TPMDC Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Giffords
Giffords Resigns From Congress: 'I Will Recover And Will Return' (VIDEO)
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords submits her resignation letter to House Speaker John Boehner.
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords bid farewell to the House of Representatives Wednesday morning receiving an emotional standing ovation from her colleagues.
The Arizona congresswoman submitted her resignation to House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) just over a year after a horrific shooting in Tucson that left six people dead and Giffords critically wounded. Since that time, Giffords has made incredible progress, but she is resigning to continue focusing on her recovery. The House met Wednesday morning to take up Giffords final piece of legislation, designed to give stiffer sentences to smugglers who use small, ultralight aircraft to bring drugs into the U.S. from Mexico.
House leaders paid tribute to Giffords' public service ahead of her resignation. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said Giffords is "the brightest start this Congress has ever seen," adding that Giffords will be missed.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Congress, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Gabrielle Giffords, John Boehner
Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Giffords Resigning From Congress
Updated 2:50 p.m. ET
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), who was shot in the head a year ago at a district event, announced in a video posted on YouTube Sunday that she will resign from Congress this week, in order to focus on her medical recovery.
Giffords was upbeat in making the announcement, but it was an acknowledgment that the severe injuries she suffered in the shooting, including profound brain damage and cognitive impairment, had ultimately forced her to relinquish the seat in Congress that had made her a target in the first place.
A combination of luck, top-flight medical treatment and personal strength had enabled Giffords to survive the massive trauma to her brain caused by the shooting that left six others dead, including a Giffords aide and a federal district judge. After the initial shock and once it became clear Giffords would survive her injuries, supporters not only entertained the thought of her running for re-election in 2012, but even seeking the Senate seat of the retiring Jon Kyl, an office for which she would have been a leading contender prior to the shooting.
Today's announcement was a sober reminder of the damage inflicted by the mentally disturbed lone gunman accused in the shooting, Jared Loughner.
The Arizona Daily Star reports:
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 the event, her staff said.
"Arizona is my home, always will be. A lot has happened over the past year. We cannot change that. But I know on the issues we fought for we can change things for the better. Jobs, border security, veterans. We can do so much more by working together," Giffords said in the message.
"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. I'm getting better. Every day, my spirit is high. I will return and we will work together for Arizona and this great country. Thank you very much."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Giffords
In New Memoir, Giffords Vows To Return To Congress
Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) listens as her husband, Captain Mark Kelly speaks at his retirement ceremony.
The AP reports that in her upcoming memoir, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) vows to return to Congress. The book details her months of intense therapy and her emotional battle to come to terms with the events of nearly a year ago.
The book, titled "Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope," will be released on November 15th. Among the details reportedly included: Before the shooting, Giffords was attempting to conceive.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gabrielle Giffords, George H. W. Bush, Mark Kelly
Gabrielle Giffords
Pima County GOP To Critics Of Gun Raffle: Screw It, We're Raffling A Second Gun, Too
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), May 17, 2011.
Let's say you're suffering under withering criticism from all sides because you chose to raffle off a Glock handgun as a political fundraiser in Pima County, AZ less than a year after the same make of gun was used to shoot local Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) and murder six people. After days of bad press, what would your next move be?
If you said "raffle off another firearm as quickly as possible to bank on the press attention," you must be Mike Shaw, chair of the Pima County GOP.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Gabrielle Giffords, Tucson Shooting
Gabrielle Giffords
AZ State House Dem Leader: Local GOP Glock Auction 'Sick'
Rep. Gabriel Giffords (D-AZ)
The hits just keep on coming for the Pima County, AZ Republican Party, which is in hot water this week after fundraising in Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' (D) Tucson-area district with a raffle giveaway of a Glock handgun -- the same make of weapon used in the Giffords shooting in January.
Late Thursday, the Democratic leader of the Arizona state House -- where Giffords once served as a legislator -- took deep offense at the raffle, and called on the Pima GOP to end it immediately.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Giffords
Tucson Republican Leader Slams County GOP For Giffords Gun Raffle
Eyebrows shot up all over the country Thursday following news that that the Republican Party in Pima County, AZ -- home to Tucson and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' (D) district -- is raffling off a Glock similar to the one used to shoot Giffords in the head in January.
In Tucson, the condemnation of the plan was universal and bi-partisan.
"There's a woman who has a bullet in the brain and who everybody is wishing a full recovery," Brian Miller, the immediate past chair of the Pima County GOP told TPM. "I don't think that raffling off a firearm right now is probably the right way to go."
Topics: Gabrielle Giffords, Tucson Shooting
AZ-08
Potential Giffords Opponent Questions Her Fitness, Media Access: 'She Is Held To A Different Standard'
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), May 17, 2011.
Arizona state Sen. Frank Antenori, a Republican who is considering a possible run for Congress against Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords -- who has been undergoing medical treatment since she was shot in the head at a district event this past January -- has already laid out his first criticism of the Congresswoman: That the media have not been granted enough access for the public to determine whether she is fit to hold office.
"She is cognizant enough to read and comprehend the debt bill and cast a vote but her handlers don't feel the media should be given access to her, and I don't know why that is," Antenori told The Hill, referring to Giffords's recent return to the House to vote for the debt-ceiling increase deal.
"It's creating the legitimate question: Is she able to vigorously represent the district, or was this a one-time deal? Can she do this next term to the same degree of every member of Congress, is she able to continue that level of energy?"
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2012, 2012 elections, AZ-08, Frank Antenori, Gabrielle Giffords, House '12
Gabrielle Giffords
Post-Giffords 'New Tone' Already Long Gone
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), May 17, 2011.
After Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was nearly killed in a January shooting spree, talk of a "new tone" was all over Congress as lawmakers from both parties hoped the traumatic event would calm America's increasingly violent rhetoric. Instead, Giffords returned on Monday to find things as bad as ever.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Erick Erickson, Gabrielle Giffords, Joe Biden, Michele Bachmann, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi, Sarah Palin
Gabrielle Giffords
Jubilant Congress Greet Giffords: Biden Visits 'To Hug Her'
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ)
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) entered and left the House on foot to massive applause, limping with the help of her husband, Mark Kelly. On her way out, she was trailed by her friends, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, DNC chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, as well as the Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, who was in attendance just for the occasion.
"I got a tip," Biden said, beaming, when asked by TPM whether he had prior knowledge of the event. "That's why I came up. I wanted to give her a hug."
Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), the longest serving member of Congress, told TPM it was "wonderful" to see Giffords.
"Thank God she's coming along," Dingell said. "Well, we've had people shot but I've never seen them come back like that. But obviously every day around here is something new and different."
For Pelosi, who had just led her caucus through a bitter debate over the debt ceiling that climaxed with the passage of a bipartisan agreement on Monday (Gifford voted "aye"), the moment helped put everything in perspective. Like Biden she also had advance knowledge of the visit, having been informed by her chief of staff John Lawrence, a friend of the Gifford family.
"She and her husband care very much about our country, this was an important vote for them," she told reporters. "I'm so personally thrilled, though, that the vote seems...." She trailed off there.
Pelosi recounted how "We had our girl talk, yes, our girl hugs and all that" before Giffords departed, her total stay only a few minutes. She offered no news as to when -- or whether -- Giffords would return to work.
"I'm not going to talk about her schedule," she said. "Suffice to say, it was one of the thrilling moments for all of us to see this real heroine return to the House and to do so in such a dramatic time."
But Pelosi's heads up was an anomaly. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ) said that members weren't given any sort of warning -- indeed one member told TPM that Giffords wasn't going to vote when rumors started flying on Twitter -- and Andrews said members "didn't know why all the applause went up."
"The board was at 200 votes, and no one knew," Andrews told TPM. "And I've gotta tell you, as low as that Saturday morning was, this was equally high...After all the sourness and bitnerness, it was a moment of real triumph. It reminded us of what really counts."
See VIDEO of Giffords' emotional return to the House floor
Ryan Reilly contributed to this report.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Giffords
GABBY GIFFORDS RETURNS: 'I Had To Be Here For This Vote'
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ)
For the first time since she was shot on Jan. 8, 2011, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) has taken her place as a voting member of Congress.
Walking in on her own to a thunderous standing ovation from a full House, Giffords cast an aye vote in favor of the bill raising the debt ceiling that has been Congress' focus for weeks.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Giffords
Giffords Office Releases First Photos Of Congresswoman Since Shooting
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), May 17, 2011.
The office of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), who has been undergoing medical treatment since she was shot in the head at a district event this past January, has now released onto Facebook the first official photos of the Congresswoman since the incident.
The photos were taken on May 17, the day after the launch of the space Shuttle Endeavour commanded by her husband Mark Kelly, and the day before she underwent a cranioplasty surgery to replace part of her skull with a plastic implant. One of the photos is a solo picture of Giffords, facing the camera and smiling. The other shows the Congresswoman accompanied by her mother, Gloria Giffords, and both smiling.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Gabrielle Giffords
AZ-SEN
PPP Poll: Giffords Leads In Potential Arizona Senate Race
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ)
A new survey of registered voters in Arizona by Public Policy Polling finds that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D), who has been in physical rehabilitation since she was shot in the head at a district event near Tucson in early January, would lead in the state's open U.S. Senate race if she were able to run.
As TPM has previously reported, Giffords had been viewed as a potential candidate before she was shot, and many state Democrats believe that she should have a right of first refusal for the race after incumbent Republican Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl announced his retirement in February.
This new poll gives Giffords a lead over the likely Republican nominee, Rep. Jeff Flake, of 48%-41%. The survey of registered voters has a ±3.9% margin of error.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2012 elections, AZ-SEN, Gabrielle Giffords, Jeff Flake, Polls, Senate '12
Gabrielle Giffords
Rep. Giffords Making 'Excellent' Progress, May Attend Husband's Shuttle Launch
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ)
Just two months after suffering a gunshot wound to the head that left her in critical condition, Rep. Gabriel Giffords (D-AZ) is making 'excellent' progress in her rehabilitation treatment and can already communicate in full sentences, according to her doctors who spoke at a news conference Friday morning.
While remaining cautious, Giffords' doctors said she has been making "leaps and bounds" in her treatment, remaining positive throughout and even surprising them at times with her steady improvement. And, as was reported Thursday, her doctors said there is a "good possibility" that she will be well enough to attend her husband's shuttle launch on April 19.
"She's making so much progress, and it's so exciting for everyone, including her," said Dr. Dong Kim. "She's getting better on a daily basis."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords, Jared Loughner, Rehab, Tucson Shooting
John Boehner
Boehner: Public Workers Have Machine Gun At Heads Of Local Officials
House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)
House Speaker John Boehner puts some fresh spin on the debate over public sector worker rights.
"In some of these states you've got collective bargaining laws that are so weighted in favor of the public employees that there's almost no bargaining," he told CBN. "We've given them a machine gun and put it right at the heads of the local officials and they really have their hands tied."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Gabrielle Giffords, John Boehner, Labor, Republicans, collective bargaining , unions
Jeff Flake
GOPer Flake Takes The High Road On Possible Giffords Senate Run
Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ)
Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) who announced his Senate bid this week, is taking the high road when it comes to the possibility of a general election match-up against the rapidly and remarkably recovering Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ).
"The most wonderful thing in the world would be to have her make a Senate run," Flake told TPM in an interview Tuesday.
While Flake declined to discuss whether he could beat her in a head-to-head Senate race, he said a Giffords' Senate run in 2012 would be an incredible and welcome development.
Topics: Arizona, Continuing Resolution, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Earmarks, Gabrielle Giffords, Immigration, Jeff Flake, Jon Kyl, Senate, Senate '12, Spending
AZ-SEN
AZ Dem: Giffords Should Have 'Right Of First Refusal' On 2012 Senate Race
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ)
There could be a significant delay before any Democratic candidates declare for the Senate seat of Republican Whip Jon Kyl, who has announced his retirement. As TPMDC has learned, for some time one of the top possible Dem candidates for the seat has been Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who is in physical therapy after she was shot in the head during a constituent event last month.
A Democratic source in Arizona told us that possible candidates for the seat include Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, former Reps. Harry Mitchell and Ann Kirkpatrick (who were defeated in the 2010 Republican wave), and 2010 candidate for attorney general Felecia Rotellini. Interestingly, the source said there had not been indications that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who was previously the state's two-term governor, might run.
However, the source said, Giffords had long been viewed as a top-tier candidate to either challenge Kyl or run for an open seat, before the events in January. "In our view, she ought to have the right of first refusal," the source said, "and hopefully others will allow her the space and time to recover and make that decision."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2012 elections, AZ-SEN, Ann Kirkpatrick, Gabrielle Giffords, Harry Mitchell, Janet Napolitano, Jon Kyl, Phil Gordon, Senate '12
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
GOP Senators Wait For 2012 Field To Take Shape
Roll Call reports: "Republican Senators remain hesitant to publicly wade into the GOP presidential primary, although some Members are less shy than others in revealing whom they intend to support in a candidate field only beginning to take shape."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive his daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET. He will deliver remarks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce at 11:30 a.m. ET. He will have lunch with Paul Volcker at 12:30 p.m. ET, and meet with Vice President Biden at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Barack Obama, Chamber of Commerce, Darrell Issa, Debt Ceiling, Gabrielle Giffords, John Boehner, Roundup
Arizona
PPP Poll: Arizona Favors Gun Control
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ)
A new survey of Arizona from Public Policy Polling (D) finds an interesting result: This red state wants more gun control -- indeed, they favor it more than national surveys have shown since the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D) in the Tucson area.
The poll asked: "In general do you think Arizona should have stricter laws concerning who can buy guns or not?" The answer was Yes 55%, No 38%.
As PPP's Tom Jensen points out: "That's a higher degree of support for increased gun control in the wake of last month's shootings in Tucson than national polls are showing. A recent CBS poll showed just 46% of voters across the country in support of tougher laws on guns and ABC and NBC both put the number at 52%."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords, Gun Control, Polls
Mark Kelly
Giffords' Husband 'Extremely Hopeful' She Will Make Full Recovery
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' (D-AZ) husband Mark Kelly today said he's "extremely hopeful" Giffords will make a full recovery after the mass shooting in Tucson almost two weeks ago.
"I mean, she is a fighter like nobody else that I know," Kelly said during a press conference. "I am extremely confident that she's going to be back here, and back at work soon."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Gabrielle Giffords, Mark Kelly, Tucson Shooting
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
House Republicans Move On From Repealing Health Law To Replacing It
The Hill reports: "Having voted as promised to roll back the Democrats' healthcare reform law, the new GOP majority is now faced with following through on the second part of its "repeal and replace" pledge. Fresh off Wednesday night's vote in favor of repeal, the House will take up a resolution Thursday morning directing committees to develop alternatives to the reform law. And the GOP chairmen of the House panels tasked with drafting those alternatives will offer an initial look, at an afternoon press conference, at their efforts."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 9:30 a.m. ET, with senior advisers at 10 a.m. ET, and receive the economic daily briefing at 10:30 a.m. ET. He will meet at 1:45 p.m. ET with Vice President Biden, and at 2:25 p.m. ET Obama and Biden will meet with a bipartisan group of mayors to discuss jobs and the economy. At 7 p.m. ET, Obama will deliver remarks at the Kennedy Center, at an event celebrating the 50th Anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's Inauguration.
Topics: Barack Obama, China, Gabrielle Giffords, Health Care, Hu Jintao, Joe Biden, Roundup
Gabrielle Giffords
Report: Giffords To Be Released From Hospital On Friday
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ)
Less than two weeks after she was shot in the head in Tucson, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) will reportedly be released from the hospital.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords, Giffords shooting
Giffords shooting
Poll: Six In Ten Voters Want Police Presence At Congressional Forums
Capitol police
Following the shooting earlier this month in Arizona that killed six and left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) in the hospital after being shot in the head, voters overwhelmingly want their elected representatives to keep holding town hall style meetings, but to do so with a beefed up security detail, according to a new poll commissioned by The Hill.
In the poll, 91% of respondents said it was either "very important" or "somewhat important" for lawmakers to continue meeting with their constituents. In addition, 60% said that police should be present at those gatherings, versus just 28% who said that police did not need to be there.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Gabrielle Giffords, Giffords shooting, Gun Control, Gun rights, Polls
Health Care
Dem Rep: Tucson Hero Wants Health Care Bill Kept In Place
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)
As Democrats ramp up their day-long press tour to criticize the House Republican plan to vote on a repeal of the landmark health care reform bill today, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is using this month's tragedy in Tucson to take on the GOP.
Speaking at a press conference this morning, Wasserman Schultz -- who was joined by several other Democratic members of Congress as well as several Obama administration officials including Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius -- said that one of the heroes of the Jan. 8 shooting in Tucson that left six dead and Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) in the hospital is opposed to the House legislative action today.
"Normally I would step to a microphone like this and tell a story about the impact that decision might have on a constituent in my district," Wasserman Schultz said. "Instead what I'm going to do is share with you what Pat Maisch -- who was the hero who dropped the second magazine out of the gunman's hand during the tragedy in Tucson -- what she planned to say to Gabby Giffords when she was waiting on line to talk to her."
Wasserman Schultz said Maisch wanted the health care reforms signed into law by President Obama in March kept in place, and that the Arizona grandmother bemoaned the tone of the repeal debate led by the new Republican House majority.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Arizona, Barack Obama, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Gabrielle Giffords, Giffords shooting, Health Care
Sarah Palin
Gallup Poll: Palin's Unfavorability Rating Hits All-Time High
Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK)
Sarah Palin has yet to decide if she will run for President, but a USA Today/Gallup poll released Tuesday may give her some pause, as it finds that her popularity nationwide has sunk to a record low.
In the poll, 38% of respondents said they viewed Palin favorably, while 53% said they viewed her unfavorably. That represents the worst favorability rating Palin has posted in the Gallup poll since John McCain put her on the national stage in 2008 when he named her as his running mate.
In the last Gallup poll, from November 2010, Palin's unfavorability rate was 52%, compared to 40% favorable.
The 53% of respondents who now say they view her unfavorably is on par with the 54% of respondents who said they viewed former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi unfavorably. Pelosi just presided over the House Dems' loss of 63 seats.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2012, 2012 elections, Gabrielle Giffords, Gallup, Giffords shooting, Polls, Sarah Palin
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
House To Take Up Health Care Repeal Vote
The Washington Post reports: "The House is set to vote today on a repeal of the Democrats' health care law, and we've got a good idea how it's going to turn out. The bill is widely expected to pass in the GOP-controlled House on a largely party-line vote, will never pass in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and will die the death of the symbolic bill that it is. But there will be a certain amount of intrigue when the votes come in today -- both because Democrats have been trying to turn the issue against Republicans and because there are 13 Democrats left in Congress who voted against the bill in the first place."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama and Vice President Biden, with First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, will welcome Chinese President Hu Jintao to the White House at 9 a.m. ET. Obama and Biden will meet with Hu at 10 a.m. ET, and hold an expanded meeting with U.S. and Chinese delegations at 11 a.m. ET. Obama and Hu will meet with business leaders at 12:20 p.m. ET, and will hold a joint press conference at 1:05 p.m. ET. The President and First Lady will welcome Hu at 6 p.m. ET, take an official photo with him at 6:30 p.m. ET, and attend a state dinner at 7:35 p.m. ET, and a state dinner reception at 8:55 p.m. ET.
Topics: Barack Obama, China, Gabrielle Giffords, Health Care, Hu Jintao, Islam, Joe Biden, Muslims, Peter King, Roundup
Pres '12
Gingrich: Palin Needs To 'Think Through What She's Saying' (VIDEO)
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK)
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) is chiming in on the recent controversies involving a fellow potential presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, with some mild (but still quite clear) criticism -- that while he does respect her, she should watch what she says.
In an appearance on Good Morning America, Gingrich was asked by George Stephanopoulos about Palin's low approval ratings in recent opinion polls, and how she might turn it around. The recent "blood libel" flap involving Palin's response to accusations that her heated political rhetoric had contributed to the environment in which the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) occurred, was not directly mentioned, but it did seem to hang over the conversation.
"Well, I think that she's got to slow down and be a lot more careful, and think through what she's saying and how she's saying it," Gingrich responded. "There's no question that she's become more controversial. But she is still a phenomenon. I don't know anybody else in American politics who can put something on Twitter, or put something on Facebook, and automatically have it become a national story. So she remains, I think, a very formidable person in her own right."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Gabrielle Giffords, George Stephanopoulos, Newt Gingrich, Pres '12, Sarah Palin
Giffords shooting
Poll: Americans High On Obama's Tucson Response -- And Low On Palin's
Former Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) and President Barack Obama (D)
Sarah Palin may be reloading, but Americans are retreating from her--at least when it comes to how she responded to the shooting spree in Tucson that killed six and left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) in critical condition.
According to a new ABC-Washington Post poll, just 30% of Americans approve of Palin's response to the shooting, versus 46% who disapprove. That low approval is even more striking when compared to Americans' opinion of how Obama responded to the tragedy. Seventy-eight percent of respondents said they approve of the President's response, while only 12% respondents said they disapprove.
Similarly, a PPP poll released this morning also found that a plurality of voters disapproved of Palin's response to the shooting. Forty percent of respondents to that poll said Palin's response was "inappropriate" compared to 27% who said it was appropriate.
And as Greg Sargent points out, not even a majority of Republicans think Palin handled her response well, according to the ABC-Washington Post poll. Forty-eight percent of Republicans said Palin handled the situation well, fewer than the 53% who said Palin's nemesis, the so-called "lame stream media," handled it well.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2012 elections, ABC, Arizona, Barack Obama, Gabrielle Giffords, Giffords shooting, Polls, Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin Defends 'Blood Libel,' Says Loughner Was 'Perhaps Even Left-Leaning' (VIDEO)
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Monday night provided the nation with her definition of "blood libel" and defended her initial response to criticism of her map that featured the district of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) in crosshairs. The map was released almost a year before the shooting that nearly took Giffords's life earlier this month.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords, Giffords shooting, Jared Loughner, Sarah Palin
Gabrielle Giffords
CNN Poll: Public Split On Whether Political Rhetoric Affected Giffords Shooting
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ)
A new CNN poll finds the public split on the whether the national political discourse had any effect on the shooting in Tucson. On the other hand, there is a clear verdict deciding that a specific instance of political rhetoric -- Sarah Palin's crosshairs map -- did not contribute.
The poll asked: "Overall, how much do you blame each of the following for the shooting in Arizona -- a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or not at all?"
For the question, "The use of harsh rhetoric and violent metaphors by politicians and commentators," 25% said a great deal, 23% a moderate amount, 17% not much, and 32% not at all -- for a total of 48% great deal/moderate amount, to 49% not much/not at all.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Gabrielle Giffords, Polls, Sarah Palin
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
US Lawmakers End Truce, Eye Spending, Health Fights
AFP reports: "Ending a political truce decreed after a bloody attack on one of their own, US lawmakers plunge back into the fray this week with Republicans taking on the White House on health care and spending. US President Barack Obama's foes have set the stage for a vote Wednesday to repeal his signature health care overhaul and were to step up their efforts to tighten the government's belt even as they agree to raise the US debt ceiling."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 10:15 a.m. ET. The President and First Lady will then participate in a service project at 11 a.m. ET.
Topics: Barack Obama, Gabrielle Giffords, Joe Biden, RNC, Reince Priebus, Roundup
Roundup
TPMDC Sunday Roundup
Gillibrand: Giffords Making 'An Extraordinary Amount Of Progress'
Appearing on Meet The Press, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) that her friend Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) is making progress in her recovery from the shooting in Tucson, though she is not yet able to speak: "It's far too early for that. But she's making progress every day. She's using both sides of her body. She's able to breathe on her own. She's able to open her eyes and to show people she understands what she's hearing and seeing. So she's really--it's an extraordinary amount of progress for a woman who sustained such a horrific injury that she did."
Schumer: I Will Sit With Coburn At SOTU
Appearing on Meet The Press, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said that he and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) will sit together at the State of the Union address: "My colleague Senator Mark Udall called for Democrats and Republicans to sit together at the State of the Union. I called up Tom after he did that, and he graciously agreed, we're going to sit together Wednesday night at the State of the Union, and we hope that many others will follow us. Now, that's symbolic, but maybe it just sets a tone and everything gets a little bit more civil."
Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Chris Christie, Chuck Schumer, Gabrielle Giffords, Pres '12, Roundup, Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin, Sunday Shows, Tim Murphy, Tom Coburn
Roundup
TPMDC Saturday Roundup
Obama: Tucson Shooting Reminds Us 'Who We Really Are'
In this weekend's YouTube address, President Obama reflected on the shooting in Tucson, Arizona, and the sense of community that members of both parties can derive from it.
"One of the places we saw that sense of community on display was on the floor of Congress, where Gabby Giffords, who inspires us with her recovery, is deeply missed by her colleagues," said Obama. "One by one, Representatives from all parts of the country and all points of view rose in common cause to honor Gabby and the other victims, and to reflect on our shared hopes for this country. As shrill and discordant as our politics can be at times, it was a moment that reminded us of who we really are - and how much we depend on one another."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Barack Obama, Bobby Rush, Chicago Mayor, Cuba, Gabrielle Giffords, Jeb Bush, Jeff Flake, Jim DeMint, John McCain, Mike Lee, Rand Paul, Roundup, Senate Tea Party Caucus
Arizona
Univ. Confirms It Was Responsible For Tucson Memorial T-Shirts Criticized By Conservatives
As TPM was first to report Wednesday, conservatives found themselves up in arms about T-shirts that were given out during the Tucson memorial for victims of last Saturday's shooting.
Some said the T-shirts, which read "Together We Thrive: Tucson & America," were an inappropriate political statement orchestrated by the White House, since President Obama spoke at the memorial.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords, Tucson Shooting
Sarah Palin
Palin To Keynote Hunting Club Convention In Nevada
Former GOP Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin.
Sarah Palin is not shying away from pro-gun imagery, even in the midst of criticism of past violent political rhetoric after the shooting in Tucson. In fact, she'll be headed to Nevada -- a key early caucus state -- later this month, to keynote the convention of a major hunting organization, Safari Club International.
The convention's website says that Palin "will give a keynote address Saturday evening [January 29] touching upon her past hunting experiences and how politics affect the current state of hunting and fishing."
Politico reports: "Organizers made the announcement that Palin would be appearing at the gun-related gathering less than a week after the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords that badly injured her and left six dead."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: 2012 Presidential Primaries, 2012 elections, Gabrielle Giffords, Nevada, Pres '12, Sarah Palin
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Steele's Rocky Tenure At RNC Expected To End
CNN reports: "It's anybody's guess which candidate will emerge as the next chairman of the Republican National Committee after Friday's election, but RNC watchers largely agree on one thing: the reign of Michael Steele has come to an end. The phrases 'Steele's toast' and 'Steele's done' were confidently thrown out by three different RNC delegates supporting rival candidates when asked Thursday to forecast the election, and even some of Steele's most ardent supporters privately admit that the outlook is grim."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will receive the presidential daily briefing at 10 a.m. ET, and meet at 10:30 a.m. ET with senior advisers. He will meet at 11:15 a.m. ET with Pakistani President Asif Zardari. At 3 p.m. ET, President Obama and Vice President Biden will attend the funeral service of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, and Obama will deliver remarks.
Topics: Barack Obama, Gabrielle Giffords, Health Care, Joe Biden, Michael Steele, RNC, Richard Holbrooke, Roundup
Health Care
GOP Won't Rename 'Repealing The Job Killing Health Care Law Act'
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA)
In the wake of the shooting spree in Arizona, Democrats pressed Republicans to change the name of their health care repeal bill -- the bluntly titled "Repealing the Job Killing Health Health Care Law Act."
No luck. A spokesman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor says they're sticking with that name.
As first reported by Greg Sargent, that vote is scheduled for next week. In a statement sent my way, Cantor spox Brad Dayspring confirms, "As the White House noted, it is important for Congress to get back to work, and to that end we will resume thoughtful consideration of the health care bill next week. Americans have legitimate concerns about the cost of the new health care law and its effect on the ability to grow jobs in our country. It is our expectation that the debate will continue to focus on those substantive policy differences surrounding the new law."
Topics: Arizona, Chellie Pingree, Democrats, Eric Cantor, Gabrielle Giffords, Health Care, Repealing health care, Violence
Arizona
After The Shooting: Tucson Seeks The New Normal
TUCSON, AZ -- They cheered, they cried, they celebrated and they mourned. And for perhaps the first time since the deadly shootings on Jan. 8, Tucson did it as one when the city gathered for last night's memorial service on the campus of the University of Arizona.
In the days immediately following the massacre at a constituent event for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), Tucson struggled to find its footing. As I was told so many times by so many different people this week, Tucson is the "Berkeley of Arizona," a blue drop in a sea of red. So perhaps it was no surprise that the first reaction to the killings was fractured, rather than united with the state as a whole.
[TPM SLIDESHOW: 'We Will Heal': The Memorial In Tucson]
Just hours after suspected gunman Jared Lee Loughner's rampage outside a Safeway in one of the posher areas of the city I toured this week, Tucson Tea Party Patriots leader Allyson Miller struck a combative tone. She had already checked her group's Facebook page to make sure Loughner wasn't a tea partier.
"I think anytime you start suppressing freedom of speech, I think it's wrong," she told me. "I live here and I didn't hear anything [in the 2010 campaign] that concerned me in terms of inciting violence."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords, Giffords shooting, Tucson Shooting
John Boehner
Boehner Didn't Really Snub Obama, Tucson Memorial
President Obama speaks at a bipartisan White House gathering with Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) in the background.
House Speaker John Boehner is catching a lot of flak for missing last night's memorial service in Tucson, reportedly declining an Air Force One invitation from President Obama in order to slap backs and clink glasses at an RNC event.
But a look at the timeline of events paints Boehner in a better light.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Arizona, Barack Obama, Gabrielle Giffords, John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer
Gabrielle Giffords
Sen. Gillibrand, Rep. Wasserman Schultz Describe Giffords Opening Her Eyes
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ)
Last night, on the plane back to Washington with the President, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) described in more detail what they saw when, as President Obama said last night, "Gabby opened her eyes for the first time."
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)Topics: Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords, Giffords shooting
Roundup
TPMDC Morning Roundup
Boehner: Bipartisan Prayer Service Can Be 'Source Of Solace'
CNN reports: "Congress has responded to the Saturday shootings of 19 people, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, with a "collective embrace" rather than a 'torrent of accusations,' House Speaker John Boehner said at a bipartisan congressional prayer service Wednesday. 'Our nation mourns for the victims. It yearns for peace. And it thirsts for answers,' the Ohio representative said in his welcome statement at the service, according to a transcript of his remarks. The service, held for members of Congress, their spouses and some staffers, was not open to the public."
Obama's Day Ahead
President Obama will meet at 1:30 p.m. ET with senior advisers. He does not currently have any scheduled public events.
Topics: Barack Obama, Gabrielle Giffords, Gun Control, Hillary Clinton, Iraq, Joe Biden, John Boehner, Roundup
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