Gabrielle Giffords, the congresswoman shot Saturday in a shocking attack outside an Arizona supermarket, was one of the Democrats who MSNBC's Keith Olberman was suspended for making contributions to.
Olbermann donated $2,400 — the maximum amount allowable under law — to failed Kentucky Senate candidate Jack Conway and Arizona Reps. Raul Grijalva and Giffords. His donations to Grijalva and Giffords were made on the same day that Grijalva appeared as a guest on “Countdown."
Also read: Olbermann Suspended Over Contributions
Olbermann followed news of the shooting closely, tweeting Saturday afternoon, "Rep. Giffords is out of surgery and alive," after earlier reports throughout the day that she had died.
Giffords and nearly 20 others were shot when a gunman opened fire outside a Tucson supermarket where she was meeting constituents at an event called “Congress on Your Corner.” Six people were killed, including a child who was about 9 years old, The New York Times reported.
Giffords was described as being in very critical condition, but one of her surgeons said he was "very optimistic" about her recovery, the Times said.
The donation from the liberal Olbermann was only one of the lightning rods that raised Giffords' profile with conservatives: She was also one of the politicians who was targeted with gunsights in a map Sarah Palin posted earlier this year listing Democrats she hoped her political action committee would help defeat.
"My sincere condolences are offered to the family of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and the other victims of today's tragic shooting in Arizona," Palin posted on Facebook Saturday. "On behalf of Todd and my family, we all pray for the victims and their families, and for peace and justice."
Giffords was also the subject of a false email campaign claiming she once asked Gen. David Petraeus what he was "doing to reduce carbon emissions in the war on terror."
Police haven't cited a motive for the shooting. A suspect in custody Saturday was identified in numerous reports as Jared Laughner, who has posted many bizarre videos on YouTube that offered a window into his hard-to-follow beliefs.