Follow Newser on Twitter   Friend Newser on Facebook
Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Giffords: I'll Go Back to Congress When I Get 'Better'

Full '20/20' interview documents recovery

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 15, 2011 6:58 AM CST

(Newser) – Gabrielle Giffords worked hard to walk and talk in last night’s 20/20 interview, but even as she gave brief answers to Diane Sawyer’s questions, it was clear the congresswoman could still understand and had retained her memory. Will she return to Congress? Only when she gets “better,” Giffords said, according to Roll Call. (Watch that clip at the Huffington Post.) If she does decide to return, husband Mark Kelly said, “I’ll do my best to protect her in whatever she chooses to do."

Giffords recalled feeling like “a zombie” after the shooting, and grieving after learning that others were killed: “I cried. Died. Sad,” she said. “A lot of people died.” At one point during her recovery, the Washington Post reports, Giffords told Kelly, “I’ve been beaten.” Kelly told Sawyer, “I would say, ‘Gabby, you have not been beaten. You’ve just been beat up. And you’re going to get through this, and you’re going to recover and you’re going to come back stronger than ever.’”

In this undated photo provided by ABC, US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and husband Mark Kelly are interviewed by Diane Sawyer on ABC's 20/20.
In this undated photo provided by ABC, US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and husband Mark Kelly are interviewed by Diane Sawyer on ABC's 20/20.   (AP Photo/ABC, Ida Mae Astute)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
A portion of last night's Gabrielle Giffords interview.   (ABC News)

View larger videos >>
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next »
My TakeCLICK BELOW TO VOTE
3%
2%
3%
81%
2%
10%
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 14 comments
JoeQ
Nov 15, 2011 1:40 PM CST
Audio of Gabby Giffords to her constituents: http://azstarnet.com/article_2239504a-0f4a-11e1-8416-001cc4c002e0.html
DontLikeYou
Nov 15, 2011 9:39 AM CST
It is sad that she will not allow her state to replace her.  Her district is not represented and there is no way to know when she can return.  It is just sad to see people play politics with this poor woman in the obvious brain-damaged condition. I pray that someone helps her to understand that she needs to leave politics and focus on her recovery.
JackNelsonSteward
Nov 15, 2011 8:20 AM CST
the woman is a force of nature and she's partnered with a powerful support system. She'll be fine.

 
Diane Sawyer • Gabrielle Giffords • Mark Kelly • 20/20 • Gabrielle Giffords shooting

More Newser Stories

Hubby Says Giffords Gave Him Massage in ICU

My Wife Feared Being Shot: Mark Kelly

Tucson Survivor: Giffords 'Makes Me Want to Vomit'

At Vigil, Giffords Recites 'Pledge of Allegiance'

A Year Later, Giffords Heads to Tucson
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   Geek Sugar   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment