After calling Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor a racist, Newt Gingrich, it seems, has had a change of heart and has publicly apologized for his choice of words.

The apology seemed to come after many conservatives began to distance themselves from such remarks.

It also came shortly after the shooting death of Dr. George Tiller, the Kansas physician who performed late-term abortions.

Fox News media personality Bill O'Reilly immediately began qualifying his statements about Tiller and baby-killing. Tiller ranked among his favorite rants. He spoke of Tiller more than two dozen times, according to some reports.

O'Reilly was on the defense, saying that rational Americans should be outraged at Tiller's murder.

Topping that was a pair of radio jocks at KRXQ in Sacramento who went gonzo on transgender children on their May 28 show, calling them freaks and spewing hard-boiled insanity.

While some of this stuff might play well to the Republican base, moderates are trying to steer the party away from Crazy Town.

Putting freedom of speech aside just for a moment, our words can have a powerful influence on the thoughts and actions of others.

Sadly, it's no surprise that Tiller was murdered.

News personalities like O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh have made it their business to influence others with their words. They are experts in the realm of shaping public opinion. They make a handsome living influencing the behavior of others.

No - they don't have blood on their hands for Tiller's murder.

Pom-poms, maybe.