Monday, August 01, 2011

Gabby Giffords triumphant return to the floor of Congress to vote on raising the debt ceiling.

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Amazing!

That was JUST what we needed at this time of acrimony and strife.

61 comments:

  1. Anonymous3:52 PM

    Did you find it sudden how the amount of Democrats decided to vote "yes" on the debt ceiling when she came through? Anyway, I'm loving your blog it's good to see another Political Blogger on this site telling as it is. Check out my blog, bro, and if you're a fan of this man right here, visit my blog too.

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  2. Anonymous3:58 PM

    Million $ Q:
    Will Palin tweet/comment abt Ms Gabby's return?

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  3. Anonymous3:59 PM

    Gabby Giffords is the real "Undefeated!"

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  4. Anonymous4:00 PM

    Too bad she voted the. Wrong way.

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  5. Anonymous4:01 PM

    I never thought it would happen. But I am thrilled that it did.

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  6. Anonymous4:01 PM

    What a tear-jerker. Delighted Gabby's back to work.

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  7. Anonymous4:05 PM

    While I love to see her back at work and somewhat recovered from her terrible ordeal, the cynical side of me can't help but think that this is but a convenient red herring to take the media dialogue away from Obama and toward the return of Gabby Giffords.

    Looks like it is working, every headline on every progressive website has moved away from Obama bashing and over to welcoming Giffords back to work.

    Spin, baby spin, both parties. Politics is such a crazy game we must all take a step back and wonder what is truth and what is fiction.

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  8. Anonymous4:07 PM

    Get ur popcorn ready. for Palin is going to sit down with her BF Greta tonight to talk abt what else debt ceiling and the Tea Party!!!!

    One thing for sure she will take the credit, whatever F... that is!!!!

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  9. Even though the compromise is not the best, I admire President Obama and the politicians who have worked so hard on this. Go Gabby!

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  10. Anonymous4:10 PM

    Wow - tears are flowing! FU Sarah Palin!

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  11. Anonymous4:11 PM

    How wonderful to see Gabby on the floor today and learn that she cast her 'no' vote! Especially enjoyable was viewing the response of love and respect she received from members of the House. What a woman! I'm so very proud of her.

    But, all I could think of was the damage that the resident from Alaska, named Sarah Palin, did that assisted in the near killing of Gabby in Tucson, AZ.

    For those of you who might not recall - Palin was the one who put out the map of gunsites directed at certain places throughout the United States with the specific names of people representing those areas holding seats in the U.S. Congress.

    It was and is my feeling that Sarah Palin had a responsibility in the near killing of Gabby, even though she didn't actually pull the triggers. She has made so many implications throughout the recent past years of 'reloading'!

    Palin will live the rest of her life w/a black mark on her soul for this incident as well as many others that have been proven she has done. And, I'm sure Sarah - a supposed christian will not see heaven in her next life.

    Sarah Palin's rhetoric the past years has been horrid, disrespectful and racist.

    Gabby can and will continue to run wonderful and magnificient circles around the likes of Palin!

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  12. ManxMamma4:11 PM

    I don't have the words to express my joy at seeing Gabby take her rightful place in the house.

    Gryphen, I'm sure there will be those who will make hateful remarks. It would be a service to us all to ban them.

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  13. Anonymous4:11 PM

    Gabby Giffords, the real Undefeated.

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  14. Anonymous4:15 PM

    Yep, looks like the real Undefeated showed up.

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  15. Anonymous4:17 PM

    WTG Gabby! And fuck you and the horse you rode on Sarah Louise Heath Palin!

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  16. Anonymous4:18 PM

    Why is everyone not seeing that she voted the wrong way

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  17. Anonymous4:25 PM

    Congresswoman Giffords is an amazing testament of working for the people. Why can't we all be adults and stop the bickering over extreme partisan politics?

    I always hear President Obama's words, we can disagree without being disagreeable. He promised to be President for all Americans, not just the ones who voted for him.


    We have to face reality. We do need to cut spending. We can't afford to spend like it is Christmas and then file for bankruptcy when the bills come in.

    There is no rule that the Congress and the Senate can't try to work across the aisle to negotiate deals instead of acting like children and expecting our President to be the parent to settle the fights.

    Welcome back Congresswoman Giffords, and thank you for your vote!

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  18. I heard it on the radio. Wonderful!!!

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  19. Anonymous4:29 PM

    right on Anonymous 3:59! Best comment all day! Hey bitch Paylin, how's that "don't retreat, reload" thingie workin out for ya now idiot?!

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  20. Anonymous4:39 PM

    Sarah will never be any where near the great person Gabby is. Sarah is evil. I agree Sarah's cross hairs had something to do with stirring up the man that shot Gabby.

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  21. Anonymous4:43 PM

    Anon 3:59. "Gabby Giffords is the real "Undefeated!"

    You are absolutely right about that.

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  22. Anonymous4:45 PM

    I know that she would never do it, but I secretly wish that Gabby Giffords would call Sarah Palin out again, in a direct way. In a way that would make a permanent connection between Gabby's fears before the shooting and the actual manifestation of those fears in a gunshot wound to the head. I would DARE anyone to come to Sarah's defense. I agree with another poster, Sarah didn't pull the trigger, but she brewed the sentiment and stoked the fire and concocted the climate for it to happen in. She is such a blight on this country and to the political discourse that we all partake in. I shudder to think how close we came to being faced with a Palin VPdency. God must be looking out for us, not Sarah, because Divine Hands were ABSOLUTELY involved with the election of Barack Obama.

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  23. Anonymous4:47 PM

    Whahooo! Yeah! Go Gabby! And to Palin, because I do blame her for her irresponsible crosshairs, her vitriolic and ignorant Facebook posts and tweets, and because her contributions are completely void of anything remotely constructive to our national dialog — "shut the fuck up"!

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  24. Gasman4:47 PM

    It was inspiring to see Gabby Giffords back in the House, but it was more than a little galling as well. This deal rewards the strident bullshit nonsense that the teabaggers - the very assholes whose rhetoric inflamed an unbalanced mentally defective loser to shoot Giffords - have been spouting throughout this "crisis that they manufactured.

    I find it ironic that she cast a vote that effectively empowers the moron teabaggers whose rhetoric cost her so much.

    Fuck the teabaggers and go to hell.

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  25. Teutonic134:48 PM

    Who CARES HOW SHE VOTED?

    The fact is she did- and that is a miracle.

    Both sides of this dumb=ass argument and posturing, could take a page from her playbook and see what really matters. It sure as fuck wasn't this made for the media shit storm we have all been force fed the last 2 months!

    Way to go Gabby !!!

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  26. Anonymous4:52 PM

    Just saw it on HuffPo too, and I'm bawling my eyes out. She is an amazing woman.

    This woman was out in public, speaking to her constituents, listening to them so she could represent them in Congress. So tragic.

    And FUCK YOU, you fuckin' piece of shit Sarah Palin! May you rot in hell!

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  27. PurpleAlaska4:54 PM

    Godspeed Gabby.

    You make us very proud and we honor your noble service to our country.

    +++

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  28. Anonymous4:59 PM

    She looked tiny and frail, but just the fact she was on the floor in evidence of how tough and strong she really is. I got tears in my eyes, I really did.

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  29. MC30314:59 PM

    That was just a lovely speech by former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and so wonderful to see Representative Giffords there.

    Thanks for the uplifting post, Gryphen.

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  30. Anonymous5:00 PM

    Throw Sara under the bus. She deserves every piece of shit that gets thrown at her.

    Go back in your hole Sara, your stance of everything is wrong and you continue to sow the seeds of hate wherever you land.

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  31. Anonymous5:01 PM

    This brought tears to my eyes. Bless you, Gabby Giffords!

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  32. A "Defeat" for the crosshairs and a HUGE win for Humanity!! Godspeed, Gabrielle!

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  33. Thanks for posting, Gryph.

    I didn't see the vote, but saw tweets that said she was voting. I immediately teared up, thinking "Goddammit, we're one country," we shouldn't be in a position to be held hostage to a minority of our population (minority rights but majority rules). I have so much admiration for Gabby, but feel such sorrow that so much has been taken away from her.

    Seems a lot of commenters think Gabby voted the wrong way. I think it would be far worse for this country if August 2nd came and went without the debt ceiling being raised; do you really want the country to have to go through that turmoil? See Gryph's earlier post on how most spending cuts won't take effect until the next POTUS term; many liberal bloggers think that Obama is now in position to end the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy a few months before Nov. 2012 election. I can't count the number of times I've heard immediate wailing from liberals about something POTUS did or did not do; but it's a long game, and GWBush really did a terrible thing to our country that won't be easy to fix in our bicameral democracy. Seeing the resistance "compromising" Obama receives from the rightwing GOP, what better method would there be to handle congressmen/women who want everything only their own way?

    See Andrew Sullivan's thoughtful post about this today:
    http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2011/08/obamas-pyrrhic-defeat.html

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  34. Anonymous5:27 PM

    anon @ 4:52,
    your last sentence, exactly, couldn't have said it better myself

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  35. Had to wait for my eyes to dry from the happy tears before I could read the comments.Gabby is everything our politicians should be.She is an inspiration to us all and I am so in awe of her.What a woman she is!!

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  36. Anonymous6:17 PM

    It brought tears to my eyes when I first saw this. Best wishes to Gabby. She is truly someone who cares about this country.

    Pathetic Palin isn't even good enough to lick Gabby Giffords' shoes. This country is sick and tired of the white supremacist fucktards that follow Palin.

    JMO

    Ohiovoter

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  37. Anonymous6:18 PM

    After all the nastiness that we've suffered through the past few weeks, I think we all needed to see the entire House - left, right and center - join together to welcome her back. We also needed her to remind us of what real courage is.

    Congresswoman Giffords is an exceptional human being and I am so proud to have her represent the Democratic Party.

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  38. Anonymous6:20 PM

    " Anonymous said...
    Gabby Giffords is the real "Undefeated!"

    3:59 PM"

    So true! She is just--wow!

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  39. Anonymous6:21 PM

    Now her movie would definately be a blockbuster, unlike the bitch I refuse to use in the same comment as Gabby Gifford!
    Keep up the good fight, Gabby! Your country's proud of you and wishes you and your family nothing but the best.

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  40. Techgnome6:36 PM

    Kewl, Gabby's return to the house should have sent a cold shudder through many Republicans. AZ's Senator, John Kyle, is retiring. If Gabby can relearn her speaking skills enough to be a credible candidate she could win this normally Republican seat for the Democrats.

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  41. Anonymous6:40 PM

    Ya'all better head on over to www.lauranovakauthor.com to see what Sarah looked like three weeks before giving "birth" to Trig. WOW! How she going to explain this one, Gryphen? Hope Fred has this picture in his book. Maybe he could use that picture on the front of the book.

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  42. Did you know that scarah STILL has the crosshairs map AND Gabby Gifford's name/district up on her facebook page?
    After the horrific shooting, she STILL has it up - she has NO SHAME!

    PURE EVIL.

    http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=373854973434

    God bless Gabby Giffords and R.I.P. little Christina Taylor Green (and all of the victims).

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  43. Anonymous6:47 PM

    Goody, goody, goody! Sarah is going down with this picture!!! Go to www.lauranovakauthor.com to see what tight abs that Sarah had!!! Yee haw!!
    Thank you, Gryphen for staying on this!! Could you possibly get a post up on this? Thanks again.
    Is this the iceberg that you have referred to??

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  44. Sincere and heartfelt congrats to Gabby for a triumphant return to her job. Huzzah to her and her family. But that ain't the end of it.

    20 seconds later, and the buzzards will be claiming that she's playing the fucking victim (Hear that Sarah Paylin?) What fucking irony.

    Yeah, so here's a lady serving her country shot in the head at close range, after warning that the FUCKING RIFLE SITES on Paylins' map indicating her state and district were a provocation.

    Then, some of the brain-dead far right traitors like Paylin, Limbaugh, and others come down on her for daring to push back on the map with gunsites many months before the shooting.

    Then her offices were vandalized and campaign workers were threatened, by some Sharron Fucking Angle posse out for blood.
    2nd amendment revenge? Teaparty much?

    Then, we all know that tragically people died, and miraculously Gabby survived, got better, and was actually able to return to Congress. And only BECAUSE she had better health insurance than 95% of the rest of us.

    Do you think that ONE of the ultra right, rabid dog, self serving, pseudo religious bastards like PAYLIN, LIMBAUGH, Mark Levin, Allen West, or Jim Demint would go on camera or on TV with sincere congratulation on returning to vote?

    Would one of these ultra partisan neocon vultures offer a public statement praising her courage and return?

    Would any of that crowd of slavering feckless Teaparty assholes even ONCE acknowledge that just maybe it's best to encourage comity and civility in the nation's discourse?

    Not a fucking chance, and not a FUCKING Word from any of them!

    In their world, the liberals, progressives, unbelievers, non-christians and democrats are so much god damned atheist dirty vermin standing in the way of their wished-for perfect vision
    of a Christian States of HandMaid America ruled by fat old white men smashing a bible into everyone's face and grinding any real freedom into dust.

    They'd love to ban abortions, lock gays in a deep prison, abolish all contraception, make gun ownership mandatory, pollute the whole country's air and water, keep women barefoot and pregnant, and replace the Constitution with the Old Testament, and all while having armed thugs lock people up for blasphemy and not attending church.
    Shades of Cotton Asshole Mather!

    Standing behind these jack booted thug politicians, and raising millions for them are the militant theocrats like Dobson, Hagee, Wagner, Barton, and their 30 million cult members insisting that their way is the only way for America, and anyone else is holding back the end times.

    Yeah, maybe I'm pissed, and mad as hell,, but if we don't get motivated in 2012 and re-elect some democrats we're in big trouble.

    I'm not the biggest fan of Obama, but at least he's a sane, compromising, rational, non cult member who isn't putting his race, his faith, or his personal prejudices before his duty to serve his country.

    If we don't re-elect Obama and some dems in 2012 these militant terrorist thugs like Allen West and Sarah Palin could take our country down the road of attacking Iran, world war III, martial law and christian supremacy.

    We better get busy and make sure they are well and truly trounced in 2012

    And that's my rant for the evening kids. Good night, and good luck, and get busy my friends.

    Jason Karov

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  45. "unlike the bitch I refuse to use in the same comment as Gabby Gifford!"6:21PM

    6:21PM -- I wholeheartedly agree with your post! But with one small exception. Could you please use any word besides "bitch?" Maybe "Harpy," or "Kochsucker," or "Koch Whore?" I personally like "Caribou Crosshairs," but I digress . . . Anything but bitch -- because I LOVE dogs!! Just looked "bitch" up in my MAC dictionary and it says:
    "Informal derogatory for a woman whom one dislikes or considers to be malicious or unpleasant."
    Oh, hell, you're right! Bitch it is.

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  46. Anonymous7:00 PM

    It's a good thing that Congresswoman Giffords arrival at the House was not announced ahead of time. For obvious reason that the Queen would have had an impromptu something to try to steal the thunder.

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  47. Anonymous7:01 PM

    Anon 3:59 Yeah, she is the real undefeated. Thanks for that thought.

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  48. Anonymous7:14 PM

    Anon 4:59....My thoughts and feelings too. What a long 8 months of commitment to "yes, I can!" Yes, she looks frail, but she has the courage to go to Congress, regardless of "looks," and vote. Seeing her there made me tearup.

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  49. Anonymous7:19 PM

    You can bet Sarah will be asked to respond to this, probably through Greta, poor woman. Anyway, I am sure Sarah will turn the whole story into something about her being afraid of stalkers, and she knows what Gabby has gone through, and you know.....the victim thing. She wouldn't have the audacity to mention blood libel. Would she?

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  50. @Anon 6:21 pm

    Couldn't agree more that Gabby's life would make a great movie. Either Rachel McAdams or Amy Adams would be great as Gabby.

    The NY Times did a great profile of Gabby a week after the horrible shootings:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/15/us/15profile.html?src=me&ref=homepage

    I really like it because it captures what an accomplished, focused, hard-working ball of energy she is. The piece also never mentions the name "Loughner."

    Her life would make such an amazing movie; I hope someone does make a movie of her life, but not dwelling on the horrible shooting. Start with her grandparents and go on from there. She's an inspiration and the film would appeal to the whole family.

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  51. Anonymous7:28 PM

    Hmmm an AMAZING opportunity for $arah to show compassion and leadership and bridge the divide with a heartfelt comment about Gabby and.... where was she? Was her Blackberry broken?

    I guess she can't be bothered with those unifying/compassiony/leadershippy type thingies when there's snarky, hateful, shallow, ignorant bumpersticker slogans needing to be invented.

    Stay real $arah, every day more people will see you for the empty piece of shit you really are.

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  52. Anonymous7:50 PM

    THIS is the kind of vermin that supports Sarah Palin...a monster on C4P who actually just posted: "Gabrielle Giffords is back and voted for the bill. Now that she's mostly recovered, is Rep. Giffords going to woman up and apologize to the Guv for how her fellow Democrats blamed Palin for the shooting? I don't know Giffords. All I know is she's a Democrat. Is she big enough to apologize for the Socialists attempt to destroy Palin because she (Giffords) was shot by a lunatic? That is the question that will define Giffords's character."

    Disgusting, slimy slug.

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  53. Anonymous8:11 PM

    Dear Joshua the Centrist (first to post here, and continuing on later posts); Please get lost. This is a no-self-advertising zone.

    Thanks, your sis, Wild Tortoise

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  54. Anonymous8:13 PM

    ...and on to the important and wonderful news at hand- GO GABBY!

    Rep. Pelosi is only half-right, though. We all should want our daughters AND SONS to be just like Congresswoman Gifford.

    Wild Weeping-Tears-of-Joy Tortoise

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  55. Anonymous8:51 PM

    Brought a tear to my eye. Pelosi is right, Giffords is the personification of courage. She is the anti-palin.

    I'll bet $P is eating her own spleen over Gabby's appearance in the House, and the vote.

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  56. Anonymous2:26 AM

    This is real courage. More power to you, Gabby.

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  57. Anonymous1:43 PM

    "a monster on C4P actually just posted: "Gabrielle Giffords is back and voted for the bill. Now that she's mostly recovered, is Rep. Giffords going to woman up and apologize to the Guv for how her fellow Democrats blamed Palin for the shooting? I don't know Giffords. All I know is she's a Democrat. Is she big enough to apologize for the Socialists attempt to destroy Palin because she (Giffords) was shot by a lunatic? That is the question that will define Giffords's character."

    ROFL so much for "good humans attract good humans", eh?

    But that's typical right wing mental illness: the victim should apologize to her abuser. I'm sure the "logic" makes sense if you're inbred enough...

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  58. Anonymous2:29 PM

    I am just sorry that her wonderful return had to come with a vote to accept that god awful piece of crap legislation and the Carrion Eaters Super Chamber it will create andthe no jobs, free ride for the rich, screw the middle class, elderly, poor, and disabled law.

    Why is no one asking whay Sarah is supporting legilsation that harms children born with disablig birth defects?

    Not one site have I seen, not one blog or comment have I seen, demanding Sarah support saving Medicare and aid for disabled and birth defect children.


    Anonymous said...
    Gabby Giffords is the real "Undefeated!"
    3:59 PM

    Amen, and thank the Lord.

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  59. Anonymous2:32 PM

    Democrats. once it became evident that the bill would pass, changed their no votes to yes so they didn't have to answer for a no vote when they run again.

    It did not relate to Giffords it related to the cravenness of professional politicians and boot lickers.

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  60. Gabby voted her district: odious to a lot of libs, but in line with the fact that her district is not entirely 'blue' but distinctly purplish, trending towards red.

    How do I know this? She's my congresswoman, and the county I live in is very, very red. It is only offset by the sheer numbers of libs in Tucson (a good thing), but overall she was thinking about her entire district, not just the city dwellers.

    Out here in the sticks, poverty is just down the road at the neighbors. Job openings anywhere around here are very few and far between: what few social services are kept open around here absolutely depend on Federal money. Default could have spelled the end for many people here, and there is no way local money could have taken care of the slack.

    Virtually all schools are Title I; this means that a very substantial portion of the yearly budget is Federal funding, and without it the schools could not stay open. The schools I've been at have between 70 and 80% of all students getting free/reduced cost meals, another Federal lifesaving device.

    There are only 131,000 residents in the entire county, which is over 5 times the size of Rhode Island. That's a fraction of Alaska's size of course, but down here it's still fairly large.

    Still think default would be a good thing? From down here, her vote was entirely understandable. Just think "Grapes of Wrath II," brought to you by UHaul and the Republican Party.

    I'm an educated professional, which means I'm somewhat insulated from the poverty issue. My students aren't, and their present life and future can seem very bleak indeed.

    Sorry to rant, but Gabby did what she thought best for all of her constituents.

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  61. Anonymous7:34 PM

    @ 2:32:

    "Democrats. once it became evident that the bill would pass, changed their no votes to yes so they didn't have to answer for a no vote when they run again.

    It did not relate to Giffords it related to the cravenness of professional politicians and boot lickers."

    The reason why you are an ignorant moron is because you think the cravenness only occurs on one side.

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