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The Republican presidential field, which for much of the year has been full-throated in its denunciations of Planned Parenthood, has been nearly silent about the shooting in Colorado at one of its clinics that left a police officer and two others dead.

In contrast, all three of the leading Democratic contenders quickly issued statements in support of Planned Parenthood.

President Barack Obama, meanwhile, focused on the episode as more impetus for a renewed push to stop "the easy accessibility of weapons of war on our streets to people who have no business wielding them. Period. Enough is enough."

Not until much more is known about alleged gunman Robert Lewis Dear and his motivations. It is not yet apparent whether the heated rhetoric surrounding the abortion issue, and Planned Parenthood in particular, influenced his actions.

But the setting that he chose was one that has developed particular resonance this election cycle after an anti-abortion group released a series of secretly filmed videos in which Planned Parenthood officials discussing the techniques and financial aspects of harvesting fetal tissue samples for scientific research.

The videos, which Planned Parenthood noted were heavily edited, showed the officials discussing gruesome details with clinical detachment. Many Republicans have also accused Planned Parenthood of selling such tissue, which would be illegal and which the organization vehemently denies.

Stopping federal funding of the organization has become a rallying cry of Republican politicians. Democrats have also been vociferous in their defense of the organization, which they say is a crucial provider of women's health services.

As a presidential campaign issue, criticism of Planned Parenthood reached a crescendo during the Sept. 16 GOP presidential debate at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, Calif.

"I dare Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama to watch these tapes. Watch a fully formed fetus on the table, it's heart beating, it's legs kicking while someone says we have to keep it alive to harvest its brain. This is about the character of our nation," former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina said during the debate.

Her characterization of the video was incorrect, conflating the image of a fetus with a voice claiming to witness another scene. Fiorina has continued to insist that it was accurate. Fiorina has not said anything publicly about the shootings at the clinic, but a campaign spokeswoman noted that she is scheduled to appear on Fox News on Sunday.

The only GOP contender to make reference to the Colorado shootings thus far has been Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who tweeted on Saturday morning: "Praying for the loved ones of those killed, those injured & first responders who bravely got the situation under control in Colorado Springs." He did not mention Planned Parenthood.

At a rally Saturday in Sarasota, Fl., GOP front-runner Donald Trump stressed his opposition to gun control, but talked only about the terrorist attacks in Paris.

Democrats expressed support and sympathy for Planned Parenthood, but most stopped short of asserting that the gunman was motivated by animosity toward the organization. But Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., seemed to be edging in that direction.

"While we still do not know the shooter's motive, what is clear is that Planned Parenthood has been the subject of vicious and unsubstantiated statements attacking an organization that provides critical health care for millions of Americans," he said.