Sheriff in Giffords Shooting a Hero to Liberals

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik has become "an instant hero to liberals" in the aftermath of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' shooting in Tucson, Ariz. Writing for AOLNews.com, senior Washington correspondent Andrea Stone says Dupnik is fast becoming nationally recognized as the "anti-Joe Arpaio."

Arpaio is the tough, no-nonsense sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona. He is nationally known for housing inmates in tent cities, making them wear pink clothing and refusing to give them luxuries behind bars.

But Dupnik has cheered liberals with his comments at a news conference Saturday, in which he insinuated that heated political rhetoric may have been a key factor in the bloodbath, writes Stone.

"When you look at unbalanced people, how they respond to the vitriol that comes out of certain mouths about tearing down the government. The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous," Dupnik said.

Dupnik also has harshly criticized Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigration, calling Arizona's law a "national embarrassment."