Tucson Shootings

'Political Spin': Conservatives Pile On Pima County Sheriff Dupnik (VIDEO)

Rachel Slajda | January 10, 2011, 2:40PM

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik thrust himself into the spotlight in the aftermath of the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and 19 other people in Arizona on Saturday, decrying the heated political atmosphere and calling for more civility.

"It's not unusual for all public officials to get threats constantly, myself included," he said on Saturday. "That's the sad thing about what's going on in America: pretty soon we're not going to be able to find reasonable, decent people willing to subject themselves to serve in public office."

Dupnik immediately angered some on the right, who took his words to be directed at the tea party and conservatives, as well as Arizonans who took offense to his depiction of Arizona as "a mecca for prejudice and bigotry."

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