Gabrielle Giffords — showing up and showing us up on the debt ceiling

Gabrielle Giffords — showing up and showing us up on the debt ceiling
By Alexandra Petri

The Senate has passed the debt-ceiling deal, it will soon become law, and we can all breathe a sigh of relief. The clock can stop. The wolf has been temporarily stunned and sent away from the door. And we can return to our homes and stockpile new grudges.

But no one is talking about that.

The most impressive feature of last night was not the vote itself, acrimonious as usual. It was the slender woman with short dark hair and glasses making her tentative way across the floor of the House. Gabrielle Giffords later said in a statement: “I have closely followed the debate over our debt ceiling and have been deeply disappointed at what’s going on in Washington. I had to be here for this vote. I could not take the chance that my absence could crash our economy.”

So she made her careful way across the floor and voted. For once, the catcalls gave way to applause. This story has already been told again and again, in increasingly rapturous language. Her vote was “an existential declaration,” said a Post piece. The Times spoke of the visitation as though the only more impressive thing would have been if she’d swept in on the wings of actual eagles. But that might have provoked more hobbit comparisons.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/post/gabrielle-giffords--showing-up-and-showing-us-up-on-the-debt-ceiling/2011/08/02/gIQAaQczpI_blog.html

NEVER give UP! Even if faced with impossible odds, never EVER give up the good fight.

Could care less about her vote.

I did notice that it seems she is unable to use her right arm. It remained by her side as she reached out with her left hand to shake hands. I didn't get to see her walking - If my observation is right I hope she gets some use of her right arm and hand.

She's damn lucky but she's also an inspiration.

I couldn't help but cringe when Mean Jean Schmidt mugged (oops, I mean hugged) her.