telling reactions

pakistani opposition leader benazir bhutto was assassinated near pakistan's capital, islamabad, this morning.

within moments, rudy guiliani had released an official reaction. soon after, the other presidential candidates, republican and democratic, began issuing their own statements.

read them here, and as you do...try to find one (maybe two?) that doesn't tell you to be scared. try to find one (maybe two?) that offers heartfelt condolences. try to find one (maybe two?) that doesn't tell you how this woman's death will affect "america".

then read this political blog's headline and tell me about the sad state of politics in this country.

UPDATE / 11:41 am -- the above mentioned political blog - chris cillizza's the fix - has since changed that headline. earlier this morning it read: "could bhutto's death help giuliani?"

UPDATE / 12:17 pm -- and then there's this video from msnbc's joe scarborough (via josh marshall's talking points memo.)

UPDATE / 2:19 pm -- the reactions continue. this from andrew sullivan (the discussion, he admits, seems absurd to him. but he still jumps in.) at least he first posted this quote (and this video.)

"if it means sacrificing our lives, if it means sacrificing our liberties to save pakistan, then we are prepared to risk our lives and we are prepared to risk our liberties, but we are not prepared to surrender our great nation to the militants." - benazir bhutto.

UPDATE / 9:12 pm -- don't miss this wonderful (and frightening) play by play from fellow wisconsinite ann althouse.

UPDATE / 12.30.07 -- the washington post rates the candidates responses to bhutto's death:

"one candidate, democrat john edwards, passed with flying colors. another, republican mike huckabee, flunked abysmally. democrat hillary clinton and republican john mccain were serious and substantive; republicans mitt romney and rudy giuliani were thin. and barack obama -- the democratic candidate who claims to represent a new, more elevated brand of politics -- committed an ugly foul."