

Those who support a bipartisan seating plan for members at the State of the Union address just received two big-name endorsers: Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Schumer announced Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that he will be sitting with Coburn during the president's Jan. 25 speech.

"I called up Tom... he graciously agreed," Schumer, a well-known liberal lawmaker said of his staunch conservative colleague. "We're going to sit together... and we hope that many others will follow us."

Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) is leading the charge within Congress to have members show a display of unity by sitting with members of the opposing party during the State of the Union. Traditionally, members sit with their own party, divided from the opposing party by the House aisle.

But in the wake of the Tucson, Ariz., shooting and discussions of heated political rhetoric, members say they believe this seating plan is one small way they can help set a new tone in politics.

"Violent discourse in political life, right, left, or center, is wrong and should be rejected," Schumer said Sunday. "But I do think we, as elected officials, have an obligation to try and tone that down."

Last Wednesday, Udall began circulating a letter asking for leadership to considering altering this year's seating plan. The letter continues to gain signatures. On Friday, Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) joined his Republican colleague, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), the lead Republican backing Udall's plan, in signing the proposal.

"I think Democrats and Republicans sitting together at the State of the Union is an excellent way to show we share a common goal of working to make this country a better place for every American," Begich said in a statement. "It may only be a symbolic gesture on one evening, but I believe it's a positive step toward showing unity and ending some of the partisan practices that have become common."

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Why did Loughner slip through the cracks?
January 17, 2011

Jared Loughner had never been in major trouble with the law or overtly violent, but his behavior at his community college was so disturbing that campus police gave him and his parents an ultimatum: Get a mental health evaluation or don't come back.

Loughner went away but his deteriorating mental condition didn't. A year later, he is charged in a horrific mass shooting that killed six people and left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords clinging to life.

For those living with mentally ill family members or friends, the tragedy plays on their deepest fears and raises a more heart-wrenching and personal question: When and how should loved ones intercede to force someone to get help?

Parents who suspect their child might have a major mental illness face an array of emotional and bureaucratic hurdles, from their own fears to strict laws that limit involuntary commitment to severe cuts in services. For many, the battle for intervention and treatment is a never-ending nightmare.

"I would bet that every parent who has a son or daughter with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder or any major brain disorder all feel the same thing now: There but for the grace of God go I," said the mother of a 35-year-old son with schizophrenia, who has been off his medication for nine years. The woman requested anonymity because she believes her son - an avid reader of Internet news - would sever contact with her forever for speaking to the media.

"My heart goes out to the family," the mother said. "They didn't cause this, you can't cause a brain disorder in your family."

Police are also hamstrung by legitimate concerns about civil rights and due process that are rooted in historic abuses of the mentally ill, said Timothy Schmaltz, chief executive of the Phoenix-based group Protecting Arizona's Family Coalition.

In Loughner's case, it appears that despite the concerns of campus police, professors and other classmates, the 22-year-old was never diagnosed with what experts say seems to be a clear-cut case of schizophrenia.

That he fell through the ever-widening cracks of the mental health system is an all-too-common scenario for families who might want help with a major mental illness. They are confronted with an overwhelming struggle - a fight that often begins with the person they're trying to help.

One of the key symptoms of schizophrenia, for example, is a lack of awareness and denial that anything is wrong, said Mark A. Kalish, a practicing psychiatrist who also teaches at the University of California, San Diego.

This means that even as a person's behavior spins increasingly out of control, they refuse treatment. In many states, adult patients cannot be involuntarily committed unless they are found by a court to be a danger to themselves or others.

Story: 'Mental illness' not an explanation for violence
The mother with the schizophrenic child said her son experienced his first symptoms at college at age 20. He endured two hospitalizations - one voluntary and one involuntary - but then stopped taking his medicines, skipped his medical appointments and eventually moved away from his home state.

His parents are powerless to intervene. They send him money each month, but long ago gave up pressuring him to take his medication in order to have any contact at all, his mother said.

"Your hands are tied. If it happened when they were 16, you could take them to a hospital and admit them and they have nothing to say about it," she said. "But once they're legally an adult it's just a horrible thing to go through for the family.

"He doesn't believe he has a mental illness at all. He's psychotic," she said. "The longer you try to get someone help, the more they shut you out and don't share what's going on."

It's unclear what the Loughners did, if anything, to get their son help after the meeting with campus police and it's also unclear if the college reported his bizarre behavior to local authorities. College officials did not return calls.

Arizona, however, has one of the most flexible statutes for involuntary commitment and allows anyone with knowledge of the person's behavior - a teacher, a parent, a police officer, a friend - to petition for a court-ordered mental health evaluation, the first step toward involuntary treatment, said Kristina Ragosta, legislative and policy counsel at the Treatment Advocacy Center in Arlington, Va.

Arizona law also doesn't require the person to be homicidal or suicidal, but simply to be found "persistently and acutely disabled" by mental illness.

"A lot of times people don't know what the laws are and when we get phone calls from families looking to get help for a loved one, the first thing we always say is, 'Know what the laws are in your state, know what are the standards for commitment," Ragosta said.

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State tax hike may be coming
January 14, 2011

Illinois companies are slamming the state's move to the third-highest corporate tax rate in the country, signed into law Thursday, saying they are concerned about its effect on business.

But amid local budget shortfalls, other states might not find such tax hikes such a bad idea, and some tax policy experts said other Americans should brace themselves for inevitable tax increases in their states.

Joseph Henchman, tax counsel for The Tax Foundation in Washington, D.C., said the Illinois tax hike is only the beginning of what will be a tumultuous year for state tax rates.

"It will be quite an active year," said Henchman. "It might be a year of dramatic tax increases given the constraints states are under. There's always pressure to increase spending more than revenue growth, but the Tea Party and limited government dynamics will add to that pressure."

Henchman said other states that will definitely see tax increases are those in the worst fiscal trouble -- California and Maryland, and potentially New York
But the new Illinois tax rate legislation, signed into law Thursday evening by Gov. Pat Quinn, already is making waves in the Upper Midwest.

James O'Donnell, vice president of a manufacturing company outside of Chicago, said he is not just troubled but angry that legislators this week approved a 30 percent corporate tax rate increase. The rate increased to 9.5 percent from 7.3 percent, and the individual income tax increased to 5 percent from 3 percent, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2011.

"Someone asked me if this was that big of a deal, and I answered immediately, 'Yes, it definitely is a big deal,'" O'Donnell said. "It's bad for our employees, the future of our company, and it's not good for our customers either. This does nothing but increase our costs."

O'Donnell said his company, CamCraft Inc., had to make "painful decisions" in 2009 to stay afloat without raising customers' prices during the downturn. He said he is bitter that the state legislature did not do the same.

"The Illinois legislature made a very strong statement that they don't care about businesses and manufacturing," O'Donnell said.

He said his company, which has 275 employees and one facility in Hanover Park, Ill., may consider adding a second location in the future. And the Illinois tax increases give more reason to look outside the state.

Nick Kalivas, vice president of financial research with brokerage firm MF Global, said that the tax increase was an "anti-growth" measure.

"My concern from an economic standpoint is that gasoline prices are very high in Illinois, you've got fairly strict worker compensation laws, the regulatory environment is relatively stiff here, and you're taking money from the consumer," said Kalivas from his office in Chicago. "This tends to dampen the growth outlook."

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Memorial or pep rally?
January 14, 2011

What was billed as a memorial for victims of the Arizona shooting rampage turned into a rollicking rally, leaving some conservative commentators wondering whether President Barack Obama's speech was a scripted political event. Not so, insisted the White House and host University of Arizona.

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs said Thursday he and other aides didn't expect the president's remarks at the school's basketball arena to receive as much rousing applause as it did. Gibbs said the crowd's response, at times cheering and shouting, was understandable.

"I think part of the grieving process is celebrating the lives of those that were lost, and celebrating the miracles of those that survived," he said.

The university said it did the planning with minimal input from the White House. The school paid for the event, including $60,000 for 20,000 T-shirts bearing the words "Together We Thrive," which were handed out for free. The money will not come student tuition, fees or tax dollars.

Well before Obama arrived, the atmosphere had become celebratory. People lined up for hours, and when the doors finally opened about two hours before the start, a huge cheer went up and the crowd surged into the arena.

With the exception of elected officials, victims and their families, first responders and medical professionals, the capacity crowd of about 14,000 was admitted on a first-come, first-served basis Wednesday, university spokeswoman Jennifer Fitzenberger said.

But the choreographed nature of the event was too much for some.

"Can't the Democrat political stage managers give it a break just once?" conservative commentator Michelle Malkin wrote in a column on her website, then questioned the lack of White House interaction with the university.

"Given the Obama White House's meticulous attention to stage prop details, however, I would say the odds of involvement by Axelrod/Plouffe & Co. are high."

David Plouffe is a presidential adviser who was the architect of Obama's presidential campaign; White House senior adviser David Axelrod has been his political strategist and is to advise the Obama's re-election campaign.

Rich Lowry of the National Review wrote that "the pep-rally atmosphere was inappropriate and disconcerting," although he admired the president's speech.

To observers, the crowd was spontaneous.

They cheered when the two trauma surgeons who treated Rep. Gabrielle Giffords entered and were shown on the overhead screen. As the camera would focus on other individuals thrust into the spotlight after the shooting, the crowd went wild, whether it was the first responders, the woman who grabbed the alleged gunman's ammunition or Daniel Hernandez, the intern who helped Giffords at the scene of the shooting.

Sheriff Clarence Dupnik, who drew criticism from some corners for his remarks about Arizona immediately after the shooting, drew particularly loud applause and responded with a wave to the cameras.

Despite the celebrations in the rafters, the mood below where the families of the victims, the president and other officials sat was far more somber.

Obama frequently bowed his head, resting his chin on his clasped hands. First lady Michelle Obama wiped tears from her eyes. Families of the victims held each other close as speakers shared personal memories of their loved ones.

The president himself appeared taken aback at the sustained applause he received after his remarks. He waved quickly to the crowd as he left the stage, stood with his head down as the crowd continued to cheer, then reached for his wife, and kissed her several times on the cheek.

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Az tragedy: Obama & Palin speak
January 13, 2011

In Tucson to eulogize the victims of last weekend's tragic shooting, President Obama somberly called for an end to the political blame game that erupted in the wake of the tragedy and urged Americans not to use it as "one more occasion to turn on each other."

Instead, Obama told an overflow crowd of more than 14,000 people at the University of Arizona the moment should prompt Americans to step back and reflect on how they lead their own lives and how they deal with one another.

"At a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized--at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do--it's important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds," Obama said.

Referencing the finger-pointing that has taken place over the last several days, Obama warned of trying to find "simple explanations" in the aftermath. "Scripture tells us that there is evil in the world, and that terrible things happen for reasons that defy human understanding," the president said.

The truth, he said, is that "none of us can know with any certainty what might have stopped these shots from being fired or what thoughts lurked in the inner recesses of a violent man's mind." The emotional high point came early in the speech, as the president drew an exultant cheer from the crowd by breaking from his prepared remarks to announce that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, shot in the attack on Saturday, had opened her eyes for the first time.

"Gabby opened her eyes. So I can tell you, she knows we are here," Obama said. "And she knows that we love her and she knows that we are rooting for her through what is undoubtedly going to be a difficult journey." The president spoke shortly after visiting the bedside of Giffords, who was shot and critically injured while meeting constituents at a Tucson grocery.

Obama also used the speech to return the nation's focus to the six people who lost their lives last Saturday, noting that they were fulfilling "a central tenet of the democracy envisioned by our founders" by attending the Giffords event.

"The loss of these wonderful people should make every one of us strive to be better in our private lives - to be better friends and neighbors, co-workers and parents," Obama said. "And if... their deaths help usher in more civility in our public discourse, let's remember that it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy, but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to our challenges as a nation, in a way that would make them proud."

In particular, Obama focused on the life of 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green, who was killed at the event. Green, who is the same age as Obama's youngest daughter, Sasha, attended the event out of her growing curiosity about democracy, the president noted, at times becoming emotional.

He urged Americans to view democracy and their role in the country as Green did in her final days.

"She saw all of this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often take for granted," Obama said. "I want us to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it."

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Haiti: One Year Later
January 13, 2011

Wednesday was a solemn and sorrowful day for everyone in Haiti and for all those who lost friends and loved ones on Jan. 12, 2010. The unsparing earthquake that struck one year ago killed 300,000 people, an unfathomable toll in a country so small.

The 7.0-magnitude shock represents one of the greatest catastrophes of modern times. One year later, a debate rages over Haiti's future, but today it is appropriate, first of all, to look back for a moment and recall the nightmare that engulfed Haiti on the day when the Earth shook violently and the buildings collapsed. Many believed the world was coming to an end.

The earthquake left the nation shattered and the vast majority of survivors destitute. No one who lived through it will ever forget that horrible day. Nor will they likely forget the outpouring of help from around the world and the brigades of foreign workers - medical personnel, aid providers, soldiers and caregivers of all kinds - who surged into Haiti on those first days, asking only how they could serve. Many came from South Florida. All are owed a debt of gratitude.

On the one-year anniversary of this dreadful event, it is appropriate, as well, for all who care about Haiti to rededicate themselves to the cause of ensuring a better future for the country.

Given the magnitude of the tragedy and all that has been done to avoid a worsening picture, no one can declare the relief and recovery effort a failure. Yet today the promise to "build back better" remains unfulfilled, and many Haitians have difficulty believing it will happen.

The first order of business is to deal with the electoral crisis. Last November's election was flawed - how could it be otherwise, under the circumstances? - but without a functioning, credible government to offer reliable leadership, no progress can be made.

President Rene Preval should step up by bringing all the main actors together to find a practical resolution. This is not a time for selfish self-promotion, but for Haiti's leaders to come together in recognition that international donors require political stability if they are to invest in Haiti's future, and only Haitians can provide that.

Then there is the question of recovery and development. The Haitian Interim Recovery Commission has gotten off to a disappointingly slow start. They must do better in 2011.

Seeing actual progress on the ground gives everyone confidence in the future, while the absence of real improvement is disheartening and opens the door to desperation and political chaos.

The commission can instill confidence in its work by producing a road map - call it a set of goals with an achievable timeline - that allows the government to set realistic benchmarks so that Haitians and the donor community can see that there is, in fact, a plan for Haiti and that it's working.

Initially, the goals should be modest rather than ambitious, but they must be realistic and consensual to avoid disappointment and political bickering.

It has been a painful year for Haitians. Nou bouke ("We're tired") has become Haiti's mantra.

It's understandable, but giving up is not the answer. Haiti's people and all those who care about Haiti must ensure that 2011 is a better year than 2010.

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Az shooting revives gun debate
January 12, 2011

Jared Loughner had trouble with the law, was rejected by the Army after flunking a drug test and was considered so mentally unstable that he was banned from his college campus, where officials considered him a threat to other students and faculty.

But the 22-year-old had no trouble buying the Glock semiautomatic pistol that authorities say he used in the Tucson rampage Saturday that killed six and wounded 14, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

It prompted gun-control advocates on Tuesday to call for changes to the federal background check system, saying the federal government isn't doing enough to prevent drug abusers from getting firearms.

"The law says that drug abusers can't buy guns," said New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who co-founded a gun-control organization of mayors. "Even though Jared Loughner was rejected by the military for drug use and arrested on drug charges, he was able to pass a background check and buy a gun."

The gun-control groups, including Mayors Against Illegal Guns and the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence, say that thousands of drug abusers might be slipping through the cracks. But gun-rights proponents say more regulation would not have stopped the shooting.

Loughner bought the shotgun within a year of both his rejection for the Army and his arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia, said court records and military sources.

There is nothing to indicate that anything went wrong in the process leading up to that purchase. Loughner's personal history did not disqualify him under federal rules, and Arizona doesn't regulate gun sales. His criminal charges were ultimately dismissed, the Army information was private and Pima Community College isn't saying whether it shared its concerns about Loughner with anyone besides his parents.

He cleared a federal background check and bought the pistol at a big-box sports store Nov. 30 -- two months after he was suspended by the college. He customized the weapon with an extended ammunition clip that would have been illegal six years earlier.

Background checks are designed in part to weed out prospective gun buyers who have felony criminal records, have a history of domestic violence or are in the country illegally. None of that applied to Loughner.

Arizona eased gun rules last year when it passed a law allowing residents 21 and older to conceal and carry a weapon without a permit. Gun owners can bring concealed weapons into bars and restaurants, and legislators are considering allowing students and teachers to have weapons in schools.

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik berated Republican lawmakers who have sought to further ease state gun laws. "I think we're the Tombstone of the United States," the Democrat said, referring to the Wild West town populated by gunslingers.

Charles Heller, co-founder of an Arizona group that promotes gun rights, said more regulation is not a solution. "Why don't we ban murder? ... Murders are illegal and people do it anyway," he said. "There is no way to weed people out."

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