Obama Praises Gabrielle Giffords, Calls Recovery 'A Genuine Miracle'

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama says Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has an "incredible spirit," and calls her ongoing recovery from a gunshot to the head "a genuine miracle."

Obama says it's "almost unimaginable" that Giffords is now walking, talking and laughing. He met with the congresswoman in April at Cape Canaveral, Fla., where her husband, Mark Kelly, was preparing to lead the final mission of the space shuttle Endeavour.

In an interview taped Monday, the president told NBC's "Today" show that he thinks Giffords is "going to keep getting better."

Two pictures of Giffords were released Sunday on Facebook, giving the public its first clear look at the congresswoman since January, when she was shot point-blank by a gunman in Tucson.

WATCH:

Comments

[poppopsix]

10:28 PM on 06/15/2011

god bless her.

[bradhshickoh]

09:47 PM on 06/15/2011

GOD BLESS YOU GABY, YOU ARE ONE TOUGH COOKIE! GOOD LUCK IN THE FUTURE!!

[dngrwoman]

06:31 PM on 06/14/2011

Please listen. Gabby Giffords is a very brave lady! I do NOT like it when people say bad things about her! All I ever wanted was to do a command karaoke performance for Gabby and you all are laughing at me and hurting my feelings, which is also wrong.
Two wrongs DO NOT make a right! Either you stop picking on Gabby Giffords or I will tell your spouses and your mothers and shame you in the media for laughing at a person with autism/Aspberger's who wants to do a very brave heroic deed to make Gabby Giffords smile again!

[Tuula Westra]

04:33 PM on 06/14/2011

Now please lets have the stories of those who do not survive being shot on the head, enough of this woman.

[AuntInAZ]

06:08 AM on 06/15/2011

What a cold, callous, unfeeling comment to make.

[Cowboylove]

12:39 PM on 06/15/2011

Agreed, in spades!

[allpromaterials]

04:27 PM on 06/14/2011

I wonder where the miracle came from God or allah? Tell us barry

[Kimberlee Sullivan]

01:23 AM on 06/15/2011

God has many names one is Yahweh another is Allah, there are many more, but Yahweh is the name used by Christians, some Jewish people call him Adonai, but most christians and jewish people call him God! However, they are all the same God!

[Liam McGinley]

05:33 AM on 06/15/2011

I believe differently. The Holy Bible clearly say's the God of Israel is the only God there is full stop. He is the only Creator of the universe. The Bible also clearly say's that there are false "Gods" that deceive mankind away from the truth. The Bible say's the only to know God, get to heaven, and escape God's coming judgement is through faith in, belief in, surrendering to, and following Jesus Christ. Everyone is lost to death and an enemy of God without Jesus who is the only way to life. All genuine Christians understand that their God is the only way and all others are false.

[allpromaterials]

08:00 AM on 06/16/2011

I'm talking about the one true living God who has a Son Jesus Christ who is the saviour of the world. Allah has mohammed.He is no saviour. John 14:6 describes what seperates the God of the Bible from all others. Ask any muslim if Jesus is their saviour.

[AuntInAZ]

06:09 AM on 06/15/2011

Barry who? PRESIDENT Obama is a Christian, but even if he weren't, so what?

[Liam McGinley]

04:00 AM on 06/16/2011

Why do you say Obama is a Christian? he hasn't a clue about God.

[Texas Trapper]

12:05 AM on 07/08/2011

He professes to being a Christian, but his actions say otherwise.

[7dr361]

03:31 PM on 06/14/2011

Gabby your looking great hope you get back to congress......we need women like you. God Bless You

[dubbleplusgood]

03:11 PM on 06/14/2011

"a genuine miracle"

To be clear, that statement is meant to be taken as a figure of speech, not as a scientific claim. Those who believe miracles are real and those who don't should both calm down and refrain from using this as a focal point for their disagreement.

[allpromaterials]

04:28 PM on 06/14/2011

There is nothing scientfic about a miracle.

[Cowboylove]

12:42 PM on 06/15/2011

God is the ultimate scientist.

[quinzter]

02:53 PM on 06/14/2011

You can take this to the bank. This woman received only the best care this country has to offer. She is a CONGRESSWOMAN. As such they receive prime everything....from salaries, perks, healthcare, travel, and things us common folks will never even know about. If this woman were just some common person, chances she'd be planted 6ft deep by now. When it comes to congress people and the common people, we are not even close to playing on a level field. I wish her complete recovery without all the media attention I see on TV and newspapers.

[AuntInAZ]

06:14 AM on 06/15/2011

So what? Are you suggesting that she should NOT have received prime care?

BTW, my mother is a 'common person' and she recently received very good care in one of the best hospitals in the state. I'm not going to suggest everyone does, but I think it's sad people are using such a great indication of her progress to bash either the President or Rep Giffords 'perks' and so on.

[life line]

02:51 PM on 06/14/2011

A golden health care plan helped with her recovery. Medicare or Medicaid person would have died. Insurance would not cover half the cost. And those without would have never got into the doors.

[mgjj]

02:37 PM on 06/14/2011

STOP THE NRA DOT COM

[allpromaterials]

04:31 PM on 06/14/2011

Stop them from what? Helping preserve our constitutional rights?

[MontanaSouth]

01:56 PM on 06/14/2011

I read this article because I love keeping up on Gabby's recovery. To all those using this thread for partisan politics. Be ashamed, very ashamed. As a Southern Arizonan, I am so saddened by so many comments here. So, I've seen her beautiful pictures, listen to my President speak of his colleague and friend with compassion and wonder and will now leave the thread with mixed feelings, hopeful for her recovery and return home, and disappointed by ideologues that seem compelled to diminish her story by attaching our President. There are other treads you could use for that. Is it so difficult to save the sarcasm and political barbs for political stories and let those of us who know and love Gabby enjoy seeing her progress?

[bryanzth]

02:13 PM on 06/14/2011

Thanks for your message! You are so right!

My Dad fell and hit his head, and never recovered (he is still with us), as I think he plateau'ed, or they let him plateau, I will never know. I follow Jim Brady and others. Also, I was inspired by Bob Woodruff and his journey back after his head injury. And now Rep Giffords. I so want for her to recover, just for herself and for her husband and family.

So, your comment really is important.

BZ.

[allpromaterials]

04:33 PM on 06/14/2011

"my" president "our" pres. Give me a break. What did we do to "attach" your president? HUH

[AuntInAZ]

06:16 AM on 06/15/2011

He is our President whether you like it or not. He is also MY President whether you like it or not.

[A Meat Beetle]

01:10 PM on 06/14/2011

Miracle? Maybe, maybe not. I personally doubt there was anything supernatural about it, however. Just good doctoring combined with a strong will to live. 

Oh, I long for the day when the White House is occupied by someone who doesn't believe in spooks and miracles.

[claudiam]

01:47 PM on 06/14/2011

Totally agree about the miracle, not so much. First responders, Hernandez, good docs and she is a fighter! claudiatucsonaz

[AuntInAZ]

06:18 AM on 06/15/2011

Why must people like you constantly knock beliefs that are a large comfort to so many people by referring to them by terms like spooks?

[Danilo-11]

12:57 PM on 06/14/2011

Gifford recovers while Camping gets hit with a stroke. God can't speak more clearly.

[Pat Hakanson]

12:50 PM on 06/14/2011

This remarkable woman is indeed a miracle and a true attest to the undying human spirit, G Bless her truly!!

[joecjr]

12:48 PM on 06/14/2011

I'm glad to hear she is doing so well; however, she needs to resign from her seat and let someone else who's fully functional fill the spot until she can run again. President Obama needs something positive to talk about and she's about the only successful outcome he can bring up. It shows that private health care can provided the skills and equipment needed to treat her, and to bring her back to such an amazing recovery that the common person would never get especially under a government ran system. There again the privilege of power and position rears its ugly head.

[kalimuzo]

01:18 PM on 06/14/2011

She got her initial treatment at the University of Arizona medical facility, they do get govt funding. President Obama has a lot of successful out comes like the auto bailout and the stimulus and credit card reform or and Bin laden and all the other terrorists that he is taking the fight to. Tell your sponsors to come up with better material for you to write next time.