The Hill News

Weighing in on recent political rhetoric while in Haiti on the anniversary of the recent earthquake, former President Clinton said that no side in politics was to blame for the shooting.

“No one intends to do anything that encourages this sort of behavior,” The New York Times reported.

But Clinton warned that political commentary should not devolve into something that is not constructive.

“This is an occasion for us to reaffirm that our political differences shouldn’t degenerate into demonization, in the sense that if you don’t agree with me you’re not a good American,” Clinton said. “I’m hoping there will be a lot of good debates that go beyond turning this into politics.”

Since t! he Saturday shooting in Arizona, which claimed the lives of six and wounded 14, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), Republicans and Democrats have been sparring over whether heated political rhetoric or gun depictions in the past few months was the cause or contributed to the shooting. Some members of the left have accused the right of inciting violence.

Giffords remains in critical condition, although her doctors say she has been making significant progress and will pull through.