It's not thoughts and prayers we object to, it's Republican hypocrisy. Yes, this is a direct reponse to the wildly popular McGurn article:

Imagine how Ryan would react if liberal lawmakers offered “thoughts and prayers” for the unborn, and then voted against every abortion regulation and restriction. One can only imagine how Ryan would respond if liberals offered “thoughts and prayers” for those slaughtered by terrorists, but refused to vote for effective measures to reduce the threat of terrorism.

Republicans pretend — do they pretend, or are they professional victims of “elites” safely within the Fox News bubble? — that Democrats have suddenly developed an objection to prayer. It’s no such thing. Democrats are expressing their fury at the post-mass shooting ritual in which “thoughts and prayers” are supposed to show the pious empathy of those who refuse to take a single step without a hall pass from the NRA.

Even worse is the fatalism of pro-gun lawmakers. “You know, it’s hard to envision a foolproof way to prevent individual outrages by evil people,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) declared. “I mean, last week in New York you had a person who figured out he could kill people by driving his automobile up on the sidewalks. It’s a very, very challenging thing.” And yet, Sen. McConnell, you do take every reasonable action — including sending young men and women to fight terrorists abroad — to diminish the terrorism threat. In fact, Republicans have devised all sorts of entirely non-responsive measures (e.g. the anti-Muslim travel ban) because they feel compelled to do something about the threat of Islamist terrorism.

Republicans will use any excuse in the book — Not the right time! Disrespectful to the dead! — to avoid having the debate about concrete, reasonable measures to reduce gun violence, including suicides. Now they want to shame critics who would point out their craven hypocrisy. Of course, offer prayers for the victims of gun violence. But also pray that lawmakers discover a sense of moral obligation to break free from the grasp of the gun lobby and to show the same concern and legislative determination that they demonstrate in the war against Islamist terrorism when it comes to mass killings in Las Vegas, Texas and elsewhere.