“House Republicans delayed a vote planned for tomorrow on rolling back the health-care overhaul while Giffords, a 40-year- old Democrat, is being treated in a Tucson hospital. When they turn back to the health law Republicans will focus on moderating their tone, strategists said, in contrast with some lawmakers’ stronger language from last year’s campaign.

“‘There’s going to be a natural cautiousness,’ said pollster David Winston, who advises House Republican leaders. ‘Members are thinking through how they can have an effective debate without it being disagreeable.’

“House Speaker John Boehner’s spokesman said yesterday the Ohio Republican’s priority is to keep the discourse steady and civil.”

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“The politics of healthcare repeal will be fraught for the GOP as lawmakers return to an issue that spurred the kind of incendiary rhetoric that has been roundly denounced in the aftermath of the attack on Giffords.

“‘Now you want to revisit all that?’ Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) told The Hill. ‘Having invested so much in distorting and exaggerating the rhetoric of healthcare reform, the opponents of reform now find themselves on the horns of a dilemma.'”

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“I wonder how Republicans and their media posse would like it if Democrats started referring to ‘genocidal’ deregulation or the ‘murderous’ repeal of health-care reform. Or if Republican economic policies were likened to the infamous neutron bomb – they kill the workers but leave their jobs intact.

“Unfair? No doubt. But no more so than portraying as ‘job-killing’ every regulation, every tax and every dollar of government spending.

“There is an unmistakable redbaiting quality to the ‘job-killing’ rhetoric, a throwback to the McCarthy era. It reflects the sort of economic fundamentalism better suited to Afghan politics than American. Rather than contributing to the political dialogue, it is a substitute for serious discussion. And the fact that it continues unabated suggests that Republicans are not ready to compromise or to govern.”

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“A good place to start a more civil dialog would be for my Republican colleagues in the House to change the name of the bill they have introduced to repeal health care reform. The bill, titled the ‘Repeal the Job Killing Health Care Law Act,’ was set to come up for a vote this week, but in the wake of Gabby’s shooting, it has been postponed at least until next week.

“Don’t get me wrong — I’m not suggesting that the name of that one piece of legislation somehow led to the horror of this weekend — but is it really necessary to put the word ‘killing’ in the title of a major piece of legislation? I don’t think that word is in there by accident — my Republican friends know as well as anyone the power of words to send a message. But in this environment and at this moment in our nation’s history, it’s not the message we should be sending.

“During the summer of 2009, the debate on health care reform was emotional and intense. At its best, it represented the free exchange of ideas that makes this country great. At its worst, it generated death threats and acts of violence. Personally, I think it’s a waste of time when we should be focusing on more pressing matters like the economy and the deficit. But the Republicans are running the House now and they have the right to set their priorities. At the same time, they have a responsibility to help turn down the temperature on the nation’s debate and help restore an element of civility to the discussion. Changing the name of what they consider to be their signature piece of legislation would be an excellent place to start.”