U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will step down from Congress this week to continue her recovery from a gunshot wound inflicted a year ago this month.
“I have more work to do on my recovery, so to do what is best for Arizona, I will step down this week,” the congresswoman said in a video message released today to her constituents.
Giffords, a third-generation Arizonan who served five years in the state Legislature before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2006, will not seek re-election this fall. But Giffords vowed that her career in public service has not come to an end.
“I will return and we will work together for Arizona and this great country,” she said…
Giffords will submit her letter of resignation later this week to House Speaker John Boehner and Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. The governor will set the date for special primary and general elections to determine who will serve the remainder of Giffords’ term.
Before she leaves office, Giffords will finish her Congress On Your Corner event that was interrupted by a gunman on Jan. 8, 2011. In a private gathering in Tucson, Giffords will meet with some of the people who were at that event.
Brave person. Legitimate politician. A rare breed in our Congress.
“Brave person. Legitimate politician. A rare breed in our Congress.” /// I’m not disagreeing with the thought but she is nothing but a standard issue democrat as far as I can see. Well, that and she was “pro-gun”:
http://thepoliticalguide.com/Profiles/House/Arizona/Gabrielle_Giffords/views/The_Second_Amendment/
She should have been removed from Congress right after the shooting. Any non-politician would have been.
How is she brave?
How could she not be legitimate?
How is she rare?
Baseless sentiment.
Seconding almost all that you have noted. For symbolic purposes she should have held her position up to recovery point where she appeared in Congress some time ago. At that point she should have used the opportunity and occasion and quit the position. Every second of not doing anything after that point diminishes her because it was obvious that she couldn’t continue normal work required.
Pro-gun? Oh you mean she is a defender of the 2nd Amendment? Well that’s just shameful.
No, not shameful–just not a standard issue democrat, if that doesn’t date me. I think access to guns and going to war is something the dumbo’s have compromised on in order to get/keep office.
Its how the party’s look more and more like each other with every passing year.
Brave? Try fighting your way back from having your brains blown out to appear in public.
Legitimate? She EASILY could have rejoined the Democrats in Congress as a sock puppet of power.
Rare?
How many people have successfully gone through what she has endured?
I’d say it’s a pretty well grounded sentiment.
Its really all about “standards” and the fact that Congress doesn’t have any whether for physical/mental ability to do the job nor for legal/ethical standards to follow the laws or to do what one was elected to do.
Next up: Romney is brave, legitimate, and rare to keep his tax payment history a secret.
Most of us are pretty much the same: just doing the best we can to get by. We live we die.
Define: hero.
“Congress doesn’t have any whether for physical/mental ability to do the job nor for legal/ethical standards” Hell booboo that makes you a sure thing if you were to run.
You’re my hero.
“Hero”, from Wikipedia:
“A hero (heroine is usually used for females) (Ancient Greek: ἥρως, hḗrōs), in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion.[1] Later, hero (male) and heroine (female) came to refer to characters who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good of all humanity. This definition originally referred to martial courage or excellence but extended to more general moral excellence.
Stories of heroism may serve as moral examples.”
The woman took a bullet to the brain and not only survived against all odds, but fought through unimaginable pain to regain her abilities and her life. She could have continued in her job for countless re-elections, but chose to relinquish the position for the benefit of her constituents. I think that qualifies.
Naturally, you’ll disagree and continue to belittle. Carry on, I will not respond again as I have better things to do and better people to deal with.
Wombat==excellent definition, rare to find that in a person as busy as you.
But then the characteristics you list aren’t in the definition at all====and thats my point.
Baseless Sentiment. Too much of that—overlooking people of “lower accomplishment” who suffer more each and every day.
Know what I mean?
She could have continued in her job for countless re-elections
Nah, I think she no longer had the stones to go through end endless rounds of fundraising.
Such a shame that this happened. I wish her all the best.
Yeah, this is a sad story. Bobbo made some insightful comments.
She was a genuinely nice person who cared about her district. She has been through a tragic ordeal. She has shown a great deal of courage and I wish her well.
Her staff could handle some things for her constituents. While retiring so she could be replaced might be an obvious thing to do there was no rush. I doubt if her absence had any not worthy impact of the course of events.
Sorry but she only has one vote among a lot of other votes and Nancy P. made bleeping sure the Dems lost power in the house. Something Nancy P. would have known to expect when she was setting up the Conservative Dems and the newly elected Dems to get wiped out in the next election.
Not so much stepped down but rolled down.
lots of pain in lots of hearts around here.
Does this mean she is starting her presidential run now?
My thoughts exactly!
It is all very nice of her to suggest that she is “coming back” but realistically, that isn’t going to ever happen.
Who agrees?
I agree she will “come back” by writing a book and making the rounds in the media circuit while collecting fees for speaking engagements.
You know, it really isn’t too difficult to find out what local sentiment is like. Google, the Web, offer beaucoup sources on top of the record of a candidate being re-elected while their party is being crushed statewide.
Dullards who wander into local and regional politics and ground their understanding and analysis in ideology rarely turn into winners. If we relied on that foolishness, no one would have suggested a woman whose is Jewish and owns guns would be a reasonable candidate for elected office in the Mississippi of the West.
But – let’s don’t let reality intervene in political circle-jerks.
A brave woman and impressed how she has handled this terrible, life changing event.
Did GOP VP candidate Palin ever apologize for encouraging the loons to assissinate elected officials she didn’t like?
If many people got shot in the brain it would not matter, but with Gabby it does matter, because she uses her brain. Now if it had happened to Michelle Bachmann, Rand, or Ron Paul, John Boner, Chris Christie, Panama John McCain, Eric Cantor, Bitch McConnell, or any number of other people, it would not have mattered, because they don’t use their brain.
It was a truly sad day with Gabby was shot. I hope that the kid who shot her, doesn’t see the light outside of the Crowbar Hotel for the rest of his damned life!
How about those who use their brains for evil: Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, Barbara Boxer, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John Kerry, All members of the DNC, Keith Ellison, Charley Rangel, Steny Hoyer, Henry Waxman, Chuck Schumer, Dirty Dick Durbin, Diane Feinstein, Tom Harkin, Herb Kohl, Patrick Leahy, The Clintons, Al Gore….?
It’s about fucking time!
To me it shows you can blow half a Liberal’s brain out and they still keep going. It made no difference.
*badum* *tiss*
I believe her biggest achievement is shutting up that idiot Republican speech about arming yourself up and gunning down the opposition.
This just proves that congressmen/women don’t have a brain in there head. How else do you survive a shot to the head. I say leave her in with the rest of the brain dead zombies.
I do not condone shooting anyone to test this theory.