Obama Leads Moment of Silence for Tucson Victims

FILE - In this June 14, 2012 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks in Cleveland. The White House is partially lifting the lid of secrecy on its counterterrorism campaign against al-Qaida in Yemen and Somalia by formally acknowledging for the first time that it is conducting lethal attacks in those countries, officials said Friday. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File) / Tony Dejak

Updated at 11:32 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON - A somber President Barack Obama led a moment of silence on Monday for a nation stunned by an attempted assassination against an Arizona congresswoman that left her seriously wounded, several other injured and six people dead.

On a frigid Washington morning, the president and first lady Michelle Obama walked out of the White House to the sounding of a bell at 11 a.m. Both wearing overcoats, they stood next to each other on the South Lawn, each with their hands clasped, heads bowed and eyes closed.

After a minute of silence, they walked inside, the president's hand on the first lady's back.

Special Section: Tragedy in Tucson

The moment was marked on the steps of the U.S. Capitol and around the nation on the direction of the president, who called for the country to come together in prayer or reflection for those killed and those fighting to recover.

In total, 19 people were shot in the shooting rampage in Tuscon, Ariz. on Saturday. Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was shot point-blank in the head, and she remains in intensive care. Among the six people killed were Arizona's chief federal judge, a 9-year-old girl interested in government, and one of Giffords' aides. Giffords' orbiting brother-in-law, astronaut Scott Kelly, called for a moment of silence aboard the International Space Station and at all the flight control centers around the world.

"We have a unique vantage point here aboard the International Space Station. As I look out the window, I see a very beautiful planet that seems very inviting and peaceful. Unfortunately, it is not," Kelly radioed to Mission Control in Houston. "These days, we are constantly reminded of the unspeakable acts of violence and damage we can inflict upon one another, not just with our actions, but also with our irresponsible words. We're better than this. We must do better."

Kelly, the space station commander, described Giffords as "a caring and dedicated public servant."

Gallery: Tuscon Shooting Victims

Dr. Michael Lemole, one of the two surgeons to operate on Giffords Saturday, told CBS News that the congresswoman was "holding her own."

Prosecutors charged 22-year-old Jared Loughner with one count of attempted assassination of a member of Congress, two counts of killing an employee of the federal government and two counts of attempting to kill a federal employee. More charges are expected.

So far, Loughner hasn't cooperated with authorities and has offered no motivation for the attack, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr. He is due in court later Monday but isn't expected to say much, having invoked his 5th Amendment rights.

House Speaker John Boehner told lawmakers in a conference call Sunday to "pull together as an institution."

"What is critical is that we stand together at this dark time as one body," he said. "We need to rally around our wounded colleague, the families of the fallen and the people of Arizona's 8th District. And, frankly, we need to rally around each other."

Tucson Suspect Jared Loughner Due in Ariz. Court
Criminal Complaint Against Jared Lee Loughner
Giffords Doctors: Good News on Bullet Trajectory

Giffords, a Democrat, represents Arizona's 8th District.

House business this week, including a contentious vote scheduled for Wednesday to repeal Mr. Obama's new health care law, has been postponed to focus on any necessary actions in the shooting aftermath.

Connecticut Rep. John Larson, who heads the House Democratic Caucus, said Sunday that lawmakers will continue to have open sessions with their constituents, although they are likely to take more precautions.

The chief law enforcement official in the House, Sergeant-at-Arms Bill Livingood, is holding a conference call Monday with House members to discuss security.

[cpmondello]

I wonder how conservative Christians will twist this "moment of silence" Obama and others joined in on? Will it be considered an another attack on their religious freedoms, freedom of speech and second amendment right?

Too bad not more conservative Christians were armed, they could of has a shoot out and off' each other so the rest of us can live our lives without them trying to shove their religion down our throats.

[bobbyboobee]

Nobody seems to understand the basic conservative philosophy. And that is win and control at any cost. As a matter of fact these people sincerely believe that to do things any other way is downright stupid. And although many Republicans would deny that this is their belief they would be doing so only as a logical means of self preservation. The fact is the vast majority of them live by this philosophy.
And they are correct. The ultimate aim and end of any endeavor, if it is to succeed, should be that of total control. Anything that stands in the way of that control should be eliminated. Again, setting aside any feelings one may have about who might be injured in the process, this is nothing more than common sense.
And as you might expect, those that are successful in living by this philosophy are also successful in life, especially where the acquisition of money and power is concerned. Of course those that get harmed in this process will on occasion display their dissatisfaction by revolting and overthrowing those that have the power and the money, but as times have changed with the advent of technology that makes it much easier to control masses of people, especially if they are ignorant and uneducated as they are in this country, this has become more and more difficult.
I only wish I could be as ruthless in the living of my own life, as I would be a lot more comfortably well off than I am, but I can't. Somehow for some strange reason I find myself caring about other people too much, and for that reason I will never be able to acquire the drive and ambition and willingness to destroy anything that stands in my way. That is unfortunate for me and most others because there is no other solution. In other words the only way to fight those with the money and power is to become just like them, and most people are unable or unwilling to do that.
So this is, and has always been, the condition of human existence, and it is exactly what those with the money and the power count on, so look for more rhetoric and more violence as the rich inexorably establish their control over the rest of us with help of their money, and their Republican lackeys.

[samXXkiley]

coucou,
by WilllyB85 January 10, 2011 3:37 PM EST
Giffords is a racist Jew.
===========
et toi, tu es un malade, rancunier et "raciste"
Giffords Gabrielle, se bat contre la mort,
tu devrais changer de "chanson" et avoir un peu de compassion.
************************
and you, you're a sick, spiteful and "racist"
Gabrielle Giffords is fighting against death,
you should change the "song" and have a little compassion. au revoir

[1stwolf]

Divide and Conquer is used by governments through their bought and paid for Media, when the citizens they prey on wake up to the government's theft of their citizen's future. None of these political parties are doing your biding why defend them? Unless you are being paid to monitor and respond to those who wish to organize.

[pragmatist1]

When the Muslim terrorist officer at Ft. Hood went on his jihad, massacring all of the unarmed soldiers, President Obama took his time going before the cameras to explain the situation and to ask the nation for its prayers for those slain and injured. He also didn't order U.S. Flags to be flown at half-staff and he most definitely didn't have a national moment of silence. This president's actions are insensitive, insincere and hypocritical. It's appalling. The only difference in these two situations, others than the fact that it involved a politician and judge being slain, is that both shooters were lunatics, mentally unstable, and had a personal agenda. The Tucson shooter was white. The Ft. Hood shooter was a Muslim. There in lies that difference. More were murdered by the Muslim terrorist than the Tucson lunatic.

[cattiej]

Just read the March 23, 2010 Facebook page of Sarah Palin..my God, its a wonder that any shooting didn't happen before the Tucson shooting on Saturday morning. For anyone who doubts that Palin should not be held responsible is someone who doesn't know hate speech when they read it or hear it.

[govmess]

Why didn't CBS find the 2004 Democratic National Convention election guide titled "Behind Enemy Lines," which put a bulls eye on key Republicans vitriolic?
Why doesn't CBS news find the Daily Kos vitriolic for using the bulls eye against Gabrielle Giffords in an article in June 2008?
Why doesn't CBS news find the 2006 election advertisement by Democrat Harry Mitchell vitriolic when he placed his Republican opponent in a sniper's rifle sight?
Why doesn't CBS news find the new Democratic bulla eye logo vitriolic?
Why doesn't CBS find the president's statement vitriolic when he said that anyone not in favor of his policies is an enemy ?
Why aren't such mainstream reporting headlines like the one on October 27, 2010 which read "DNC Seeks Pentagon Help to Compile Obama's Enemies List" (an article focusing on the Republican 2012 candidates) considered vitriolic?

Why is it ok to report headlines such as "Democrats Target 28 GOP Lawmakers on Stimulus Bill", isn't this vitriolic?
I am hard pressed to think of any area in either the private or public sectors of this nation, with the exception of trial lawyers, that isn't hated and vilified both verbally and in writing by the Obama Democrats and our mainstream news media. Why doesn't CBS recognize that such words incite conflict? The only conclusion one can come to is that they are not politically neutral.
Katie Couric invariably jumps to conclusions before she has facts and if she has facts distorts them; maybe it's time for a new hairdo.

[Empire--George--]

No moment of silence for the murder of a career serviceman, Wheeler.....not even an FBI investigation....not a peep

[lily777]

A moment of silence--really--that's the best he can do!! Rhetoric didn't kill these people, bullets shot from the gun of a seiously mentally ill person did. The fact is that the laws prevent mentally ill individuals from being assessed, or treated ,even when they exhibit disturbing signs to so many people. The Congress is focusing on how they can make their world a gated community instead of how they can prevent these violent acts from happening to the American people.

[1stwolf]

So true, the decree to serve the American citizen has disappeared in this democracy.

[BOB-C]

Did John Boehner weep?

[Empire--George--]

No, but a bunch of democrats cried hard, when their party was sent to the private sector at near light speed.

[BOB-C]

Did Sarah Palin pluck her crosshairs and reload?

[skodillac]

no wonder these murders are happening.just look what these kids have watched while growing up:this country has murdered democratically elected president and the whole government of an independent,internationally recognised and sovereign country.it has murdered in cold blood more than 100.000 of iraqi citizens.this country does not cooperate with the international war crimes tribunal.so the logic is:if you are stronger,you can get away with murders.so,jared went down that path.and there are many rednecks with nazi mentalities,bloodthirsty and ready to strike minorities.this country might end up in a civil war.my advice to obama is:finish the fighting and pacify people.no murdering,here or abroad.make america be switzerland.

[1stwolf]

We still have one party that leads through fear instead of educating its constituents so they can live in the twenty-first century with the rest of us. Much of America lags behind you, any wonder why we are hated around the world?