In the ultimate politicization of a tragedy, Democrats are publicly (and anonymously) criticizing Speaker John Boehner for not attending the nationally televised Obama pep rally last night. I guess the Dems needed someone to start the wave or keep the beach ball in the air.

But for them it’s not about the victims, it’s that Boehner didn’t harumph for Obama.

The Daily Caller reports:

Democrats on Wednesday criticized House Speaker John Boehner for missing a memorial service in Arizona for the victims of Saturday’s shooting in Tucson, as partisan sniping continued around the edges of the attack and its aftermath.

Boehner declined an invitation from President Obama to fly on Air Force One to Arizona for the memorial. Aides said he did so to attend a prayer service in Washington in remembrance of the six killed and 14 wounded. Among the wounded was Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat who survived a point blank shot to the head.

The prayer service Boehner attended began at 1 p.m. on Wednesday and lasted for one hour. Obama departed Andrews Air Force base in Maryland a few minutes after 1 p.m.

But Democrats said Boehner could have attended the rally in Tucson if he had wanted to.

But on the other hand, couldn’t Obama have attended the prayer service in Washington? Oh wait, maybe there weren’t enough cameras there. And it wasn’t in prime time. Never mind.