More from The New York Times:
In a video released on Sunday afternoon, Ms. Giffords, in a halting voice, explained: “I don’t remember much from that horrible day, but I will never forget the trust you placed in me to be your voice. Thank you for your prayers and for giving me time to recover. I have more work to do on my recovery, so to do what is best for Arizona I will step down this week.”
Ms. Giffords’s decision to step down throws the race for her seat representing Arizona’s Eighth District into chaos. She barely fought off her Republican challenger in 2010, but was expected to be a shoo-in for re-election had she decided to run this year. The remainder of her term will be filled by the winner of a special election on a date to be determined by Gov. Jan Brewer.
Under Arizona law, a governor has 72 hours from the day the vacancy is declared to name the dates for special elections; the primary must take place 80 to 90 days from date of the vacancy followed by a general election 50 to 60 days after that.
Democrats, fearing the loss of the seat, had hoped that Ms. Giffords’s husband, the retired astronaut Mark Kelly, would run in her place. Friends of the couple said on Sunday that they thought that was not likely, and that Mr. Kelly would be more inclined to spend his time helping his wife with her recovery.
Watching this video was surprisingly emotional for me, hearing her struggle with the words, and hearing the resignation in her voice, but that smile of hers was like a reward at the end of a difficult and painful journey.
Though I am sure many of you, like myself, had hoped that somehow Gabby could return to Congress, none of us should be surprised at this outcome. Gabby has demonstrated an almost superhuman ability to bounce back from her terrible injuries, but even she has her limits.
I certainly hope that the Arizona Democrats move heaven and earth to make sure her that her congressional seat stays in the hands of a competent and hard charging Democrat. The people of her district, and her family, deserve to know that her hard work will carry on.
What a fine, strong woman she is! I too hope that they keep her seat in Democratic hands in her honor. It made me cry to see that video and to think at what all she has gone through and how much more she has to go. My hat is off to Gabby and her husband, Mark.
ReplyDeleteGabby and Mark Giffords. RESPECTED and REVERED. Sarah and Todd Palin....
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful woman! She is inspiration personified! Such a loss for the country. I do hope she is able to return some time in the future.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes to you Gabby!!!
Alicat
eff you Sara Palin and the hatred and violence you unleashed on the country. Burn in your personal hell you snarky mean mouthed bitch.
ReplyDeleteWonder when someone will put crosshairs on your skanky bald head?
Meanwhile, despite the twit's "squirrel" tweets, we will never forget.
ReplyDeleteAnd the trogs at the pee pond are starting already:
ReplyDelete"...I am glad she's not running so the dems can't make a poster child out of her.
Dollars to donuts she runs around campaigning. Dollars to donuts she keeps her hair cropped short and gets up on the stage with struggling dems and waves at the crowds."
Charming.
Now this is a hero! She puts her state ahead of her ego. She puts the needs of her constituents ahead of her ego. And she puts the needs of herself first and foremost. I applaud Gabby, and I am so proud of her! She has moved a mountain to get where she is, and I know that eventually, she will return to public life. She is a true servant, not the fake kind we have seen so frequently in the past few years. She does not wear her faith on her lapel or around her neck, and instead exhibits the caring, peaceful, brave countenance of one who is truly blessed and doesn't need to go on a fake news show to scream about how hard life is and how only SHE has the answers. Bad for Arizona, but good for Gabby. I'm sure this was a wrenching decision for her and Mark, and I wish them nothing but success and happiness.
ReplyDeleteSad, and America will feel the loss.
ReplyDeleteBut this decision is also empowering and ennobling.
Gabby is now one of the most powerful voices in American politics. She makes me proud to be an American.
She is such a powerful person, I am sitting here crying and I live in Illinois, with no connection to Ms. Giffords other than tto marvel at her strength and fortitude. She is truly a model of "the American Spirit" - SP go f-yourself!
ReplyDeleteWith any luck, Caribou Barbie will say something awful. I have some thoughts about what she might say, but since she reads here I don't want to help her avoid putting a hoof in her mouth.
ReplyDeleteBawling unabashedly...
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing woman...
May she continue to improve...
I cried as I listened to her talk about Arizona and how much her job meant to her. And then I cried even harder when I saw her smile at the end, knowing how difficult this decision must have been for her.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing woman and what courage it has taken to come this far.
God bless Gabby and Mark. I wish them the best and I hope that she is able to accomplish even more wonderful things in life than she already has.
What an extraordinary woman and husband who exemplify America and what it stands for.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there's the Palins.
I didn't even watch the video; I choked up just reading your post. Gabby Giffords, I wish you good health and happiness and I thank your wonderful hubby for the help and love he has given you. We know you will stay involved to the degree you can, but rest, recover, get strong (though you have already demonstrated more strength than we could have imagined). Namaste.
ReplyDeleteWatching her smile at the end I could tell she was at peace with her decision. I pray she continues to improve in her recovery and a return to public life.
ReplyDeleteGabby for President in 2016!
I bet George Morris is laughing his arse off.
ReplyDeleteGabby is a remarkable woman. It's unfair that she, her family, her district and everyone who has had the chance to know this woman has had her career stolen from her by an emotionally unstable gunman. She was fortunate enough to have survived this ordeal, but her fight is not yet over.
ReplyDeleteSarah Palin you will ROT IN THE BOWELS of HELL for what you did to encourage the climate of hate and violence that you did with your FUCKING map.
ReplyDeleteI will hold you responsible FOREVER for this. You are scum beneath scum, inside of vileness, wrapped in fecal matter, rotting from the core. It's more and more apparent every single day what an UGLY, UGLY reptilian being that you are.
Wow-
ReplyDeleteI'm usually pretty tough. But that brought a tear to my eye.
Damn you to hell, Sarah Palin! You helped create the atmosphere that caused this tragedy. Thank God Gabby survived, but Arizona and America have lost a great advocate.
ReplyDeleteHappy trails to Gabby and her husband Mark.
And may the fire of a thousand nuns burn you into oblivion.
What a beautiful and courageous lady!
ReplyDeleteGodspeed, Gabby!
If that swamp scum Palin comes out and says anything about Gabby resigning her seat -- it's game on for trashing that scum.
ReplyDeleteShe has no right to say anything.
lostinmn 12:43
ReplyDeleteWonder when someone will put crosshairs on your skanky bald head?
--------
People probably have but with all that greasy slim in the rat's nests that she wears -- nothing sticks!!
Sarah Palin's cross hairs unseated Gabby, but it is Gabby who is the winner....
ReplyDeleteGabby is a survivor!
Gabby is my congresswoman. We knew this was coming but it still doesn't make the sadness of her departure any less painful. She is a remarkable woman and I've no doubt that she will continue to work hard with her rehabilitation and will one day return to public service in some form.
ReplyDeleteI'm not too worried about her replacement. There are some great potential candidates in this district who will have strong support from the party as well as the constituents. Gabby is stepping down not only because she needs to concentrate on her continued recovery but that she knows those of us here need a strong voice in Washington. I am confident we will have that.
Sheesh
Ya got one woman who worked hard for her state and nation....
ReplyDeleteAnd ya got another woman who collected per diem to live at home, scammed illegal free travel for her family, passed legislation that earned her a million dollars after she quit, scammed insurance company with her fake delivery, didn't report the unopened mail she took when she quit, had the police cover her husband's pimping activities, scammed America with her Alaska Fund Trust.....
Karma is a bitch Sarah Palin!
Every year America will remember Tucson and Sarah Palin's cross hairs placed on true American heads!
Sarah Palin IS A DOMESTIC TERRORIST!
Listen, Sarah, this is not a day for gloating. I don't care how many houses you buy in Arizona, don't think of running for Gabby's congressional seat. For that matter, stay the Hell out of Arizona. Your violent rhetoric and gun site marks (no, they were never surveyors symbols) may not have reached the addled mind of the shooter, but we will always associate your call to arms as the inspiration for the terrible rhetoric and violent atmosphere that has poisoned our political atmosphere. Every time you appear on Fox, your hatred is manifest. You ooze nastiness. You inspire hatred; you poison the conversation. It is with such sadness that we have to watch Gabby struggle to speak, and you run off at the mouth, unaware of what half the words mean. What a contrast between two women.
ReplyDeleteGabby with her brain injury makes more sense and uses English more properly than a totally healthy (if insane) Sarah Palin on a day when all she does is read incoherently from a prompter.
ReplyDeleteEvery year America will remember Tucson and Sarah Palin's cross hairs placed on true American heads!
ReplyDeleteSarah Palin IS A DOMESTIC TERRORIST!
2:36 PM
A respectable news station would report on Gabby's horrific experience and the events that lead to Tucson's tragic day but not FOX!
FOX can't!
FOX employed America's domestic terrorist in the name of ratings and they need to protect their "I hate Obama cheerleader"!
Daisydem,
ReplyDeleteI also cried before watching the video and logged off--twice--before going back and finally watching it. Wow. It's worth the tears, just to bear witness to a great soul who has given so much.
Best to Gabby & Mark and, Arizona, please don't let us down!
How sad.
ReplyDeleteJust imagine if President Obama placed cross hairs on Americans and men, women and children were murdered!
ReplyDeleteFOX would spend the entire weekend glamorizing and highlighting the horrific event.
If that bitch comes out to say anything, it's time to repost and make it viral her blood libel video and her cross hairs map. Trash her as it's appropriate -- she is trailer trash.
ReplyDeleteThere will be another tribute to Gabby, when she shows up in Congress for the President's State of the Union address. Like her last appearance, she will be greetedwit h applause and good wishes. I can't wait to see Sarah show up on Fox and try to belittle the powerful emotion of that moment. Sarah's job on Fox is saying the worst things about the best people. What a legacy, a weak woman is paid to spew hate, and the other radiates grace, courage and strength. (Sarah, look up the word "radiate," maybe you can work it into your next reflective hit piece on Fox.)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I can watch the video yet but I will. From the moment it happened, through the announcement (like Dan Rather's report about Jim Brady in the Reagan shooting) that she had died, till they took it back and said she survived I have been rivited by her story.
ReplyDeleteI think it's safe to say that she talked to family, friends, doctors colleagues and a host of others before this decision and it was agreed that, for now, this is the best course for her.
God Speed for all involved. And I know we haven't seen the end of Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly wroking to making a difference.
The comments here from people who have seen the comments at the
Sea of P Make me sick.
Physically, emotionally, and as an American. What hideous worms did this rock turn over to find these people and how is it that we live in the same country?
Sarah Palin has another sad day to add to her sorry life history calendar.
ReplyDeleteThe day Gabby resigns.
One women, a servant of the people resigns from a job she loves so that she can recover from a bullet shot into her brain and the other woman quits her job before 1/2 of her term is over because she seen dollar signs flashing in front of her wonky eyes.
ReplyDeleteWhere's the justice?
Justice is coming!
It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow but it is coming!
So terribly sad. She is added to the long list of Alaskans she has affected in a negative way...Gabby has suffered the most at the hands of an evil "IT." I am sorry but I refuse to believe SP is even human. Never have I witnessed such evilness and hatred in my entire life.
ReplyDeleteGood riddance Paylin....you will go to your deathbed a shriveled up old, lonely, lonely woman....surrounded by bags of money and no family to love you.
This is the Tea Party political slogan used against Giffords prior to the 2010 election: "Help remove Gabrielle Giffords from office. Shoot a fully automatic M16 with Jesse Kelly."
ReplyDeleteSarah washes and washes her hands...
ReplyDeleteit won't come off!
IT WON'T COME OFF!
she washes and washes...
Sarah Palin was your sniper rifle cross hairs rhetoric worth it?
ReplyDeleteForever till the day you die you will always have days haunting you.
The day Gabby and other Americans were shot...
The day a child, women and men were murdered...
The yearly anniversary of the day Gabby and other Americans were shot...
The yearly anniversary of the day a child, women and men were murdered...
I wish that Gabby lives a long healthy life but when the day comes when the Lord calls Gabby home, you will be remembered for your part, your cross hairs and your lame "Me Me me blood libel excuse" that changed Gabby's life.
Not only you will be remembered but your children and their children's children will be reminded of your hate that changed the lives of individuals, families and a nation.
Was it really worth it Sarah Palin?
Sarah was it worth standing in front of your blood thirsty retards with drool running down the sides of your mouth calling for the heads of people who try to make life better for others and telling your sick followers its time to reload?
what a lovely, sweet, remarkable and inspiring woman she is.
ReplyDelete$arah-hag is everything opposite.
Gabby has a smile that lights up a room and people are drawn to her.
$arah-hag has a fake smile, a dark heart and mean disposition. Sometimes life is so unfair.
OT: Looks like Newt the Poot is taking his talking points from Failin Palin. http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/01/22/408778/gingrich-falsely-claims-he-was-completely-exonerated-in-ethics-investigtion/
ReplyDeleteFuck you Sarah Palin.
ReplyDeleteYou resigned because of some impending secret being spilled about you, but You said you were resigning so you could 'progress Alaska". All you progressed was the dollars in your bank account.
Look at Gabby , Sarah, she is a truly intelligent woman who CARES about her constituents. You could have given a shit about your constituents. You were never around (Where's Sarah buttons!). You left early and spent your time doing lines of coke, eating crunchwraap supremes and watching reality TV.
Gabby realizes she needs time to heal and that her constituents deserve someone who has more time to give. Gabby is a class act. You, Sarah, are a piece of dried up dog shit, stuck on the shoes of the american populace.
Randall said...
ReplyDeleteSarah washes and washes her hands...
it won't come off!
IT WON'T COME OFF!
she washes and washes...
4:14 pm
Now if they can get that skank to wash her hair and fungus toes!
While you're at it Sarah, wash your stanky ass!
Wow some of the comments from the pee pond circus are just disgusting.
ReplyDeleteCONGRESS IS A BIG, UGLY DOG FIGHT. GABBY HAS SERVED AND GIVEN MORE THAN SHE SHOULD HAVE.
ReplyDeleteIT'S TOO DAMNED MUCH, PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY, AND I AM GLAD HER CARE AND RECOVERY IS THE PRIORITY FOR BOTH, HER AND HER HUSBAND.
IT IS A DAMNED SHAME SHE WAS THERE TO LISTEN TO HER CONSTITUENTS, AND A GUY WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA WHO FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS -PIMA COLLEGE REQUIRED A PSYCH EVALUATION FOR HIM TO RETURN TO CAMPUS.... WENT ON A SHOOTING SPREE.
WIKI SAYS
September 28, 2011, when the judge reviewed whether he could understand the charges against him and could assist in his own defense. (Loughner’s lawyers unsuccessfully objected to him appearing at the hearing.) Loughner disrupted the court hearing with an outburst, and was carried from the court room. According to the New York Times, Loughner believes he succeeded in killing Giffords, and clashed with his lawyer when she informed him that the congresswoman had survived.
Judge Burns ruled that prison doctors could forcibly medicate Loughner with antipsychotic drugs in order to make him fit to stand trial.
MULTIPLE APPEALS FOLLOWED AND ARE CURRENTLY PENDING.
I read "Gabby, a story of Courage and Hope", and I highly recommend it to everyone. Mark Kelly shows the long, tedious and heartwrenching process of recovery.
ReplyDeleteWatching this clip was extemely difficult for me. She's worked tirelessly to retrain her brain and heal while staving off depression and dispair, and coming to this realization must have been difficult for her.
But we're talking about a strong woman who's married to a man who loves her unconditionally and fully. I have every confidence she'll be back simply because she's a woman of her word, she said she'll be back, and she will.
Gabby, you're an inspiration to so many people. I wish you the best on your road to recovery, starting your family, and getting back to doing the work you love.
Crosshairs skank from Wasilla will always have blood on her hands.
ReplyDeleteShe seems to have recovered from the paralysis that she had on one side of her face. That's very encouraging!
ReplyDeleteThe Arizona shootings took six lives and wounded more, some physically, and many more emotionally. There was another fatality from that shooting, and this is a good time to celebrate the turning point in Sarah Palin's celebrity.
ReplyDeleteBecause of her use of violent rhetoric, targeting Democratic candidates using gun site symbols, threatening to "take them out," and taking aim on them, Sarah was the person most associated with the shootings. No, she may not have personally inspired the shooter, but her language reminded people about how ugly the November 2010 election had been. Tea Party members were proud of signs, "This time I didn't come loaded," implying that the next time they would show up with rifles blazing.
Roger Ailes told Sarah to lie low, disregard the criticism, it will pass. No one, not even her boss at Fox, tells Sarah to shut up, and she didn't. Surveyor symbols weren't enough; Rebecca A.Mansour, Sarah's ghost writer, had to embellish Sarah's video message with Blood Libel, portraying Sarah Palin as the victim, the ultimate victim of the Arizona shootings.
From that point, Sarah's career seemed to evaporate. She didn't appear on Fox for a while. There were few offers for speeches. Sarah was desperate to be noticed. In order to attract attention, she toured historic sites on the East Coast to show that she could still command media attention. And, she did, for all the wrong reasons, showing up to steal attention from Romney's announcement to run for president. Her exit from the Paul Revere House was classic Palin, garbling a lesson in American History that we all learned in school. She still didn't get it right. She could attract attention, all right, except it was the wrong kind of attention.
(Sarah still doesn't know what the Statue of Liberty stands for, as if her name, Lady Liberty isn't enough of a clue).
Sarah tried again in Iowa, but all that people could talk about was whether the photo of Sarah running alongside the half marathon was photoshopped, or if she just jumped in for the photo op. Sarah spent the rest of the time teasing her fans for donations while trying to make up her mind whether or not she would run. She wasn't running anything except her mouth. Sarah was never going to be a candidate. She proved in 2008 that she couldn't stay on message, sit for an interview or follow directions. She hadn't changed since then. And, after Blood Libel, I think that the Arizona shooter wounded one more person-- Sarah. That's why she always sounds so angry when she appears on Fox.
While we are sad for Gabby leaving Congress, we are heartened at the progress that she has made, considering how seriously she was wounded. Sarah was also wounded, but she is the one who is responsible for her fall by airing the Blood Libel video when she was told not to. In the end, Sarah is her own worst enemy.
So Scarah, how does it feel to know that so many loathe you? Does it make you feel important? Powerful? Clever? Or does it make you feel really lonely and empty inside?
ReplyDeleteStatement by the President on Resignation of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords
ReplyDeletehttp://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/22/statement-president-resignation-congresswoman-gabrielle-giffords
Thank you, Gabby Giffords. You're an inspiration.
ReplyDeleteWhen Gabby smiles it makes me smile :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful woman.
I wish her the best.
Gabby and her husband work to help our nation and are very educated people.
ReplyDeleteThe Palins just to want to take everthing, scam and con people and do not believe in education.
They are the exact opposite families.
To the insufferable bitch:
ReplyDeleteThe az massacre is the palin's legacy.
"didn't report the unopened mail she took when she quit"
ReplyDeleteThis is news to me. I don't doubt it. I haven't heard that one and I thought I heard everything about the insufferable bitch.
Can you supply a link?
Gawd that crosshair bitch worked my nerve and I should have shown respect to Rep. Giffords first.
ReplyDeleteI wish her a speedy recovery and a lifetime of good times. She has shown the US and the world what we are made of.
6:20 PM
ReplyDeleteWell said.
That insufferable moose doesn't feel any remorse, empathy, sorrow, pain, bereave, guilt or sympathy toward the victims, she is the one people should feel sorry for.
she is completely delusional, of course.
Raggedy wig wearin, lyin, racist psychopaths usually don't experience emotions like the rest of us.
it makes me feel sad to see how much trouble she has talking if i dwell on it i might weep life is so full of troubles already why do people make more for each other
ReplyDelete