Obama Takes Turn as Healer-in-Chief

For the First Time Since His Inauguration, Obama's Job Is to Try to Heal the Nation As He Attends Fort Hood Memorial

(AP)  Presidents get elected to run the nation. Some days that means knowing how to heal it.

For the first time since winning the White House, President Barack Obama faces such a moment Tuesday at Fort Hood. It his job to offer comfort, if not answers, after the shooting that left 13 people dead and 29 wounded on the bustling Texas Army post five days ago.

Obama Prepares to Pay Homage to Fort Hood Victims
CBSNews.com Special Report: Fort Hood Massacre

Obama will privately console families of those killed, and then publicly pay respects at a memorial service sure to be watched by American troops around the world. He and first lady Michelle Obama will also visit wounded troops in the hospital before returning to Washington.

This is Obama's time to take on the healer-in-chief role that can help shape a presidency at a time of national tragedy.

Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush, governed during the worst terrorist attack on American soil, the most crippling natural disaster in U.S. history, a space shuttle explosion, a shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, a tornado that wiped away a Kansas town, a bridge collapse in Minnesota, Midwestern flooding and California wildfires. Each response affected his standing, for better or worse, in a country that expects its president to be empathetic and clearly in charge.

History is full of other examples. Bill Clinton helped rebuild his troubled presidency with the way he reacted to the Oklahoma City bombings.

In this case, Obama has sought his own balance.

He has promised a full investigation of the Fort Hood shootings but has said little about it as police search for a motive. He has praised religious diversity in the military, trying to offer calm as questions loom about whether the alleged shooter had ties to extremist Islamic ideology. And he has delayed a trip to Asia to attend the memorial service.

The mass killing shook the nation even more because it happened in a presumed haven of U.S. security. The suspect himself is a soldier, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. Authorities say he fired off more than 100 rounds before a civilian police officer shot him. He survived and is in stable condition.

It wasn't even two weeks ago that Obama stood in the dark of night at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, honoring the remains of 18 troops killed in Afghanistan. Now he will lead the mourning for 13 men and women who were working in the one place, as Obama put it, that "our soldiers ought to feel most safe."

Among those killed at Fort Hood were 21-year-old Pvt. Francheska Velez, who was pregnant and preparing to return home after a recent deployment in Iraq. And Spc. Jason Hunt, a 22-year-old who served in Iraq and was married two months ago. And Maj. Libardo Caraveo, 52, who was headed to the war zone in Afghanistan.

Obama's presence alone will be meaningful to those hurting at Fort Hood, said Kevin Sullivan, who served as Bush's communications director.

"It sends a message that he understands this is a national moment," Sullivan said. "But what really matters is that the president is able to provide some comfort to the sons and daughters and husbands and wives of the victims. That's ultimately why he's going. He's saying, 'The whole country grieves for you."'

First lady Michelle Obama will be at the president's side.

At least 3,000 people are expected to attend the memorial service. They include the families of the 13 victims, as well as some of those wounded and their families, said Lt. General Robert Cone, the post commander. The event is open to the public.

Preparations for the president's visit began late Sunday, when the Army started erecting a giant wall of metal shipping containers stacked three high for hundreds of yards. The temporary walls have created an L-shaped outdoor theater on a large grassy field at Fort Hood, the nation's largest military installation.

Cone said the service should help the post take a step toward normalcy.

And when Obama returns to Washington, the cost of war will still be with him.

His agenda Wednesday: another war council meeting on Afghanistan, and laying a Veterans Day wreath at Arlington National Cemetery.

More Coverage of the Tragedy at Fort Hood:

FBI Searches for Missed Clues on Hasan
Hasan Warned Army about Muslim GI Morale
Senate Panel to Investigate Ft. Hood Massacre
Fort Hood Suspect Awake, Army Says
Counseling for Trauma, Grief at Ft. Hood
Ft. Hood Shooting: Composure Under Fire
List of Fort Hood Dead, Wounded

[winslowe1]

The only malady his speeches heal is constipation. He did a credible job of maintaining a straight face at Fort Hood, though ... nary a snicker.

[50BMS13]

Obama has egg on his face and it is sad. He threw the dice and rolled snake eyes. He apologized to all the muslims about how bad the US is and now the muslims are being bad and what can he say? Now he sends in 100,000 troops? What a mess. This is what happens when you make a big gamble and bet the farm and lose. Obama is pretty methodic and intelligent as I can see. However, he jumped off a cliff with no parachute praising the hell out of muslims and now look at the mess he's in.

[luadda22]

If Obama "has promised a full investigation", why won't he let the CIA brief the Senate Intelligence Committee about what they know about this fanatic Islamic terrorist?

[ibsteve2u]

Got a link to any proof - any evidence to substantiate that accusation?

You should share it, if you do - lest somebody jump to the conclusion that you're making stuff up to cast the President in a bad light.

You wouldn't want that, would you?

[legacyABQ2]

one guy..

hundred shots..

Yeah right..So, he had 10 pistols strapped on? 3 M-16's??



Can you say: "oops we shot the wrong guys but now we'll blame it on the shooter we intended to kill?"

How could one guy, on an ARMY BASE, kill 13 people, wound 30 and fire 100+ shots?

Plus, he was a doctor, probably not a marksman or trained gunner.

Weird

[bigmo47]

You have no clue.

1. All members of the military are required to be marksmen in their assigned weapmons.

2. Doctors (shooter) are assigned M9 pistols

3. Yes it is an Army base, but Soldiers are not allowed to carry their weapons around base (in the U.S.) unless they are MPs, or criminal investigators.

3. He had two handguns, which if you had any kind of formal handgun training at all (like the shooter did), you'd know takes 2-5 seconds to drop the magazine and reload.

4. Bystanders report hearing several groups of shots with 2-4 second pauses in between (reloading).

5. He had 2 handguns.

6. The Soldiers were centrally located in a building that only had 1 exit that could be reached without having to go past the path of the gunman. There was obvious panic that slowed the escape of the victims.

If Soldiers were shot by guards trying to kill the gunman, the wounded survivors and other witnesses would come forward and say something. These Soldiers were immediately transported to several different medical facilities in an effort to save their lives. There wasn't a big meeting to get their stories together before they left.

Everything is not a government conspiracy!!!

[BeckieBest]

Right wing nuts will be here to whine about this as soon as they get their talking points from Rush.

[aghast101]

Never argue with a radical they will lie to win their point

[skyk-2009]

BeckieBest, well of course otherwise they might have to think for themselves. Did you hear what Limbaugh said about Fort Hood? The guy is flat off his rails and his followers aren't bright enough to actually process what they are hearing. Great combo!!