MYSTERY: Why Did Gabby Giffords Really Resign Her Seat in Congress?
Here’s something mysterious for you to ponder — and please chime in with your own theory below — in the wake of Congersswoman Gabrielle Giffords resigning her seat in Congress: why did she do it, and why’d she announce it now?
No matter how incapacitated she still is, Giffords could have been a sitting Congresswoman for the rest of her natural life if she’d wanted that — because there is no one in either politics or the elite media who would have dared to raise a word of criticism about her (or question her ability to hold her seat).
I’ll take it a step further and say that Giffords could have been the next Senator from Arizona, and she’d have won the election without having to do much in terms of campaigning — there’s that much goodwill for her from her survival of the January 8th, 2011 assassination attempt made on her life.
Ted Kennedy remained a United States Senator for several years after he was physically unable to do the job. Similarly, Robert Byrd was propped up and wheeled around the Senate for several DECADES after he was able to even form simple sentences in public. Neither of these two men were forced to resign because of their inability to function any longer.
Giffords seems nowhere near as disabled as Kennedy or Byrd were — so why is she leaving Congress?
The only thing I can think of is that this is coming 100% from Gabby Giffords herself and the Democrat Party has nothing to do with her decision. I have been repeatedly told that Giffords is “the real deal” in politics and that she went to Washington to actually work hard for her constituents. Unlike Kennedy or Byrd, she was not there to enjoy the lavish perks of office-holding but was instead a Member of Congress to serve her fellow Arizonans. Unable to properly do so, Giffords is leaving the stage. It is my most sincere hope this remarkable woman returns to elected office at some point in the future, when she feels she’s ready.
I wonder, too, if Giffords wanted to leave politics for a while so that the Left can’t use her shooting to gin up emotion in the coming elections.
Here in Chicago, I was appalled by something that happened just four days after Giffords was shot in Tucson, Arizona last year: the gay bar Sidetrack here in Boystown played a 12-minute clip they produced in house that featured a bloody, torture porn video showing Governor Sarah Palin, her husband Todd, and all of her children (including toddler Trig) being assassinated Romanov-style with assault rifles in the woods. Sidetrack’s co-owner, Jose Pepin “Pepe Pep” Pena controlled the VJ booth and made the personal decision to play this bloodbath…on the first Thursday after Giffords was nearly assassinated on that immediate Sunday. After showing this clip, Sidetrack showed a montage of other gruesome deaths in horror movies with an end card asking “Wouldn’t you like to see this happen to Sarah Palin?”. The message was clear: Sidetrack called for violence to be committed against the Palins as retaliation for the assassination attempt on Gabby Giffords. To this day, Sidetrack has never apologized for running this clip or addressed the fact that this bar is the leading driver of anti-Christian, anti-conservative, and anti-Republican hatred in the Chicago “gay community”.
As you well know, Gifford’s shooting was co-opted by the Left in their attempt to make political hay out of what happened to her. As you’re also aware, the general public has a very short attention span and memory when it comes to current events. In January of 2012, I bet only 25% of the public actively remembers that Giffords was shot and almost died in January of 2011; an even smaller fraction of people know her shooter was a politically unaffiliated man with severe mental problems who nursed a personal obsession with Giffords.
The Left frequently exploits the public’s amnesia and disinterest in facts and crafts the narrative it needs to push whatever’s on the Left’s agenda today.
I’m told that Sidetrack keeps playing those torture porn videos maligning the Palins in a way that encourages people to think that conservative politics had something to do with Giffords’ shooting. The Left saturates the public with images like this that rewrite history and stoke emotions.
Since “Hope & Change” won’t work again in 2012, Barack Obama’s relying on a strategy of “Occupy & Persecute” and the Left will rev Leftists up to answer that call with irrational demonstrations of emotion in the coming elections — since there’s no rational, logical, argument possible for awarding Obama a second term.
I honestly believe Gabby Giffords doesn’t want to be a part of this. So, she’s leaving office now and forcing a special election so that the Democrat Party can have an opportunity to field a candidate for her seat — and no one can say she left anyone in the lurch.
It really appears she didn’t want to give anyone the ability to use her as a pawn in the “Occupy & Persecute” Obama 2012 re-election strategy.
What’s your take on her resignation?
© 2012, Kevin DuJan. All rights reserved.
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It seemed sincere and coming from her heart. You got that right, Kevin.
I would like to think of her as an inherently decent human being first, Democrat second. Of course, she does have a brain injury, so it could be that her husband or other family members convinced her that stepping down is the right thing to do rather than to continue to collect taxpayer money for not doing anything. Either way, I wish her the best.
I have two possible reasons:
1) If she is truly the "real deal" as you say, she may have finally decided that since she is not 100% and may never be, her constituents have the right to elect a representative who can represent them to the fullest capability. She may no longer be able to do that. In that case, her constituents deserve to have someone else. I think this would be the noble and the right thing to do.
2) The Democrat party knows they can and will lose even more Congressional representatives in 2012, since Congresscritters only serve for two years. I can see them telling Gifford to step down so they can have a chance to run someone who will fulfill their agenda, if elected. I would expect that she will be required to endorse their choice, and even campaign for them in Arizona.
Even though there is a history of representatives and senators not being willing to leave the House of Power even when they can hardly remember their own names, the 2012 election is just too important for either party to have any wild card candidates.
WILL HER HUSBAND SEEK HER SEAT?????
Great analysis, Kevin, and I pray you're correct. I've heard that her husband has political ambitions. If he ran for her seat, he would likely be a shoo in, based on the universal sympathy for the horrific ordeal his wife endured. He's already written a book that plays into the left's ploy to blame this shooting on the rhetoric of conservatives, despite the fact that leftist rhetoric and tactics (as you point out) are far more incendiary. It could be that the left has encouraged Gabby Giffords to step down so that her husband can run for her seat and virtually ensure the Obamacrats a BO rubber stamp member of the House.
You might have something there. Some of my acquaintances in Tucson have been commenting on Facebook and one of the trial balloons repeatedly raised was putting her husband in her seat. Also, these folks really thought Giffords represented their interests well.
No matter what, Giffords stepping down was a classy act.
Can he forgive obama for shutting down the space program?
There’s no venal interest in doing this, so it has to simply be her deciding it and not the party.
I watched the video Gateway Pundit posted.
My spouse was stricken by a stroke that damaged basically the same areas of the brain as Rep. Gifford's brain damage. Watching that video of her … with the useless arm, and the impaired walking … and listening to her speech … I know that oh so well.
The video was produced to be only the very best of what was recorded … and did you notice how jerky and difficult her speech sounded? That's what brain damage in the speech center does to a person … after a year, it probably won't get much better. And what we hear in the video is the best of the best.
Honestly, as a sole caregiver to a person with a similar type of brain damage, I don't think someone could fulfill the job under those conditions. Communications is such a vital part of the job of representative.
But, again, Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd stayed in their seats…and Byrd was unable to speak for several years before he died. So it’s not like Giffords was in worse shape than they were. She COULD have stayed in the seat but chose not to. She made the right choice — and I wish Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd had done the same thing.
Great analysis as always Kevin. I agree with your assessment of the situation. Also, your point about Kennedy and Byrd are right on. I had felt for a great deal of time that both of these politicians realized that this was the best gig in town and there was no way they were going to be removed from their seats. They constantly hope that we, the voting public, will never ever find out how easy they have it.
Don't forget Strom Thurmond. Bridget knows that from SC. He got re-elected in 1996 at 94 when he obviously senile and Warner took gavel from him for Armed Services committee. Served till 2002 at 100. Now we have Grahamnesty.
My theory is – and it is probably going to sound like a nutcase, but here goes.
I think they left was EXTREMELY scared by the Newt victory in SC because: 1) After Sarah Palin said she would vote for Newt IF she lived in that state, the left freaked when they realized how much power she still has that resulted in his win; 2) as a result of 1, the left has decided that Congresswoman Gifford must again be brought to the forefront to discredit Palin and remind the public that it was her "crosshairs" that created the medical problems that Gifford now has along with the OWS disarray and crimes having been made public (meaning it's not working).
There is no other logical explanation, in my mind, for the renewed emphasis on Gifford. The left is running out of options: bitter Marianne didn't work; the democrat survey done by PPP found that 77% of ALL those surveyed didn't give a rat's a$$ about what the press does or says (as proven by Newt's victory) and, finally, the thought that the press must work even harder to push Bamie is useless since his approval is still in the tank.
What say you, Kevin?
DING DING DING DING!!!!!!!
I think we have a winner!!!!!!
RE: “I wonder, too, if Giffords wanted to leave politics for a while so that the Left can’t use her shooting to gin up emotion in the coming elections.”
I also think she's the real deal.
You can't go through what she did and remain unchanged, and do believe she's telling the truth. She needs to focus on becoming more healed, and doesn't feel it is fair to her constituents for her to not be there for them, not representing them. I also believe there is definitely truth in not wanting to be used to score political points. To that I say kudos Rep. Giffords!
Continuing to pray for her healing and that the Lord turns all this for His glory!
Kevin – while I agree with your comments about the deeply cynical left, I think any motive you give Giffords is purely speculation. I have long wondered why she hadn't already resigned; she clearly isn't capable of representing her constituency. The reason for her incapacity is tragic – but it doesn't change the fact that she is incapable of representing her constituency. I don't know enough about her brain injury to know whether she has strong reasoning skills but I personally suspect somebody or group of people urged her to resign. Maybe it was her husband and the democrat machine that want him to run to replace her. But it's all speculation. In any event, it's beyond time for her to have left office.
My take is exactly the same as yours, Kevin. I believe she truly does care for her country and this came from the heart.
Actually, I heard on the news report that she had served 5 years and so qualified for Congressional pension, sorry to sound so cynical.
You qualify for a full Congressional pension after serving ONE DAY in Congress.
She did not have to stay for 5 years. She already had her full pension.
Wow, no wonder we are broke with Congress systematically plundering taxpayers not to mention their insider trading.