Giffords returns to House floor to vote for debt deal vote.

[Iosif]

Only Phil could make this story about him.

This is exceptionally good news. Hopefully Giffords gets to cast many more votes.

[Brittain33]

It's foolish for any Democrat to deny why Giffords showed up today of all days. 

I don't deny she showed up because it was an important vote. I don't buy that there's anything wrong or offensive in her doing so. I'm glad she's got this milestone and got the welcome back.

[Brittain33]

It's the point that she was there for that to be her first vote once she arrived instead of the other votes held just before that. Turning it into a spectacle is the issue.

She was shot in the head by a lunatic and survived. I am glad that her return was a "spectacle." I'm proud all the benefit of that spectacle accrues to her as a human being and has nothing to do with party.

[nclib]

I am very glad that Giffords has gotten back the ability to do this.

It's foolish for any Democrat to deny why Giffords showed up today of all days. 

I don't deny she showed up because it was an important vote. I don't buy that there's anything wrong or offensive in her doing so. I'm glad she's got this milestone and got the welcome back.

Exactly. While balancing her desires and duties as congresswoman, with her medical needs, she chose her return when the vote was (rightfully) important to her.

[Keystone Phil]

Who, hate mongering tea partiers??

Yes, King and Nathan (a Democrat from Massachusetts) both entertained this idea and they're obviously Tea Partiers.

Smash, you're useless. Seriously.

Only Phil could make this story about him.

Actually, that was brittain and I actually pointed out in my first response to him that he was twisting it so it could be about me (note his comments about how I'm cynical and I don't have faith in people).

She was shot in the head by a lunatic and survived. I am glad that her return was a "spectacle." I'm proud all the benefit of that spectacle accrues to her as a human being and has nothing to do with party.

I don't care that there was a spectacle for her; it's about how her party's leadership was possibly using her as a distraction from the vote itself.

Save the rhetoric about how I can't appreciate the praise for Giffords for someone else. Only someone like yourself can turn my positive comment about how this was surely a sight to see into a supposedly vicious attack.

[BigSkyBob]

Giffords is a duly elected member with a Constitutional right not to be impeded from traveling to vote. No matter whom acted with what motive, that Constitutional right remains in effect.

When she was first hospitalized, people seemed to take the attitude that if quickly winked, and walked she would be solving differential equations in her head by next year. It doesn't work that way. People with brain damage recover to a "new normal." The reports of her staff indicated that that "new normal" wasn't so good. If she was able to follow the debate well enough to want to come and cast a vote it is a very good sign.

What I want to comment about is the crap concerning Chip Cravaaks. Instead of moving his family to Washington and his wife taking a job as a lobbyist, his wife took a job in Massachusetts, perhaps, aghast, in the private sector. Giffords has a husband whom works in Texas for NASA. She went to recover not in her district in Arizona, but, rather, in Texas to be near her husband.

If we are going to condemn politicians whom have spouses that live and work in places other than their districts then we ought to have a standard that condemns them for having spouses living and working in Washington as much as living and working in a third state.

[Keystone Phil]

Giffords is a duly elected member with a Constitutional right not to be impeded from traveling to vote. No matter whom acted with what motive, that Constitutional right remains in effect.

Is this for real? People, no one is arguing that she didn't have a right to be there or that she shouldn't have voted. It's amazing that I feel the need to say that even as I was never someone that jumped on the "she should resign!" train. 

[Marston]

I really don't see the big deal here. Whatever the motives surrounding her return; let's just focus on her remarkable recovery and perseverance through this whole ordeal. The rest is inconsequential. 

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

I really don't see the big deal here. Whatever the motives surrounding her return; let's just focus on her remarkable recovery and and perseverance through this whole ordeal. The rest is inconsequential. 

This is actually my feeling on the issue too. It is somewhat dismaying if this was some sort of imaging scheme by her party but it's certainly nothing different from how everything else works in Washington, and no matter what else, it is intrinsically good that she was even able to be there.

[specific_name]

I'm glad she's apparently fine enough to return for a vote. But I'm with Phil on this, in the sense that there is definitely political manipulation involved in having her come for this vote, not an earlier or later one. It's an unprovable supposition, but let's not be naive.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

For what it's worth, she was one of 25 Representatives who skipped out between that vote and the one 24 minutes later.

[J. J.]

Others have brought in on stretchers for important votes.  I'm very happy that she could come back.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Giffords is a duly elected member with a Constitutional right not to be impeded from traveling to vote. No matter whom acted with what motive, that Constitutional right remains in effect.

Is this for real? People, no one is arguing that she didn't have a right to be there or that she shouldn't have voted. It's amazing that I feel the need to say that even as I was never someone that jumped on the "she should resign!" train. 

Are you seriously responding to the nonsense of BigSkyBoob?

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Wait, she cast her vote?  She read the details of the deal or just went with the party?

Glad she's better, btw.

[Brittain33]

Wait, she cast her vote?  She read the details of the deal or just went with the party?

The Democrats split almost exactly 50% yes/no on this vote, I don't see how she could have been "voting the party line" since this was the least cohesive they've been on any vote in 20 years.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Wait, she cast her vote?  She read the details of the deal or just went with the party?

The Democrats split almost exactly 50% yes/no on this vote, I don't see how she could have been "voting the party line" since this was the least cohesive they've been on any vote in 20 years.

So she understood the details of what she was voting on?  Plus she could have had some party leadership guidance (aka, Sweet Nancy, Stenny) which is what I meant.

Edit - I suppose it doesn't matter.......I doubt half the House knew the details.

[minionofmidas]

Wait, she cast her vote?  She read the details of the deal or just went with the party?

The Democrats split almost exactly 50% yes/no on this vote, I don't see how she could have been "voting the party line" since this was the least cohesive they've been on any vote in 20 years.

So she understood the details of what she was voting on?  Plus she could have had some party leadership guidance (aka, Sweet Nancy, Stenny) which is what I meant.

Edit - I suppose it doesn't matter.......I doubt half the House knew the details.

I doubt any member knew all the relevant details.

No more than any of the posters on here or any of the pundits in the media.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Perhaps planned by the Democrats.

Why part of me feels like I ought to be appalled.

I think your lack of faith in people is genuinely sad.

To be fair, when it comes to politics, very little faith is merited.

Good for her to be able to do this, though. I still don't think she belongs in the House, but I'm glad she's recovering so nicely.

[Brittain33]

So she understood the details of what she was voting on?  Plus she could have had some party leadership guidance (aka, Sweet Nancy, Stenny) which is what I meant.

Edit - I suppose it doesn't matter.......I doubt half the House knew the details.

I figure that her staff has still be very engaged in running her office and keeping in touch on details, as they would be even with reps who are healthy, but can't be personal experts on everything... one could also guess from her record in office and how she positioned herself that she would have been a yes vote on this kind of compromise as opposed to a liberal no.

[opebo]

Honestly, I doubt...the leadership would be stupid enough to even ask her to.

I don't think you're aware of how low people are willing to stoop in this business.

Oh come on.  Look at what your party just did with the holding-the-nation-hostage and destroying-the-economy business!  Playing on a little sympathy is nothing by comparison.  Its like comparing telling a lie with blowing up the World Trade Center.