Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' staffers released the long-awaited first photo of the congresswoman since she was shot in the face during the January 8 Tucson shooting rampage.
Giffords' staffers say the reason they released the photo is to end curiosity about the congresswoman's condition. They want to avoid a "paparazzi situation" -- the gossip hounds at TMZ reportedly were offering $250,000 for the first photos of the wounded congresswoman.
As you can see, Giffords looks pretty good for someone who was shot in the face, but it seems unlikely that she'll be able to resume her gig in Congress -- or run for Senate -- anytime soon.
Her chief of staff, Pia Carusone, recently painted a much bleaker picture of Giffords' recovery than was previously reported, saying the congresswoman uses brief, one-word sentences, and often gets frustrated when trying to speak.
She said Giffords is not ready to return to office.
See the story Arizona Republic columnist E.J. Montini wrote about the realities of Giffords' recovery here.
