Arizona Shooting Aftermath and More Sunday Talk

Kirsten Gillibrand: Gabrielle Giffords “Doing Great”

On Face the Nation, Sen. Gillibrand told Bob Schieffer that Rep. Giffords is “making great progress” and able to move her arms and legs. “She’s right now inspiring the nation. She epitomizes everything that President Obama said in his speech about a way of moving forward—of providing leadership that brings people together, not pushes them apart,” Gillibrand said.

Tom Coburn: “Disgusted with All the Media”

On Meet the Press, Sen. Coburn and Sen. Chuck Schumer discussed the role of political discourse in the Arizona shooting. When asked if the real problem is the apocalyptic nature of political rhetoric, Coburn replied that he’s tired of the media on the right and the left: “We’re spending all this time talking about political discourse rather than talking about the real risk to our country.”

Bill Heilman: Wife Was “Eyeball to Eyeball” with Christina Green

At a town hall on the aftermath of last week’s tragic shooting in Arizona on This Week, Bill Heilman, whose wife brought nine-year-old Christina Green to Gabrielle Giffords’ event, recalled Green’s final moments and his reaction to the shooting. “We haven’t [before] wanted to initiate conversation on the topic,” Heilman said.

Grace Napolitano: Not Enough Mental Health Resources

In the wake of the release of Jared Loughner’s disturbing YouTube videos and questions about his mental health, Rep. Grace Napolitano, a co-chair of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, said that a lack of mental health resources has “been going on for years” on State of the Union. “We are not informing and educating the public enough to be able to help them make the decisions to help those that they love,” she said.

Tim Pawlenty: I Didn’t Endorse the Bailout

Chris Wallace took former Minnesota Governor and likely 2012 presidential candidate Pawlenty to task on his conflicting statements about the 2008 bailout. Pawlenty said he was speaking on behalf of John McCain when he endorsed the bailout two years ago, and not stating his own views: “You play the tape, it says ‘he believes’…But I didn’t support and don’t support bailing out places like Wall Street, General Motors and the like, with respect to federal and government spending.

Is Rhetoric to Blame for Violence?

On Reliable Sources, Howard Kurtz asked Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank if Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin—among other pundits—should be held accountable for inciting violence. “I think it is very important that people are held to account for this nasty rhetoric…In Glenn Beck’s case, I’ve documented a few cases in which it’s led a crazy person to snap,” Milbank said.

Chris Christie: Not “Arrogant” Enough for White House

New Jersey Governor Christie set the record straight—again—on speculation that he would make a bid for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 on Fox News Sunday: “I’ve been governor for a year…You’ve got to believe in your heart that you’re personally ready to be president and I’m not there.”