DeeDee Garcia Blase, a Scottsdale resident who is president and founder of the Somos Republicans, had an interesting take on the tragic events of Jan. 8 and a Maricopa County Republican Party meeting she attended that day.

You can read her opinion here. It was published Monday, Jan. 10 in the Santa Fe New Mexican.

A snippet:

I was in line to place my vote into the ballot box at the Maricopa County GOP meeting when I heard about Congresswoman Gabby Giffords being shot.

I was in the process of trying to help vote out our "Neanderthal" chairman, Robert Haney. When we learned of Gabby being shot, I was shocked that the Maricopa County GOP leadership did not stop the meeting to hold a much-needed and important prayer.

While in shock and in disbelief, I heard snickers in the distance and muffled voices asserting that the shooting was probably "done by an illegal." I was quickly reminded of the deputy who said he was shot in the desert by drug smugglers and the controversy that surrounded that.