WASHINGTON -- Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) on Tuesday night attended her first -- and last -- campaign event since the January 2011 shooting that nearly took her life. And she hinted at what her next career move may be: a Gabby PAC.
During a private reception on Capitol Hill, Giffords pulled together a mariachi band and a spread of Southwestern food to thank her donors and friends for their support over the past many months, even though she decided to retire from Congress in January to focus on her rehabilitation. Giffords was shot in the head in January 2011 in a Tucson, Ariz., shooting spree that left six dead and others wounded.
But the focus of Tuesday night wasn't so much on Giffords as it was on her supporters. When the nearly 300 guests arrived, they received stickers to wear, declaring "Thank you from Gabby Giffords," with an image of a cactus. Similar banners hung on all the walls, with the giant words "Thank you."
The event marked the first time that Giffords has attended one of her campaign events since the shooting. Her staff organized past events while she was in rehabilitation and attended them on her behalf. Giffords spent most of Tuesday night posing for pictures -- and then more pictures -- alongside her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly. Several House Democrats made appearances, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.). Reps. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), Jason Altmire (Pa.) and Allen Boyd (Fla.) were among those spotted, as were former Reps. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (S.D.) and Ike Skelton
But Kelly and Giffords' taking the stage to thank everyone and give an update on their plans marked the event's highlight. Kelly did all of the talking.
"Gabby and I are not going to be strangers to Washington," Kelly said to cheers. "We've got a few things that we're planning on working on -- those issues she cares about, but also helping her friends. And that includes -- we haven't quite figured this out -- but at some point it might include an organization called Gabby PAC."
Whatever Giffords ends up doing, she will stay focused on the same issues she prioritized while in Congress: solar energy, veterans affairs and border issues, Kelly said. She will also push for "just the ability to work together with other people," he said. "Gabby has always been one to work across party lines and try to get things done for this country. And she's doing to continue to do that."
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), a close friend of Giffords, told The Huffington Post the night marked a turning point for Giffords, professionally speaking.
"This was sort of the soft beginning of the next stage of Gabby's public role, how she's going to kick off the next stage of her service and the impact and the difference that she's going to make," said Wasserman Schultz, who chairs the Democratic National Committee. "Gabby really wants to make a difference. We know because she's not in Congress anymore she has to find other ways to do that. There's a lot of different ways she can have an impact. One of the ways is through a voter PAC. She's exploring that now."
Still, the real point of the event was bringing Giffords' "professional family together," Wasserman Schultz said. Gushing about the "droves of friends and supporters that came tonight," Wasserman Schultz called them a "testament to the legacy and the impression she left on hearts that are normally frozen in Washington."
"Gabby Giffords melts the coldest of hearts," she said.
WASHINGTON -- Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) on Tuesday night attended her first -- and last -- campaign event since the January 2011 shooting that nearly took her life. And she hinted at what her next career move may be: a Gabby PAC.
ReplyDeleteDuring a private reception on Capitol Hill, Giffords pulled together a mariachi band and a spread of Southwestern food to thank her donors and friends for their support over the past many months, even though she decided to retire from Congress in January to focus on her rehabilitation. Giffords was shot in the head in January 2011 in a Tucson, Ariz., shooting spree that left six dead and others wounded.
But the focus of Tuesday night wasn't so much on Giffords as it was on her supporters. When the nearly 300 guests arrived, they received stickers to wear, declaring "Thank you from Gabby Giffords," with an image of a cactus. Similar banners hung on all the walls, with the giant words "Thank you."
The event marked the first time that Giffords has attended one of her campaign events since the shooting. Her staff organized past events while she was in rehabilitation and attended them on her behalf. Giffords spent most of Tuesday night posing for pictures -- and then more pictures -- alongside her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly. Several House Democrats made appearances, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.). Reps. Chris Van Hollen (Md.), Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), Jason Altmire (Pa.) and Allen Boyd (Fla.) were among those spotted, as were former Reps. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (S.D.) and Ike Skelton
But Kelly and Giffords' taking the stage to thank everyone and give an update on their plans marked the event's highlight. Kelly did all of the talking.
ReplyDelete"Gabby and I are not going to be strangers to Washington," Kelly said to cheers. "We've got a few things that we're planning on working on -- those issues she cares about, but also helping her friends. And that includes -- we haven't quite figured this out -- but at some point it might include an organization called Gabby PAC."
Whatever Giffords ends up doing, she will stay focused on the same issues she prioritized while in Congress: solar energy, veterans affairs and border issues, Kelly said. She will also push for "just the ability to work together with other people," he said. "Gabby has always been one to work across party lines and try to get things done for this country. And she's doing to continue to do that."
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), a close friend of Giffords, told The Huffington Post the night marked a turning point for Giffords, professionally speaking.
"This was sort of the soft beginning of the next stage of Gabby's public role, how she's going to kick off the next stage of her service and the impact and the difference that she's going to make," said Wasserman Schultz, who chairs the Democratic National Committee. "Gabby really wants to make a difference. We know because she's not in Congress anymore she has to find other ways to do that. There's a lot of different ways she can have an impact. One of the ways is through a voter PAC. She's exploring that now."
Still, the real point of the event was bringing Giffords' "professional family together," Wasserman Schultz said. Gushing about the "droves of friends and supporters that came tonight," Wasserman Schultz called them a "testament to the legacy and the impression she left on hearts that are normally frozen in Washington."
"Gabby Giffords melts the coldest of hearts," she said.