Invoking the memory of a slain 9-year-old girl, a solemn President Obama on Wednesday night urged Americans to "live up to her expectations" and shelve bitter politics as the nation grieves for the victims of Saturday's attack outside a Tucson, Ariz., supermarket that left six people dead and more than a dozen others, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, seriously injured.
Mr. Obama's address at a deeply emotional memorial service capped a day of mourning that began earlier in the House of Representatives, where lawmakers from both sides of the aisle gathered to honor their colleague and other victims of the attack. They also commended those who subdued shooting suspect Jared Lee Loughner and tended to the wounded.
In Arizona, the president dedicated the bulk of his remarks to remembering the lives of those who died and calling for unity, notably keeping his distance from an often acerbic debate over whether heated political rhetoric by supporters of the tea party movement played any role in the attack on the Democratic lawmaker. That argument nevertheless continued to rage Wednesday after former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin sparked controversy by using the phrase "blood libel" in a video she released hitting back at the media over suggestions that her use of gun metaphors could have influenced the suspect.
Under high expectations to calm the tensions, Mr. Obama took on the role of healer-in-chief.
"The loss of these wonderful people should make every one of us strive to be better in our private lives, to be better friends and neighbors, co-workers and parents," he told the crowd at the one-hour event, which opened with the national anthem and closed with a moment of silence. "And if, as has been discussed in recent days, their deaths help usher in more civility in our public discourse, let's remember that it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy, it did not, but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to the challenges of our nation, in a way that would make them proud."
First lady Michelle Obama watches as astronaut Mark Kelly, husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, hugs Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Wednesday in Tucson, Ariz., at a memorial service for victims of Saturday's shootings. (Associated Press)Mr. Obama urged the nation to pray for the loved ones of the victims as well as those still struggling to recover, including Mrs. Giffords, who remains in critical but stable condition.
Doctors said the 40-year-old "Blue Dog" Democrat, who was shot in the head at point-blank range as she met with constituents outside a local Safeway, is not yet "out of the woods," but is showing encouraging signs of recovery. They said she is making small movements and can breathe on her own, although she is still on a breathing tube as an extra precaution.
Mr. Obama sparked a standing ovation when he announced Wednesday night that, soon after he had visited Mrs. Giffords in the afternoon, she opened her eyes for the first time since doctors operated on her Saturday.
Meanwhile, the investigation into Mr. Loughner revealed new details about the 22-year-old suspect and his activities the morning of the shootings. A local wildlife officer pulled him over for running a red light less than three hours before the attack on Mrs. Giffords and the people around her. Officials also say his father chased him into the desert after watching him remove a black bag from the trunk of the family car.
Investigators also uncovered a raft of evidence that appeared to show Mr. Loughner targeted Mrs. Giffords at the Loughner home, where Jared Loughner lives with his parents, according to the Associated Press.
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