Gabrielle Giffords Wants To Return To Job In Washington If Recovery Allows It: Aides

[brooklynite]

Source: Huffington Post

WASHINGTON -- Aides to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords say she wants to return to her job in Washington if her physical and mental recovery allows it.

A day after she stunned colleagues by appearing on the House floor to vote for the debt ceiling deal, Giffords planned to return to Houston on Tuesday after meeting privately with staff. It's unclear when she'll return. Spokesman C.J. Karamargin says she has made no decisions about whether to seek re-election in 2012.

Karamargin said there's no question that she wants to perform her duties, but the vote doesn't change the fact that she still has much work to do in her recovery.

Giffords was shot in the head last January while meeting with constituents. She cast her vote for the bill, which passed 269-161.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/02/gabrielle-giffords-recovery_n_916199.html

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Good news indeed. If she start to show up for work, I have a feeling the Republicans will be very reluctant to run a serious campaign against her.

[SharonRB]

1. I'm hoping she'll run for Senate,

but that may be too much to ask of her right now.

[elleng]

2. I think so, but sounds like a great idea!

[Liberal_in_LA]

3. I hope she's able to continue in politics.

[Downwinder]

4. Stress could be problematic but she has excellent support.

[Oceansaway]

5. Go Gabby !!...nt

[gratuitous]

6. Fortunately for Rep. Giffords

She has not only the health insurance coverage that will help her recover, but also a job that she can come back to. Those are such undeniably good things that I can only wish for them for everyone, not just members of Congress.

[area51]

25. +1 n/t

[No Elephants]

7. Would anyone dare refuse her?

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kali]

18. there are definitely a lot of wing nut assholes here

but you are way off base on this
we are not "packed with people that would want to "finish her off'"

[Ptah]

22. Not true.

What an uninformed bit of spew.

[caraher]

8. I wouldn't expect the Republicans to "stand down"

"If she start to show up for work, I have a feeling the Republicans will be very reluctant to run a serious campaign against her."

I'm not sure what in the Republicans' recent record would support that feeling. They've been pretty cutthroat at all levels for the recent past. And they certainly have every legal right to offer candidates for any office.

[jwirr]

9. I have come to love her since the shooting but wasn't she a Blue Dog

before?

[kestrel91316]

10. Yes, she was. And so of course we would prefer a true liberal in her seat

to a Repig if she doesn't run for re-election. But I don't know if that is a realistic expectation. It IS Arizona, after all.

[jwirr]

12. I agree with you totally on it being unrealistic. I have been explaining

for years that Blue Dogs may not represent us but they do represent their states. It actually feels good to know that someone else on DU understands that.

[brooklynite]

11. Let's look at her "Blue Dog" voting record...

Extension of Unemployment Benefits...Yes
Stem Cell Research...Yes
Repealing DADT...Yes
DREAM Act...Yes
Health Care Reform...Yes
Lilly Ledbetter Fare Pay Act...Yes
Increase in Minimum Wage...Yes

I think a lot of people don't have a clue as to what they mean by a "Blue Dog"/

[jwirr]

13. That is actually a very good record.

[JI7]

16. there was a lot of anger about her vote yesterday

with some saying she should never have come back .

but the Giffords shooting showed a lot about how/why blue dogs get elected. if you really want to understand and change congress you have to understand the individual districts.

we learned about the people at the event which included many republicans. it is a district that leans more conservative but Giffords was able to win because people liked her. she wasn't as liberal as those in blue districts but your list shows she is a lot better than any republican.

it's like those polls which have congress with huge negative approval numbers. but when you ask about their own members the numbers are higher.

[MessiahRp]

14. Aka corporate Dems brought her out for a show to vote for horrible legislation

and she's not actually cleared to return to work. More theatrics to try to make passing a turd palpable to the American public.

Rp

[JI7]

17. "brought her out" ? no, she makes her own decisions

if you look at her past record it's not unusual for her to come out to vote on this issue.

[MessiahRp]

19. She wasn't even sure her recovery allows her to come back to work.

You're going to tell me that certain Dems didn't convince her to come out especially for this vote knowing how badly they needed the symbolism of her return to be a feel-good moment for a mostly disliked piece of legislation. Seriously, she could have stayed at home for this one but you can bet she got calls asking for her help.

[jmowreader]

23. Please explain to me what the bill YOU would have liked would have included

And remember, that bill has to draw enough Republican support to get it through both houses of Congress.

In reality, this is a bill far better than we could have hoped for: it doesn't end Medicare, doesn't end Social Security, doesn't have a balanced-budget amendment in it, sunsets the Bush tax cuts in 2012 and gains most of its savings from defense cuts. The ideal bill would have sunset the Bush cuts immediately, removed the FICA cap and added a transaction tax on high-frequency trading, but we were looking across the aisle at people who wanted to put TAX CUTS in the bill. Tax cuts! IIRC at one point in this debate Eric Cantor demanded spending cuts be used solely to finance tax cuts rather than being used for deficit reduction. And there are still Repukes out there looking for rate cuts and loophole closures.

This bill also FUCKED, very very hard, the teabaggers. After all the "no debt limit increase, let the government default" rhetoric of the tea party, a very large number of them agreed to raise the limit.

[MessiahRp]

24. Oh BS, the tax cuts were "sunsetted" in 2012 before this deal and the last time they "sunset"

they were extended, which I have no doubt Obama will do again. And saying it doesn't end medicare or SS is pretty pathetic standards when you know damn well that the unconstitutional Super Congress will end up making those cuts in the end anyway. There was zero new revenues to pay for anything and there are 1.8 million jobs that will be lost due to this deal. Oh and our credit rating, still downgraded with this deal.

We won jack shit.

Rp

[existentialist]

20. I'm very glad that she was able to return, that stated

Is she really able to perform the duties of the office?


Can she effectively advocate for her constituents and for the positions she holds, and can she truly make informed and intelligent decisions about those positions?

I don't know the answers to those questions. If she can then she deserves support.

If not, then irrespective of the respect and sympathy that I, and many others--including many others here--feel for her then she should not run for re-election.


I addressed a somewhat similar quandary when my own Democratic Senator, Tim Johnson, suffered a stroke just when he was running for election. I supported him anyway, largely because it would have been impossible for a replacement candidate to run a realistic campaign, and despite my misgivings about Senator Johnson I was very glad when he won. My misgivings concerned not only his physical and mental health, but also his positions on many issues; he is far too pro corporate interests for my tastes, but irrespective he is far better than the teabaggers that have run against him and will presumably run against him again if he runs again.

I have also had the opportunity to observe Senator Johnson participate in a meeting after he had his stroke. I can say that he is well focused as far as understanding what is going on, and in particular asked me two pointed questions which I answered to the best of my ability. On the other hand he expressed himself with difficulty, and would not come off well in a debate, and therefore whether he could, as of that 2008 meeting, fully and capably represent his constituents and positions remains a question.

We should not knee jerk our response here, rather we should first try to find the evidence available, and then think it through.

[primavera]

26. I've been wondering that myself

The last time I checked (which was admittedly a while ago), the status of her recovery was that she was just beginning to be able to form short sentences. That's great, I thought, for anyone who's been through what she's been through, being able to form short sentences is fantastic and more than a lot of severe head injury patients ever regain. That said, it didn't seem to hold out a lot of hope of her being able to resume her duties as a legislator and representative, which kind of require greater verbal abilities than just being able to form short sentences. But I guess she's really come a long way in her rehab in an amazingly short time.

I've also been curious how Arizona has dealt with her seat. Has her district been without representation for the last six months or has someone been filling in for her or...? Does anyone know?

[Cool Logic]

21. Perhaps if she returns to Washington, everyone will begin behaving themselves again.

You know, like they did for a few days after her tragedy.

Then again, I seriously doubt it.

[dipsydoodle]

27. Visibly

that is going to be a long haul. Her appearance a few days ago was a brave gesture.