Saturday, I posted on my blog the comments Arizona Daily Star cartoonist David Fitzsimmons made on CNN on Saturday as the news broke of the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. Fitzsimmons lives near the scene of shooting and went there when he heard about it.

Yesterday, he issued the following statement and apology:

“Today I have offended many with my emotional, partisan and inappropriate remarks, broadcast on CNN, regarding the horror of this day. As Congresswoman Giffords battles for her life let us join in prayer for her, for the dead and for the injured. Reflecting on the moment, I know my remarks would have disappointed Congresswoman Giffords, a public servant who is admired for her nonpartisan, gracious and intelligent approach to public discourse.”

The Arizona Daily Star added:

Columnists are human and have strong and immediate reactions to awful news, but those are best kept private until facts are known. As Fitzsimmons acknowledged on CNN, he wasn’t reporting and didn’t know at the time who the shooter was or his motivation.