Posted on 03/11/2011 12:26:02 PM PST by Suz in AZ
“...doctors don’t expect to reattach Giffords’ skull until May...”
Don’t know enough about her treatment, but I can’t help but wonder if she benefited by what was learned by the medical community during OIF/OEF.
One of the positive benefits of wars is that there are huge advances trauma care. Over the last few years a lot of renowned trauma surgeons made the trip to Landstuhl (Germany) Regional Medical center thinking they were going to show Army/Air Force and Navy docs a thing or two. When the “experts” left Landstuhl they were in awe of the care our Heroes received and almost all of them admitted that the military docs had taught them new techniques/procedures.
Luckily for all of us these military Docs leave the service they take their new skills with them to Hometown, America.
(Sidebar: I am not bashing the experts. It should be noted that these experts contributed greatly to the care of our wounded warriors. These patriots flew over to LRMC on their own dime volunteering their time to help.)
Not where a federal official is concerned. Giffords would have to have her seat declared vacant by the House and then the Governor would call for a special election to fill the vacancy. I believe the last time the Congress declared a vacancy under similar circumstances was in 1981 when Maryland Congresswoman Gladys Spellman (D) fell into an irreversable coma. A special election was held and none other than the current House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer won the seat. Poor Spellman remained in the coma for 7 years before she finally died.
You might also recall Arizona came close to having a similar incident when Mo Udall, suffering from Parkinson’s, waited until he was nearly completely incapacitated before finally resigning his seat in 1991. The odious Ed Pastor won that special election for his seat.
Say hello to the next new Senator from Arizona.
I missed knowing about this...
...would someone please enlighten me....why is her skull not attached?
Your leg is being pulled Guenevere.
There doesn’t need to be an amendment, either body can simply vote to declare a seat vacant due to incapacity, but as I pointed out, they’ve only done that once in 30 years. They often don’t have the heart to do so or political considerations come into play. The main reason why the seats weren’t declared vacant in the case of Giffords or Tim Johnson is because Giffords’ seat would likely go to Republican Jesse Kelly and the GOP Governor of SD would appoint a Republican to Johnson’s seat.
As for making it unconstitutional for a sitting federal elected official to run for something else, that would only result in costing the taxpayers for the expense of running a special election were they to resign.
Are you kidding??? Don't you remember Tim Johnson? And Frank lautenberg is essentially a walking vegetable since his skiing accident and subsequent stroke. The Democrats would run Giffords for Senate even if she was in as bad a shape as Christopher Pike...
As long as they can say "yea" or "nay", to the Dems they are ready to serve.
She will never be the same again.
Sad,but true.
How do I know this? Gut feeling.
No question about it. Biden might as well swear her in now.
me too
Only if she gets her speech reasonably back in the next 9 to 10 months.
She will have to start giving speeches and NPR interviews by then.
No she won't. They'll run her if she can't speak at all. She will just wave and have someone read 'her' speeches for her.
It is better to have a special election than to pay a senator to run for the presidency and leave his state unrepresented.
Thanks Suz in AZ.
"Though doctors don’t expect to reattach Giffords’ skull until May, there’s 'a good possibility' Giffords will be able to achieve her goal of attending April’s space shuttle launch, which her husband will command."
Here’s hoping that her skull reattachment goes well in May.
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