U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree and the rest of Maine’s congressional delegation were shocked and saddened by Saturday’s shooting in Tucson, Ariz., that killed at least six people and wounded 13 others, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Giffords was meeting with constituents outside a grocery store, in an event she called “Congress on Your Corner.” Pingree, who described Giffords as a good friend, holds similar events here in Maine. She calls them “Congress in Your Neighborhood.”

“All of us do this,” Pingree said. “We set up card tables and invite people to come and tell us what’s on their minds. It allows you to connect with people in an informal setting. Our democracy depends on us being able to meet publicly with people. Sometimes constituents get angry. It’s part of the job. But when something like this happens, it makes us all nervous.”

Pingree said she fears that Saturday’s shooting could have a chilling effect on elected officials’ ability to meet face-to-face with constituents. She said her concern is for others as much as for herself. Among the innocent bystanders killed in the Tucson shooting were a child, a federal judge and one of Giffords’ aides.

Pingree said the shooting serves as a wake-up call for everyone to turn down the volume of angry talk that permeates politics today and may incite some people to senseless violence.

“I hope it makes people think about toning down the rhetoric,” Pingree said. “We should be able to disagree over very important issues and still keep it civil.”

Pingree and Giffords are fellow Democrats who have been colleagues on the Armed Services Committee, sitting just a few seats away from each other. Pingree and Giffords became friends shortly after Pingree was first elected to Congress two years ago. Giffords had just been elected to a second term.

They bonded over being relatively new to Congress and the fact that some of Giffords’ friends have summer homes in Maine, Pingree said. She described Giffords as a fun, outspoken and energetic person who is known for bringing stacks of paperwork to committee meetings.

“She’s considered one of the hardest-working members of Congress representing a tough district,” Pingree said. “When she was brutally shot, Gabby was out doing what she loved to do. She is a fighter for the people she represents and now she is fighting for her life. She is dedicated to her constituents, and well-liked by all her colleagues. We are all praying for Gabby, her family and the families of all the other victims.”

U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, said he and Giffords are both members of the House Blue Dog Coalition, a caucus of fiscally conservative Democrats. In September 2008, Michaud, as chairman of the Veterans Health subcommittee, traveled to Tucson to co-host a discussion with Giffords on mental health care for veterans.

“This is a national tragedy and an extremely sad day for our country,” Michaud said in a prepared statement. “Congresswoman Giffords is a true advocate for the people of Arizona and is an exceptional member of Congress. My prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords, her family, her staff and all the victims of this senseless act of violence.”

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, also released a statement, saying: “I am shocked and saddened by the horrific shootings in Arizona today. My prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords, her family and staff, and all of those who were killed and injured in this senseless attack.”

U.S. Sen Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, issued the following statement: “I was horrified and deeply saddened to learn of the unspeakable tragedy in Tucson. My thoughts and prayers are with Representative Giffords, her staff, and with all of the families whose loved ones were killed or injured as a result of this deplorable rampage. Our nation is the greatest in the world partly because our constituents can have unfiltered interactions with those individuals who represent them in the U.S. Congress.”

Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:

kbouchard@pressherald.com

 

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