In Arizona, Obama to honor memories, speak of hope

Obama to attend Arizona memorial
President Barack Obama has arrived in Arizona to pay tribute to six people killed in a shooting and to honour US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was injured in the attack. The president is due to speak at a memorial service for Victims of the shooting in Tucson later on Wednesday. Suspected gunman Jared Loughner has been charged with several offences and could face the death penalty if guilty. Ms Giffords was shot in the head and remains in a critical condition. Thousands have gathered thr...

Obama to visit Rep. Giffords before speech
Reporting from Tucson and Los Angeles — President Obama headed to visit critically injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords on Wednesday after arriving in Tucson to deliver a Speech designed to heal the nation while paying tribute to the 19 Victims of a weekend Shooting Spree. "The president wanted to begin this solemn trip by stopping first at the Hospital where congresswoman Giffords and others continue to recuperate," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said. With his wife and a bipartis...

Obama to be nation's consoler at memorial service
WASHINGTON—Searching for unity out of tragedy, President Barack Obama will honor the Victims of the Arizona Mass Shooting in personal terms and remind those in grief that an entire nation is with them. The president is again stepping into his role as national consoler, a test of leadership that comes with the job. His mission at Wednesday's memorial is to uplift and rally, not to examine political Incivility. Set to speak during an evening gathering in Tucson, Ariz., Obama will remember t...

Obama arrives in Tucson for memorial
US President Barack Obama arrived here Wednesday to address a poignant memorial service for six people killed in a shooting tragedy, which left a lawmaker fighting for her life in Hospital. His party, including First Lady Michelle Obama and Democratic and Republican congressmen, was met at the airport by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer. Obama was to lead Americans in mourning after Saturday's Assassination attempt on Representative Gabrielle Giffords that has unleashed a debate about the violent r...

Due To Arizona Conflicts, California Judge Takes Over Loughner Case
U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of California Larry A. Burns will handle the case against Jared Lee Loughner, the alleged gunman behind the Mass Shooting on Saturday, according to documents filed with the court on Wednesday. All Federal Judges in Arizona have been conflicted out because U.S. District Judge John M. Roll was one of the six Victims of the shooting. "Based upon the circumstances occurring on January 8, 2011 in Tucson and the initiation of proceedings in conjunc...

Right now: President Obama headed to hospital where Rep Giffords is in the ICU
Here is the White House pool report (from Arizona). Note also there is the list of people who met President Obama on the tarmac in Arizona. News: We are heading to University Medical Center to see Rep Giffords, husband and several other Victims still in the Hospital . Pool will hold outside. Flotus and potus walked down steps and each spoke for a few moments with each of several greeters (names below). Flotus was first, followed by potus, Eric Holder, Janet Napolitano, Justice Kennedy, Nancy Pel...

Obama to be nation's consoler at memorial service
WASHINGTON — Searching for unity out of tragedy, President Barack Obama will honor the Victims of the Arizona Mass Shooting in personal terms and remind those in grief that an entire nation is with them. The president is again stepping into his role as national consoler, a test of leadership that comes with the job. His mission at Wednesday's memorial is to uplift and rally, not to examine political Incivility. Set to speak during an evening gathering in Tucson, Ariz., Obama will remembe...

Obama to Visit Giffords in Hospital
President Obama landed in Tucson on Wednesday afternoon, and immediately headed to the Hospital to see Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and other people injured in the shooting on Saturday. Mr. Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama are in Tucson to attend the memorial service for the Victims of the shooting rampage, in which six people were killed and 14 injured. “The president wanted to begin this solemn trip by stopping first at the Hospital where Congresswoman Giffords and others continue to recu...

Obama to be nation's consoler at memorial service
(01-12) 07:28 PST WASHINGTON, CA (AP) -- Searching for unity out of tragedy, President Barack Obama will honor the Victims of the Arizona Mass Shooting in personal terms and remind those in grief that an entire nation is with them. The president is again stepping into his role as national consoler, a test of leadership that comes with the job. His mission at Wednesday's memorial is to uplift and rally, not to examine political Incivility. Set to speak during an evening gathering in Tucson, Ari...

Obama to Be Nation's Consoler at Memorial Service
WASHINGTON (AP) — Searching for unity out of tragedy, President Barack Obama will honor the Victims of the Arizona Mass Shooting in personal terms and remind those in grief that an entire nation is with them. The president is again stepping into his role as national consoler, a test of leadership that comes with the job. His mission at Wednesday's memorial is to uplift and rally, not to examine political Incivility. [Photo Gallery: Gabrielle Giffords Shooting in Arizona.] Set to speak du...

Obama visits shot lawmaker in hospital (AFP)
TUCSON, Arizona (AFP) – US President Barack Obama was Wednesday visiting injured congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Hospital shortly after arriving in Arizona to address a poignant memorial service. "The president wanted to begin this solemn trip by stopping first at the Hospital where congresswoman Giffords and others continue to recover," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. The president would also meet with the families of the Victims of Saturday's shooting rampage...

Obama Arizona Speech: President To Be Nation's Consoler At Memorial Service
TUCSON, Ariz. — TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) – President Barack Obama flew to Arizona Wednesday and headed straight to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' bedside to pay his respects to the wounded lawmaker as he sought to unify a mourning nation. Obama and his wife, Michelle, were visiting privately at University Medical Center with Giffords and other Victims of the weekend shootings that killed six people and wounded 13. He was then meeting with family members of those killed before speaking at a nig...

In Arizona, Obama to honor memories, speak of hope
WASHINGTON — Under high expectations to provide healing, President Barack Obama on Wednesday will try to convert the horror of the Arizona shootings into a moment of national unity, centering his memorial Speech in Tucson on the lives of the Victims and the heroism of those who rushed to stop the madness. The president was crafting his Speech on Tuesday, and his aides were reluctant to discuss it even broadly in its unfinished form, other than to say it will emphasize the memories of tho...

In Arizona, Obama to honor memories, speak of hope
WASHINGTON—Under high expectations to provide healing, President Barack Obama on Wednesday will try to convert the horror of the Arizona shootings into a moment of national unity, centering his memorial Speech in Tucson on the lives of the Victims and the heroism of those who rushed to stop the madness. The president was crafting his Speech on Tuesday, and his aides were reluctant to discuss it even broadly in its unfinished form, other than to say it will emphasize the memories of those ...

In Arizona, Obama to honor memories, speak of hope
(01-11) 20:15 PST WASHINGTON (AP) -- Under high expectations to provide healing, President Barack Obama on Wednesday will try to convert the horror of the Arizona shootings into a moment of national unity, centering his memorial Speech in Tucson on the lives of the Victims and the heroism of those who rushed to stop the madness. The president was crafting his Speech on Tuesday, and his aides were reluctant to discuss it even broadly in its unfinished form, other than to say it will emphasize t...

In Arizona, Obama to honor memories, speak of hope
WASHINGTON—Under high expectations to provide healing, President Barack Obama on Wednesday will try to convert the horror of the Arizona shootings into a moment of national unity centering his memorial Speech in Tucson on the lives of the Victims and the heroism of those who rushed to stop the madness. The president was crafting his Speech on Tuesday, and his aides were reluctant to discuss it even broadly in its unfinished form, other than to say it will emphasize the memories of those l...

Live video of President Obama's speech at the Arizona victims memorial
Today President Obama will deliver a Speech at a memorial service called "Together We Strive: Tucson and America" in Arizona.  The President message will reflect on the shootings at a public event held by Congresswoman Giffords (D-AZ) last Saturday, in which six people were killed and fourteen more injured.  Today a number of congressional members gave their thoughts on the tragedy.  Both Speaker Boehner (R-OH) and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) grew emotional in remarking on ...

Obama to be nation's consoler at memorial service (AP)
WASHINGTON – Searching for unity out of tragedy, President Barack Obama will honor the Victims of the Arizona Mass Shooting in personal terms and remind those in grief that an entire nation is with them. The president is again stepping into his role as national consoler, a test of leadership that comes with the job. His mission at Wednesday's memorial is to uplift and rally, not to examine political Incivility. Set to speak during an evening gathering in Tucson, Ariz., Obama will remembe...

Obama to Act as Consoler-in-Chief in Tucson
With all the evidence against the suspected Tucson shooter Jared Loughner, a Guilty verdict could still prove very difficult. Jan Crawford reports on the latest details of the case. The Tucson shooting has prompted citizens and politicians to question whether political Rhetoric has become too violent. Katie Couric reports. Doctors at Tucson's University Medical Center are increasingly optimistic about Ariz. Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Gifford's chance of survival from a bullet wound to her brain. ...

Obama to be nations consoler at memorial service
WASHINGTON (AP) — Searching for unity out of tragedy, President Barack Obama will honor the Victims of the Arizona Mass Shooting in personal terms and remind those in grief that an entire nation is with them. The president is again stepping into his role as national consoler, a test of leadership that comes with the job. His mission at Wednesday’s memorial is to uplift and rally, not to examine political Incivility. Set to speak during an evening gathering in Tucson, Ariz., Obama wil...

Obama arrives in Tucson for memorial
US President Barack Obama was Wednesday visiting injured congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Hospital shortly after arriving in Arizona to address a poignant memorial service. "The president wanted to begin this solemn trip by stopping first at the Hospital where congresswoman Giffords and others continue to recover," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said. The president would also meet with the families of the Victims of Saturday's shooting rampage in Tucson, Arizona, before leading the memori...

AlaskaDispatch.com: Palin's response to the Tucson tragedy is 'all about Sarah'
The rap on Sarah Palin as Governor in Alaska was always that in Sarah's world, everything was about Sarah. When the then-governor and Republican vice-presidential Candidate fumbled her way through an interview with CBS's Katie Couric seemingly unable to answer the question of "what Newspapers and magazines (do) you regularly read," some old friends and ex-employees of Palin joked that the problem was that Palin had the political sense to avoid the honest answer. The honest answer for Palin, th...

If guns are protected by the Bill of Rights, surely pictures of "crosshairs" are too
Ban Ban by digby Uhm, this is dumb: Rep. Robert Brady, D-Pennsylvania, said he will introduce Legislation making it a federal crime for a person to use language or symbols that could be perceived as threatening or inciting violence against a Member of Congress or federal official. Brady's decision to offer the Legislation comes less than 24 hours after a gunman attempted to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Arizona, in a shooting that claimed the lives of a Federal Judge, and a nine yea...

In wake of shooting Gillibrand travels to Tuscon; visits injured Congresswoman
New York’s junior senator, along with President Barack Obama just arrived in Arizona to visit their long-time friend, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who was critically wounded in Saturday’s shootings in Tuscon. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D - New York) along with the president and Congressional leaders are heading to the University of Arizona Medical Center to visit with Giffords, her husband, staff, and other Victims of last week’s massacre.  Afterwards Gillibra...

House pays emotional tribute to Arizona victims
(01-12) 12:37 PST WASHINGTON, CA (AP) -- Grief-stricken members of Congress paid tribute Wednesday to the Victims of the Tucson shooting rampage amid consultations with security advisers on how they can protect themselves and their aides against such savage attacks. Still deeply shaken from Saturday's violence half a continent away, House Speaker John Boehner fought tears as he spoke of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' battle to recover from a gunshot wound to the head. "Our hearts are broken, but our...