Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) in critical condition, 6 others killed in Arizona

[CatoMinor]

In my opinion, one of his best speeches to date. Though it seemed inappropriate how the crowed kept interrupting for applause, considering it was a memorial service.

[You kip if you want to...]

It was a brilliant, moving speech. Definately a return to how I saw him in 2008.

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Quick becoming one of my favourite politician quote.

[Eraserhead]

I thought the speech was excellent and quite appropriate, if not exactly matching the feelings of what normal people feel about the tragedy.

Yeah, leaving a section about lynching the kid who did this out was probably for the best.

[You kip if you want to...]

Obama's speech and Palin's video would be a good compare and contrast exercise to explain exactly why Obama's the president and she never will be.

[Brittain33]

Yeah, even my Republican friends on FB who were feeling angry and frustrated at the debate this week were praising Obama's speech. Glad to see it hit the right notes.

[You kip if you want to...]

Yeah, even my Republican friends on FB who were feeling angry and frustrated at the debate this week were praising Obama's speech. Glad to see it hit the right notes.

A turning point in his presidency.

[Oakvale]

Obama's speech was very powerful - quite possibly his best. Easily up there with Kennedy and Reagan, IMO - and I'm not alone in thinking that.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I have been keeping up with Gabby's recovery every day on CNN.com and the news is ver encouraging from opening her eyes, trying to hug her husband, and regaining control over her arms and legs.  I wouldn't be suprised if she is upgraded in the next couple of days to serious condition.  We're long past the 72-96 hours when swelling usually will set in after a shot to the head, so this is very good news.

[memphis]

I have been keeping up with Gabby's recovery every day on CNN.com and the news is ver encouraging from opening her eyes, trying to hug her husband, and regaining control over her arms and legs.  I wouldn't be suprised if she is upgraded in the next couple of days to serious condition.  We're long past the 72-96 hours when swelling usually will set in after a shot to the head, so this is very good news.

She's opening her eyes because the doctors are weaning her off sedation.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

She's opening her eyes because the doctors are weaning her off sedation.

Kinda puts a buzzkill on Obama's announcement last night, eh?

[Joe Biden 2020]

I have been keeping up with Gabby's recovery every day on CNN.com and the news is ver encouraging from opening her eyes, trying to hug her husband, and regaining control over her arms and legs.  I wouldn't be suprised if she is upgraded in the next couple of days to serious condition.  We're long past the 72-96 hours when swelling usually will set in after a shot to the head, so this is very good news.

She's opening her eyes because the doctors are weaning her off sedation.

It's still no less miraculous.

[ilikeverin]

I have been keeping up with Gabby's recovery every day on CNN.com and the news is ver encouraging from opening her eyes, trying to hug her husband, and regaining control over her arms and legs.  I wouldn't be suprised if she is upgraded in the next couple of days to serious condition.  We're long past the 72-96 hours when swelling usually will set in after a shot to the head, so this is very good news.

She's opening her eyes because the doctors are weaning her off sedation.

The news here is that she was able to respond to complex commands and execute equally complex motor actions in response to them.  Particularly notable is this:

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Previously, Giffords had been asked to give a thumbs up, and gave an outstretched hand, instead.  That was interpreted by the news story as her being extra excited, basically, but as a neurologist you're not necessarily too happy about that; it could indicate that she can only make gross motor actions.

Here, however, she responded correctly to a commend that required fine motor control, attention, and semantic knowledge (i.e., being able to find the small, shiny metal thing on his finger, knowing that that small, shiny metal thing is a "wedding ring", and specifically "his" wedding ring, guiding her hand to the wedding ring, and being able to coordinate her hand motions well enough to touch it), which is quite encouraging.

It's also important that she proceeded to grab the rest of his hand after that and perform some more actions, because it lends more credence to the media's supposition that extending her whole hand was a sign that she was just "overenthusiastic" or something rather than being incapable of responding correctly to a command.

[Torie]

It does appear that some sentience is there - thank heavens. Nothing is more horrible to me I don't think than being rendered into an insentient state. I would much prefer death.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I just realized Giffords is probably going to have an awful case of survivor's guilt once she recovers and learns the full reality of what happened.

[Redalgo]

I just realized Giffords is probably going to have an awful case of survivor's guilt once she recovers and learns the full reality of what happened.

Probably.

[King]

I just realized Giffords is probably going to have an awful case of survivor's guilt once she recovers and learns the full reality of what happened.

I imagine the ensuing ass kissing post-survival will cover it up well.

[Landslide Lyndon]

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/370861/january-12-2011/the-word---life--liberty-and-the-pursuit-of-angriness

[sentinel]

I have been keeping up with Gabby's recovery every day on CNN.com and the news is ver encouraging from opening her eyes, trying to hug her husband, and regaining control over her arms and legs.  I wouldn't be suprised if she is upgraded in the next couple of days to serious condition.  We're long past the 72-96 hours when swelling usually will set in after a shot to the head, so this is very good news.

She's opening her eyes because the doctors are weaning her off sedation.

The news here is that she was able to respond to complex commands and execute equally complex motor actions in response to them.  Particularly notable is this:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Previously, Giffords had been asked to give a thumbs up, and gave an outstretched hand, instead.  That was interpreted by the news story as her being extra excited, basically, but as a neurologist you're not necessarily too happy about that; it could indicate that she can only make gross motor actions.

Here, however, she responded correctly to a commend that required fine motor control, attention, and semantic knowledge (i.e., being able to find the small, shiny metal thing on his finger, knowing that that small, shiny metal thing is a "wedding ring", and specifically "his" wedding ring, guiding her hand to the wedding ring, and being able to coordinate her hand motions well enough to touch it), which is quite encouraging.

It's also important that she proceeded to grab the rest of his hand after that and perform some more actions, because it lends more credence to the media's supposition that extending her whole hand was a sign that she was just "overenthusiastic" or something rather than being incapable of responding correctly to a command.

I'm glad you pointed that out, I haven't mentioned it to anyone, but she did do the wrong task when asked to give a thumbs up. Overenthusiastic would have been two thumbs up. I hope she fully recovers, but the medias outlook isn't going to determine how she recovers so I think its alright that we continue to criticize the media as per usual.

I really hope she fully recovers, and if she is able to fully recover --I think she would make a run for the Presidency one day. Its a nice thought at least. The reality of her fully recovering is doubtful unfortunately, she did get shot in the head.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I have been keeping up with Gabby's recovery every day on CNN.com and the news is ver encouraging from opening her eyes, trying to hug her husband, and regaining control over her arms and legs.  I wouldn't be suprised if she is upgraded in the next couple of days to serious condition.  We're long past the 72-96 hours when swelling usually will set in after a shot to the head, so this is very good news.

Really glad to hear that.

[ilikeverin]

I have been keeping up with Gabby's recovery every day on CNN.com and the news is ver encouraging from opening her eyes, trying to hug her husband, and regaining control over her arms and legs.  I wouldn't be suprised if she is upgraded in the next couple of days to serious condition.  We're long past the 72-96 hours when swelling usually will set in after a shot to the head, so this is very good news.

She's opening her eyes because the doctors are weaning her off sedation.

The news here is that she was able to respond to complex commands and execute equally complex motor actions in response to them.  Particularly notable is this:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Previously, Giffords had been asked to give a thumbs up, and gave an outstretched hand, instead.  That was interpreted by the news story as her being extra excited, basically, but as a neurologist you're not necessarily too happy about that; it could indicate that she can only make gross motor actions.

Here, however, she responded correctly to a commend that required fine motor control, attention, and semantic knowledge (i.e., being able to find the small, shiny metal thing on his finger, knowing that that small, shiny metal thing is a "wedding ring", and specifically "his" wedding ring, guiding her hand to the wedding ring, and being able to coordinate her hand motions well enough to touch it), which is quite encouraging.

It's also important that she proceeded to grab the rest of his hand after that and perform some more actions, because it lends more credence to the media's supposition that extending her whole hand was a sign that she was just "overenthusiastic" or something rather than being incapable of responding correctly to a command.

I'm glad you pointed that out, I haven't mentioned it to anyone, but she did do the wrong task when asked to give a thumbs up. Overenthusiastic would have been two thumbs up. I hope she fully recovers, but the medias outlook isn't going to determine how she recovers so I think its alright that we continue to criticize the media as per usual.

I really hope she fully recovers, and if she is able to fully recover --I think she would make a run for the Presidency one day. Its a nice thought at least. The reality of her fully recovering is doubtful unfortunately, she did get shot in the head.

Yup.  She's lucky in a lot of ways.  But, unfortunately, as relatively "good" as getting shot cleanly through one hemisphere is, it is the case that getting shot in the left, rather than the right hemisphere, isn't an encouraging sign.  What happens with regard to her speech when her breathing tube is removed is going to tell us a lot about her eventual prognosis.  But, if she has left frontal lobe damage, that'll only be apparent given quite a bit of time.

[anvi]

One of the good signs that has come out of the first few days is that Giffords has been able to respond to verbal communication and move parts of her body on command.  That seems to indicate that, perhaps to a large extent, her speech-recognition and speech-motor control areas, in the left parietal lobe and Brocca's area, may not have been badly damaged.  It remains to be seen how well she will be able to speak herself, as well as how the wound will effect her decision-making capacities and cognitive abilities in general.  It will be a tough hall.  But as far as having sentience, being able to recognize those around her, being able to understand her environment and respond to verbal communication, as well as being able to control important kinds of movement, all the signs so far are surprisingly encouraging.  I'll say it again, that's one tough lady.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

A very smart lady, Ms. Giffords is.

[nhmagic]

Yeah, even my Republican friends on FB who were feeling angry and frustrated at the debate this week were praising Obama's speech. Glad to see it hit the right notes.

A turning point in his presidency.

I think I just vomited in my mouth a little.  I gave praise for his speech too, but that doesn't change the fact that he is hurting the country.  It doesn't change our unemployment level and it doesn't change the fact he passed healthcare.  It's sick that you and particularly the guys at the Politico want to trump up this meme that a memorial service can change things for Obama.  It really shows what bad shape you guys are in if he's in desperate need of a massacre to bring his poll numbers up.

[Sbane]

How is Obama supposed to help unemployment? (and I don't blame Bush for the economy either)

[Brittain33]

It's sick that you and particularly the guys at the Politico want to trump up this meme that a memorial service can change things for Obama.  It really shows what bad shape you guys are in if he's in desperate need of a massacre to bring his poll numbers up.

This is how the presidency works and the people in the middle think. (Obviously, partisan Republicans aren't going to vote for the guy just because he gave a good speech.) It's not a Dem thing or a Republican thing. It's why Congress will never have the upper hand.

To be clear, this is very far from being 9/11... but Republicans should be glad you won't have to endure what Democrats endured for years after that event, the way we were tarred and insulted by the party in power which claimed that they were the only ones who "got it," and eventually went so far as to blame the city that was actually struck for somehow not understanding the real meaning of 9/11, etc.