Newtown Lawmaker Tells Gabby Giffords: ‘Stay Out Of My Towns!’

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Responding to Gabby Giffords' Friday visit to Newtown, Conn., where she met with families of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Connecticut state Rep. DebraLee Hovey (R) had a message for the former congresswoman: "Gabby Giffords stay out of my towns!"

According to the Hartford Courant's Capitol Watch blog, Hovey, who represents Newtown and neighboring Monroe, posted the message on a public Facebook page. In a follow-up comment, she wrote:

"It was political. The Lt Gov was there, Blumenthall was there and ALL political types know it is courteous to let sitting Reps know when another political is in their District. So…… There was pure political motives." She removed the item Sunday, according to the report."

Hovey later issued an apology: "The remarks I made regarding Congresswoman Gifford’s visit were insensitive and if I offended anyone I truly apologize. My comments were meant to be protective of the privacy of the families and our community as we work to move on, and were in no way intended as an insult to Congresswoman Giffords personally. Our community has struggled greatly through this tragedy, and we are all very sensitive to the potential for this event to be exploited for political purposes. This is what I wish to avoid.”

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/newtown-lawmaker-tells-gabby-giffords-stay-out-of

[riverbendviewgal]

1. She can't undo what she said

and She makes me sick...why would anyone now want her to represent them.. It seems it is all about POWER to her not empathy.

[uponit7771]

2. ...and here we go, the usually ugliness (mostly wingers) that follows events such as Newton Massacre

[sarisataka]

3. Nice non-apology

If she wants privacy, speak to the media who cover every possible angle, whether related or not.
Yet if that is what she truly believed, why did she not mention privacy in her FB

[southernyankeebelle]

4. That is a problem that republicans think they own towns and states.

[Whovian]

5. I don't know what this Rep looks like but she is certainly ugly.

[jsr]

33. Here:

[GodlessBiker]

6. What an asshole she is.

[still_one]

7. After what Gifford had been through herself you really think it was political?

It was survivors comforting each other

[elehhhhna]

8. Wow. She rudely yells at Gifford on the 'net because "Courtesy!" and

"Politics"


Just wow.

[lapislzi]

9. Is this what we have come to?

Rambling, grammatically incorrect rantings on Face Book from a member of Congress? I thought members of Congress had things like official websites and publicity people to manage that sort of thing.

With people like these supposedly "representing" us, it's no wonder that the political discourse cannot climb out of the gutter.

This disgusts me on many levels.

[CTyankee]

13. She is a state rep. not MC.

[lapislzi]

22. Oopsie, thanks.

Still. Be a professional for god's sake.

[CTyankee]

25. She's far from that, isn't she?

[Downtown Hound]

10. I wasn't aware that she owned all those towns. n/t

[bluestate10]

11. Find an effective democrat to put up against that asshole. nt

[CTyankee]

12. Oh, that unspeakable woman! Esp. her apology "if I offended anyone..."

This is yet another iteration of GOP meme "those mean democrats are politicizing the issue!"

Gabby was a gun victim herself. There is no way a normal person would see what she is doing as crassly political. She has suffered and is now reaching out to the suffering. I'm sure the families appreciated her visit. And Dick Blumenthal is a great public servant, a man who has served the people of CT with great integrity, as A.G. and now as Senator.

I hope the good people of Newtown and Monroe now see Hovey's true colors and DEFEAT her next election...

[Jennicut]

15. Some good Dem needs to run against her. Newtown and Monroe are

great towns, deserve better then that as representation. I can't believe she is from our state. I need to look into when she is up for reelection again. Newtown voted for Obama so I know they might vote for a Dem.

[CTyankee]

17. I can't believe she's from CT either. That was my first thought!

Hope she got an earful, hence her "apology." Bet she IS defeated next time...her constituents probably had the same reaction we did...

[CatFelyne]

30. Hovey barely "represents" us

Hovey only has a small part of Newtown in her district the 112th. Represents ~1000 people...at the most 5% of us.

We ran a good candidate against her the last time, but in Newtown it's very hard to get Democrats elected locally. As far as how she's handled it, her attitude is not surprising. Has had a number of issues locally that demonstrate her character. Can find it in local papers and Monroe patch

[Jennicut]

32. Thanks for the info.

I'm up in Terryville. We can't get many Dems up here either, in Litchfield county.

[LeftinOH]

14. Another "F*ck you!/I'm sorry!" entry from the Repub school of

say-what-you-really-mean-then-offer-a-half-baked-apology political grandstanding.

[SidDithers]

16. Political?? Has this idiot seen Gabby Giffords?...

the woman just retired from politics, for Christ's sake.

Did Hovey think Giffords was launching her 2016 Presidential campaign in Newton?

Moran.

Sid

[Aerows]

18. Rabid asshole acts like a rabid asshole

then tries to retract the remarks that makes her look like a rabid asshole.

Conclusion: Rep. DebraLee Hovey still looks like a rabid partisan asshole.

I hope her constituents remember it.

[sheshe2]

19. Check out some of the responses to her FB Post!

http://courantblogs.com/capitol-watch/state-rep-debralee-hovey-to-gabby-giffords-stay-out/

[PotatoChip]

20. Speechless...

Not being overly familiar with TPM, I almost didn't believe this until I got to the end where she issued an apology.

[Dawson Leery]

21. Doubtful she will ever lose.

I was raised in the area, it is a Rethug stronghold.

[LeftishBrit]

23. MY towns? She owns them?

And seriously, how insensitive and indeed vile can one get! I hope the voters give this character what she deserves at the next election.

[Rex]

24. Repukes love to show how vile they can be

then pretend to have a heart by issuing a bullshit apology. This is why I totally believe in karma!

[Aristus]

26. "IF I offended anyone..."

Bitch...

[warrior1]

27. That goddamn son of a bitch

[Johonny]

28. guns welcome, gun violence victims... not so much

[Cha]

29. DebraLee Hovey is an Insensitive Ignorant

B**** who doesn't deserve to represent Newtown and Monroe. Shame on her for injecting herself into people's tragic misery.

Then she comes back with a stupid cowardly non "apology" and thinks all should forgive her stupid mouth.

[Frustratedlady]

31. My jaw is on the floor! What a horrible thing to say/do.

Where were these people taught their manners, compassion, decency?

No matter what Hovey's intentions or objections were, they were poorly delivered and beyond forgiveness. Good grief!