Ellington

"All factors that led to the shooting in Newtown should be considered fully as we discuss legislative proposals. As we look for solutions to prevent future attacks, legislative proposals should be reviewed for their practical impacts and unintended consequences."

—Mississippi Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker in a statement following the Dec. 14 shootings that left 28 dead, 20 of them 6- and 7-year-olds.

Why it stinks: We'd love to take Sen. Wicker at his word—but this is the kind of political white-noise statement that uses a lot of words to say nothing much at all. Wicker isn't saying that he will look beyond the gun lobby for solutions to school shootings, for example, and he isn't proposing anything immediate or any specific actions. Instead, he wants more consideration and reviewing.

Truthfully, there's nothing particularly wrong with Wicker's statement. It's just that there's not much right--or powerful—about it, either.

It may actually be time to move beyond rhetoric and into action. As President Barack Obama said: "It won't be easy, but that's not an excuse not to try. It's going to take a wave of Americans ... standing up and saying 'enough' on behalf of our kids. It will take commitment, compromise and most of all, it will take courage. We're going to be serious about making sure that something like Newtown never happens again."

He then tasked Vice President Joe Biden to come up with solutions in the next month. "This time, the words have to lead to action," Obama said.

That's more like it.