Gabrielle Giffords Will Wait to Recover Before Returning to Congress

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Erik Hayden 438 Views Nov 15, 2011

Over the past few days, ABC has been previewing its interview with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords about her recovery: last night, footage aired of her speaking to Diane Sawyer on the topic of returning to Congress, although she had trouble forming sentences. In appraising the full interview, the Associated Press wrote that it "showed a woman who appeared confident and determined, but still far from able to carry on a detailed conversation." In the clip below, seated with husband Mark Kelly, Giffords is asked (2:20) whether she sees herself returning to Congress, she replied, "No ... better." She paused briefly after that and looked at her husband, who clarified, "She wants to get better." And, after Sawyer asked the follow-up question if she would go back to Congress if she got better, Giffords nodded, "yea." The ABC footage then moves on to Giffords speech therapy, where one of the sentences she practiced, "I will return," mirrored what she wrote on the last page of her book, Gabby, about eventually heading back to Congress.

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