This Time, for Gabrielle Giffords’s Sake, Let’s Not Get Ahead of Ourselves

This is a very good article and once again the media is admonished for their unrealistic stories about the recovery of Congressman Giffords. This author has said exactly what we have been thinking. An article will start out all rosy like a back rub to her husband which turned into a neck rub and down in the article you find the doctors viewpoint that says it would be almost impossible to have happened that way.

She has already had a remarkable recovery but the fact that she was sent to rehab in Texas calls into question how much her brain was damaged -- it had to be a lot as they don't expect to reattach the part of the skull she had taken out to reduce the swelling for four months.

We know her husband is having a hard time facing reality of the situation and his report that she will walk out of the rehab hospital in two months is wishful think unfortunately but that is what the media picked up and down deep in the article is the doctor talking about relearning everything.

Guess it is too much to ask the media to be responsible and report the facts from the medical team instead of family or her office. One person on a site said she will be able to run for President in 2012 or 2016 after reading all the rosy articles. Could not believe reading that. She was shot at point blank range and it is an absolute miracle that she is alive.

She has a tough road ahead without having to face unrealistic expectations by people and the media. This article needs read by every journalist and then they need to look at their articles and see exactly what this writer is saying. Speculation and joy are leading every article and breaking news and deep in the article you find the truth.

We seem to have some journalist today who are incapable of writing about facts for an entire article and are turning what should be news stories into fluff opinion pieces. Some should consider another career in fiction writing. You know if they do this with the Giffords story, they are doing it with news stories that are not human interest.

How much of the news we hear or read has all the facts and the opinion of the person reporting is left out of the story? Too many reporters are so anxious to be the first to report that they don't double source or get all the facts before running to a microphone and TV camera with breathless reporting that will turn out later not to be true. This was one of those stories and now they are doing the same thing on her recovery.

Does anyone know how the other people are doing who were shot or are they not important since they are not a Congresswoman? Because of their obvious bias, we have to wonder if they would be reporting with breaking good news almost every day if it was a Republican not a Democrat. We have our doubts which is a sad state of affairs that we believe they are that biased today.

Giffords voted against Pelosi for Speaker but we have to hear Pelosi's version of how she woke for the first time to see her like they were the very best of friends. Did Pelosi run out to a mic to report this to make herself look good that she was the first person she saw? No confirmation from any doctor that even though her eyes were open she recognized anyone at first.

We wish her the very best and hope and pray that she will have a full recovery. We also hope that the media will give her the time to rehab and as the days turn into months, they will remember not to run articles with unrealistic expectations and quit interviewing her husband who with the shock is going to want to see everything through rose colored glasses. It would be tough for any one close to her to see anything else. Her husband is going to need support as well as they goes through the rehab process and reality begins to dawn on him about the long road ahead.  The media doesn't need to play on his raw emotions right now.

God be with Gabrielle Giffords and all of her family and friends and give her and them the strength it is going to take to make that recovery that everyone prays will happen.

This Time, for Gabrielle Giffords’s Sake, Let’s Not Get Ahead of Ourselves1/21/11 at 1:15 PM

In the immediate aftermath of the shootings in Tucson, the media zeroed in on an irresistible narrative: Overheated political rhetoric had sparked a tragedy. Pundits rushed to judgment, conservatives went on the counterattack, and Sarah Palin assumed her usual role at the center of the maelstrom.

Within a matter of days it became clear that shooter Jared Loughner was a deranged misfit, unaffected by current politics, who had been fixated on Giffords for years. After an emotional speech by President Obama, the current consensus finally solidified: The Tucson shooting was a tragedy caused by a disturbed young man, and if there is any reason why politicians should behave more civilly in the aftermath, it is to honor Giffords and the other victims.

But now we're doing the same thing all over again: prewriting the Giffords narrative in a way that is almost certain to gloss over a difficult reality. Her recovery from the gunshot wound to her head has been described as a miracle. And thus far it has been — as is her very survival. But her complete recovery is very, very far from certain. And the press's breathless coverage of every daily improvement has led to expectations that will almost surely lead to disappointment.

Giffords's husband, the astronaut Mark Kelly, spoke to reporters on Friday as she was being prepared to be moved to a rehabilitation center in Houston: "I imagine the next step is here she'll be walking, talking," he said. "And in two months you'll see her walking through the front door of this building."

It's Kelly's job to imagine exactly that. And her supporters should pray for it. But buried in the story are these warnings from her neurosurgeon, Dr. Michael Lemole: "She's scrolling through an iPad. These are all fantastic advancements forward. They do indicate higher cognitive function," he said. "But I do want to caution everyone that she has a long road ahead of her." Lemole explained that "it's not uncommon for people to initially improve, then plateau."

In fact, the structure of most of these stories is this: Lead with the startling, happy news of the speed of her recovery, and then bury the caveats down below. That way, you'll see headlines about Nancy Pelosi predicting Giffords will get back to work, with quotes from actual doctors who actually know what they are talking about only appearing deep into the story. When doctors do appear in headlines, they are "confident" or at least optimistic. But for what? That she'll be the same person she used to be? If you read closely, not quite.

It's easy to imagine a sunny scenario in which Giffords makes a quick and complete recovery, returns promptly to work in Congress, and maybe runs for higher office one day. If this were a movie (and surely such pitches are already being made), that's how it would end. But real life unfortunately isn't so neat. Plateau or no plateau, her family may well decide it is in her better interest to quit Congress while she recuperates.

Excerpt: Read More at New York Mag

Congress Stands Together in Condemning Arizona Shooting, Praying for those Killed and Wounded

I hope no one ever has to take a call like the one I received at home in West Chester on Saturday.

I was told that my colleague Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) had been attacked in Tuscon, Arizona, outside a grocery store while carrying out one of the most fundamental responsibilities of a Member of Congress -- listening to her constituents. A nine year-old girl, a Congressional staffer and a federal judge were among those who were killed. More than a dozen others were wounded.

As I said in an address on Sunday morning, such heinous acts of violence have no place in our society. An attack on one who serves is an attack on all who serve.

This is a very dark moment. But of course, our great nation has faced many challenges before and never failed to persevere.

I want to commend the federal, state and local officials, as well as the Capitol Police, for their efforts. I also thank all who have kept Congresswoman Giffords and all those affected by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers.

At a time when an individual has shown us humanity at its worst, we must continue to rise to the occasion and show a nation and a Congress at its best.

Sincerely,

/s/ John Boehner

LA Times: Gabrielle Giffords: 'Person of interest' sought in Arizona shooting (Update: Has Been Cleared)

UPDATE, 6:51 p.m. cst: Arizona authorities say a second man has been cleared of any involvement in an attempted assassination of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson.

Pima County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Ogan said Sunday that the man was a cab driver who drove the gunman to the grocery store outside of which the shooting occurred.

Ogan says the man went into the store because the gunman apparently hadn’t paid his fare.

*******

Of all the articles on the net this morning following the shooting, this one seemed to give the most facts without bias or rhetoric.  We noticed that more and more of the Los Angeles Times reporters are doing that today which is refreshing.  Used to be a favorite newspaper when we lived in Southern California in the 80's but then the PC crowd over.  Enjoy seeing them going back to reporting.

This is the latest on the investigation which FBI Director Mueller is now heading:

Gabrielle Giffords: 'Person of interest' sought in Arizona shooting

Pima County sheriff releases a photo of an additional person sought for questioning in the Arizona shooting that killed 6 and wounded 13, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

A TV image shows a man wanted for questioning by police in
relation to the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson.
(Getty Images / January 9, 2011)

By Michael Muskal, Los Angeles Times

January 9, 2011, 7:36 a.m.

Arizona authorities early Sunday morning were searching for a "person of interest" in connection with the Arizona shooting that left six dead and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in critical condition as the nation tried to come to grips with the attack.

The Pima County sheriff's office released a photo of a man they described as a person of interest who was wanted in connection with Saturday's shooting, which left 13 wounded, including Democratic Rep. Giffords, 40. The unknown person was photographed by a surveillance camera near the shooting suspect, Jared Lee Loughner, 22.

The person appears to be white with dark hair and about 40 years old.

"We want to know if the person of interest is associated with" the suspect, Pima County Deputy Jason Ogan said in a telephone interview. "We released the photo to see if anyone knows him."

The suspect was in federal custody Sunday, Ogan said. On the orders of President Obama, FBI Director Robert Mueller traveled to Arizona to head the investigation.

Loughner was apprehended by people in the crowd after the midmorning shooting at a Tucson supermarket. Witnesses described how he sprayed the area with bullets, killing among others, Arizona's chief federal judge and a 9-year-old girl, who was later identified as the daughter of a Dodgers scout.

Officials wouldn't discuss the motive for the attack, but witnesses said it appeared focused.

"I feel like he knew what he came there to do and he done it," Joe Zamudio said Sunday morning on MSNBC.

Authorities identified the dead as U.S. District Judge John Roll, 63; Christina Taylor Green, 9; Giffords aide Gabe Zimmerman, 30; Dorothy Morris, 76; Dorwin Stoddard, 76; and Phyllis Scheck, 79. Roll had just stopped by to see his friend Giffords after attending Mass.

But officials said they believed that Giffords, who had been sworn in for her third term with the rest of the 112th Congress last week, was the primary target. At 40, Giffords was considered a moderate Democrat who favored immigration reform and who had been the subject of at least two "unfortunate incidents" during the recent campaign for reelection. Giffords defeated "tea party" candidate Jesse Kelly by just 4,000 votes.

In a typically heated congressional campaign in the recent, hyper-partisan midterm elections, Kelly blamed Giffords for supporting President Obama's healthcare overhaul and for her more liberal views on immigration reform, a sore subject in Arizona, a border state whose efforts to halt illegal immigration have drawn condemnation from liberals and the federal government.

On Saturday, Giffords was shot in the head while meeting constituents. She was taken to University Medical Center, where spokeswoman Darcy Slaten said the congresswoman was in critical condition Sunday morning after undergoing two hours of surgery. Hospital officials said they were guardedly optimistic

Slaten said nine other wounded were being treated at the hospital, four of them in critical condition and five serious. Three of the wounded had been treated and released.

While authorities sorted out the details of the shooting, the political world continued to reel as the attack raised fears of a new level of partisan animosity.

In a televised statement from a government building near his home of West Chester, Ohio, House Speaker John Boehner asked that flags at the Capitol be flown at half-staff in honor of the victims. He again condemned violence.

"An attack on one who serves is an attack on all who serve," Boehner said. "Such acts of violence have no place in our society."

Boehner said the House will postpone its scheduled business this week to deal with any needed actions in the wake of the shootings, including if additional security measures were needed.

The House had been scheduled to vote on a repeal of the Obama healthcare program Wednesday. The action was largely symbolic, fulfilling a GOP pledge in the election campaign. But any repeal was expected to fail in the Senate and would face a veto from Obama.

In his comments, Boehner also stressed that the shootings should not stop lawmakers from fulfilling their responsibilities.

"This inhuman act should not, and will not, deter us from our calling to represent our constituents and to fulfill our oaths of office," Boehner said. "No act, no matter how heinous, must be allowed to stop us from our duties."

Boehner's comments echoed those by Obama right after the attack.

Praising Giffords as an extraordinary public servant, the president also condemned the shooting.

"We do not yet have all the answers," Obama said Saturday. "What we do know is that such a senseless and terrible act of violence has no place in a free society.

michael.muskal@latimes.com

twitter.com/LATimesmuskal

Governor Brewer on the shooting in Tuscon of Congressman Giffords

Currently the authorities are looking for a second person of interest in this shooting.

This is a sad day for Arizona and for the United States when a Member of Congress holds a Meet and Greet in her own Congressional District and gets shot. Latest word has her as the target of the shooter. What kind of sick person would do such a thing is on people's minds. Tonight she is out of surgery and responding to doctors but by all accounts she has a long road to recovery.

The shooter seems to be what we would call a nutcase who believes in conspiracies -- type of person who political rhetoric that is ignored by most of us would take it as reality. From the accounts we read tonight he appears to have a troubled past and unable to function normally. In fact, he is one scary person by all accounts who was filled with anger. No one in the local Tuscon Tea Party has any record of him being involved. With his book lists, don't think he would fit in with conservatives at all -- more likely with skinheads. Mein Kamp and the Communist Manifesto on his list are not books you would see conservatives or moderates reading.

Too many people were too quick to jump to assign blame when this person obviously is an angry, bitter person whose video's and facebook make little sense. After shooting the Congresswoman, he shot at random killing six people.

A Federal Judge was shot and killed because he happened to be stopping by after mass to say hello to the Congresswoman.

Gifford's aide was shot and killed because he was there to help out with the Meet and Greet.

A nine-year old girl who had been elected to her student council was killed when she was taken to the Meet and Greet to meet the Congresswoman. The authorities have not released the names of the other victims.

The office of Congresswoman Giffords had been targeted earlier and damaged after she voted for the healthcare bill. She was a supporter of the 2nd amendment rights, member of the Blue Dogs, and by all accounts someone who served her district well and got along with the people she came in contact with.

Remember when Republican Eric Cantor's office was a target for vandalism and the death threats made against him.

It has to stop with the rhetoric that has gotten so far out of hand. Members of Congress of both parties are shouted down at Town Hall meetings now and not allowed to speak at their own Town Halls. No matter how much someone dislikes their member of Congress, they were still elected and have a right to speak at their Town Hall. Now security has to be tightened for members of Congress in case there are copy cats out there.

Having personally handled Meet and Greets, never considered that something like this might happen. Some Republicans had as much trouble at their Town Halls as Democrats and they didn't vote for healthcare. Somehow all the rhetoric has tapped into some unstable people. Did not attend Town Halls after getting the word it wasn't a good idea because they didn't know what might happen. We live in a heavy Republican District. Remember at our State Convention how angry some people got the other year -- thought they were going to have a heart attack.

The threats toward a member of Congress doesn't do what a group says, "they" are coming after them and will destroy them has bothered us from day one. The anger has been way over the top. Sane people know it is campaign rhetoric but what about the mentally unstable? The 'sky is falling' rhetoric has to end from both sides. People involved in politics from all sides have to realize that something that may seem harmless to them could trigger off some unstable people.

Senator Marco Rubio was the perfect example of what ads should be about -- very positive and even when going after his opponent, he kept a sense of humor. His best ad in my mind was the one on American Exceptionlism. Brought tears to my eyes because in all the rhetoric flying around about how bad things were, here was now Senator Rubio with his positive ad about America.

People who can never find anything good to say and are continually angry at elected officials need to find help. That is not normal to get that upset about what someone does who is part of the Government. We have had Administrations I couldn't stand and others I really liked but in the end our Government has continued to be strong. Back in 2009 some people were saying we wouldn't have elections in 2010, but we did and they went off very well. In fact, got in several arguments about it but decided it was not worth my time and quit a website because of all the nasty rhetoric.

That led us to starting the two blogs out of frustration at the lap dog mainstream media, the ramming of legislation through Congress without following the rules, and wanting to win the House back and make inroads in the Senate which happened. We like to add a little bit of humor on here to keep things in perspective. We are the glass half full types which we know drives the glass empty types nuts but that is how we approach things.

Can remember the days in the Senate when both sides would fight like cats and dogs on the floor of the Senate and go out to dinner that night. We need more of that and by all accounts Congresswoman Giffords from listening to Governor Brewer talk about her was like that.

It is a sad day for America but if we can get back to the days where you have reasoned debate in Congress and can agree to disagree then just maybe the people who have died will leave a legacy of spirited but reasoned debate among all of us including on Capitol Hill when we stop to realize we live in a wonderful Country filled with people who have the ability to recover from tragedy and become stronger.

America and Arizona's best days are ahead as we believe in that Reagan optimism that we as a people can right the ship and all of us working together can make this a better Country. Never give up hope that tomorrow the sun is going to rise in the east and will be a new day filled with hope and promise for the future.

God be with the people involved in this tragedy. Please pray for all of them to give them strength they need.

God Bless!

Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing 'Amazing Grace'