Source:CBS News– First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama and Captain Mark Kelly, the wife of U.S. Representative Gabby Giffords (Democrat, Arizona)

“At the memorial service for the victims of the shooting in Tucson, Arizona, President Obama said that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords opened her eyes for the first time after his visit.”

From CBS News

As far as President Obama’s speech in Tucson tonight I thought it was a speech that Tucson wanted and perhaps needed to hear. Perhaps thats what they wanted to hear after what they went through last weekend. Perhaps they needed to be cheered up and be reminded of all the positive aspects of life in Tucson.

But I’m not sure President Obama’s speech is a a speech that will unite the country that the rest of the country wanted to hear. Perhaps the President did that intentionally figuring that this was the night to try to make Tucson feel better and feel good about themselves. That he was their President and he was in Tucson and he felt that was his role and this is time to unite the country around some greater purpose whatever that is would come later.

I thought the President made some good points about the political tone in Washington in the country as a whole. That the rhetoric is not to blame for the Tucson shooting, but the tone has clearly not helped and that it’s time to get back to debating ideas, rather than if people you disagree with are good people or not.