CNN Urges Gabby Giffords' Husband to Run for Congress
By Matt Hadro | January 27, 2012 | 18:22
Former Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords retired from office a year after suffering a gunshot wound to the head, and CNN is already goading her husband to replace her in Congress. Since Democrats wanted him to run for Giffords' seat, CNN was basically asking a Democrat to run for office.
On Friday's Starting Point, host Soledad O'Brien told Giffords' husband, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, that historically "often spouses will jump in and take over their spouse's Congressional seat." She strongly insinuated that would be him, and that he should run. [Video below the break. Click here for audio.]
When he answered in the negative, she followed up asking why wouldn't he run. "Hypothetically, it could be me, but I'm not running for her Congressional seat," Kelly told her about candidates running for their spouses' seats.
"Why not?" O'Brien replied. Apparently, Soledad had not taken into account that Kelly will have to care for his wife, who is still recovering from a gunshot wound to the head.
Kelly answered as much. "I need to focus on her and be available to her and, you know, help her, make sure she has everything she needs," he replied. "Running for Congress is really, really hard work. It takes a lot of time, and the job takes a lot of time."
A brief transcript of the segment, which aired on January 27 at 8:19 a.m. EST, is as follows:
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN: Last question for you. You know, I don't have to tell you, that in history often spouses will jump in and take over their spouse's Congressional seat.
MARK KELLY, husband of Gabrielle Giffords: Yes.
O'BRIEN: That would be you, you know?
KELLY: That would not be me.
(Laughter)
O'BRIEN: No? I guess hypothetically, that could be you. Yes, that's her spouse.
KELLY: Yeah. Hypothetically, it could be me, but I'm not running for her Congressional seat.
O'BRIEN: No. Why not?
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Comments
The Clinton News Network doesn't pretend to be impartial
Submitted by frank14 on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 6:53pm.
They need Mark Kelly to remind all Democrats of how the media demonized Sarah Palin for a demented Kerry supporter shooting her wife.
Yes, Soledud, they're like the Kennedys of the Sonoran Desert.
Submitted by SickofLibs on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 6:55pm.
The baton must be passed, it is the righteous thing to do.
Mark Kelly bought into the narative
Submitted by ohio granny on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 7:28pm.
And Mark Kelly bought into the narative that Sarah Palin and conservatives were responsible for a crazed man shooting his wife. That tells me he is just as corrupt as the democrat party. He is suposed to be a republican. Sounds like a RINO to me. So I agree, he shouldn't run for her seat.
I lost a lot of respect for
Submitted by Reaver on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 9:21am.
I lost a lot of respect for Mark Kelly when he took the occasion of an interview from the space station to blame the tea party for his wife’s shooting. The fact that he would politicize something like that and that he so easily bought into the narrative that conservatives were to blame for his wife’s shooting means I would not want to see him running for office and I have no idea what the man’s politics are.
Well, technically he can be called "retired".
Submitted by UpNorth on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 7:39pm.
He could run, as he has no job, he was laid off when the dem president decided that outreach to Muslims was more important than space and science.
Kelly
Submitted by HudsonRiverGirl on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 7:58pm.
Is Soledad so stupid she does not know the man lives in Texas and has two daughters there?
We know the answer to that question, HRG
Submitted by Galvanic on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 8:36pm.
Anchors like O'Brien don't know much about anything beyond their teleprompters.
Fill in the blank: ______ urges Democrat to run for something.
Submitted by Gary Hall on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 9:54pm.
Fill in the blank: ______ urges Democrat to run for something.
Has any MSM outlet ever legitimately urged a Republican to run for pubic office?
(;~? gary
And if he ran.....
Submitted by GregE on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 10:06pm.
He'd win by a landslide, with a very small percentage of the vote actually due to his viewpoints. I have nothing for or against the guy, I just think that's how it would be in this situation.
Political Correctness - the belief that one can pick up a turd by the clean end.
Congress must be an easy job
Submitted by Radical1979 on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 10:19pm.
if a spouse can so easily fit into the job.
Would any ever expect anyone in any other job to have their spouse just step in? My accountant quits so his wife does my taxes? My eye doctor is ill so her husband prescribes my glasses?
Honestly, I think the U.S. legislature should meet as often as they do in Texas, and the president restricted to working when they do.
I've thought the same thing..
Submitted by GregE on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 11:00pm.
Spouse steps in and nothing is lost? So anyone can do it, apparently. Like Woodrow Wilson's wife running the show after his stroke while the public knew nothing. Comforting.
I've often thought about how heads of cabinet departments and other high federal position heads get shifted around. Leon Panetta has zero military or intelligence experience, yet it given position of Director of CIA, then moved on over to Secretary of Defense on a whim. Would Treasury get someone who knows nothing about money? Highly doubtful. (well there's Geithner, but you know what I mean :-)
Political Correctness - the belief that one can pick up a turd by the clean end.
I disagree, Rad.
Submitted by motherbelt on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 7:56am.
Congress is supposed to be made of "anyones" and "guys named Joe," not the career politicians we have now.
"Citizen legislators" was the intent of the founding fathers. Much like a jury, representatives would consist of our peers. James Madison wrote that legislators should be "called for the most part from pursuits of a private nature and continued in appointment for a short period of office ...
and then go back to their real jobs.
.After all, these people are supposed to be "representative" of all of us. One doesn't need years of either education or experience to represent.
Professional politicians are one of the major problems in this country.
I saw this coming
Submitted by Boudin on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 11:24pm.
As soon as his wife resigned.
I don't appreciate that statement or the fact of it.
Submitted by Calypso Jones on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 11:41pm.
It should be illegal for a spouse to run for his/her disabled/deceased/deposed spouses seat. That is too close to nepotism and/or the establishment of a ruling class. it's not a good idea.
He should run...
Submitted by tvhall on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 1:03am.
After all the REAL economy has no need for washed up Shuttle Pilots!
Husband blames Giffords for wife's death
Submitted by ricklail on Sat, 01/28/2012 - 7:28am.
Haven't seem this story on the MSM.