Jew World Order

WASHINGTON — The deadly shootings at a movie theater in Colorado have briefly silenced the presidential campaign, prompting both President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney to cut short their schedules and pull advertising in the state out of respect for the victims and their families.

Obama said Saturday in his weekly radio and Internet address that he hopes everyone takes time this weekend “for prayer and reflection – for the victims of this terrible tragedy, for the people who knew them and loved them, for those who are still struggling to recover.”

The president said Americans should also think about “all the victims of the less publicized acts of violence that plague our communities on a daily basis. Let us keep all these Americans in our prayers.”

Obama and Romney used campaign appearances on Friday to focus attention on the need for national unity in the aftermath of the shootings in Aurora, which killed 12 people and wounded dozens of others. Their campaign teams rescheduled Sunday show appearances by top aides and surrogates, essentially providing a break in what has been an increasingly testy campaign.

The rampage injected a new tone into the campaign after Obama and Romney had clashed repeatedly over the economy, Medicare and tax returns.

Obama was set to start his second day of events in Florida when the shootings occurred, prompting his team to address the violence at a previously scheduled rally in Fort Myers, Fla., and scrapping an event in suburban Orlando. Obama told supporters in Fort Myers that the shootings served as a “reminder that life is very fragile.”

“Our time here is limited and it is precious. And what matters at the end of the day is not the small things, it’s not the trivial things,” he said. “Ultimately, it’s how we choose to treat one another and how we love one another.”

Romney echoed Obama’s call for unity, saying at a previously scheduled event in Bow, N.H., that he joined with the president and first lady in offering condolences for those “whose lives were shattered in a few moments, a few moments of evil in Colorado.”

“The answer is that we can come together. We will show our fellow citizens the good heart of the America we know and love,” Romney said.

Other prominent lawmakers called the shootings a time for unity. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in the Republican address Saturday that lawmakers joined Obama in offering condolences and prayers to the loved ones of those who were killed and wounded.

“I know that when confronted with evil we cannot comprehend, Americans pull together and embrace our national family more tightly,” Boehner said.

Yet, beyond the calls for a higher purpose, the shootings could raise the profile of gun rights in the presidential campaign, an issue which has played a minor role so far.

As a senator Obama voted to leave gun makers and dealers open to civil lawsuits, and as an Illinois state lawmaker he supported a ban on all forms of semiautomatic weapons and tighter state restrictions generally on firearms.

Following the killing of six people and wounding of then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Ariz., in 2011, Obama called for a series of steps to “keep those irresponsible, law-breaking few from getting their hands on a gun in the first place.”

Among those steps was a better federal background check system. The administration said Friday that it has indeed improved the amount and quality of information poured into that system, allowing background checks to be more thorough.

But the administration has offered no detailed, public explanation of how it is following up on all of Obama’s previous promises, and it had no comment about any need for new legislation.

“The president believes that we need to take common-sense measures that protect Second Amendment rights of Americans, while ensuring that those who should not have guns under existing law do not get them,” said White House press secretary Jay Carney.

Romney backed some gun control measures when he was governor of Massachusetts. When he challenged Sen. Edward M. Kennedy in 1994 he declared, “I don’t line up with the NRA.” In April, Romney told the National Rifle Association he was a guardian of the Second Amendment.

Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said the Republican candidate believes that the “best way to prevent gun violence is to vigorously enforce our laws.”

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in a radio interview, urged the president and his challenger to address gun violence forcefully.

“You know, soothing words are nice,” Bloomberg said, “but maybe it’s time that the two people who want to be president of the United States stand up and tell us what they are going to do about it, because this is obviously a problem across the country.”

___

Obama’s address: http://www.whitehouse.gov

Boehner’s address: http://www.youtube.com/JohnBoehner

Also on HuffPost:

Loading Slideshow

• Barack Obama

  “Michelle and I are shocked and saddened by the horrific and tragic shooting in Colorado,” President Obama said in a statement. “Federal and local law enforcement are still responding, and my Administration will do everything that we can to support the people of Aurora in this extraordinarily difficult time. We are committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice, ensuring the safety of our people, and caring for those who have been wounded. As we do when confronted by moments of darkness and challenge, we must now come together as one American family. All of us must have the people of Aurora in our thoughts and prayers as they confront the loss of family, friends, and neighbors, and we must stand together with them in the challenging hours and days to come.”

• Mitt Romney

  “Ann and I are deeply saddened by the news of the senseless violence that took the lives of 15 people in Colorado and injured dozens more,” Mitt Romney said in a statement. “We are praying for the families and loved ones of the victims during this time of deep shock and immense grief. We expect that the person responsible for this terrible crime will be quickly brought to justice.”

• Michael Bloomberg

• Sen. Robert Menendez

• Louie Gohmert

• Scott P. Brown

• Jay Rockefeller

• Reince Priebus

• Jim Himes

• Charles Rangel

• Kevin McCarthy

• Nancy Pelosi

• Ed Perlmutter

• Mark Udall

• Speaker John Boehner

• David Vitter

• John McCain

• Sherrod Brown

• Allen West

• Senator John Thune

• Kelly Ayotte

• Michael Bennet

  “This was horrible, senseless and abhorrent act,” Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Co.) said in a statement. “My family and I are shocked and deeply saddened this morning and our hearts are with the victims and their families. My staff and I are in contact with and offering our support to law enforcement and medical officials as they respond to the shooting.”

• “This is not only an act of extreme violence, it is also an act of depravity,” Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) said.

• Mike Huckabee

  “Heartfelt prayers for the victims in Aurora, Colorado and all those impacted by this terrible tragedy,” Mike Huckabee said in a statement on his Facebook page.

• Rob Portman

• JohnCornyn

• Tim Kaine

  “I am heartbroken and shocked by the horrific act of violence in Colorado,” Tim Kaine said in a statement. “The thoughts of Anne and I are with the families who have lost loved ones in this senseless tragedy. We continue to pray for the recovery of those who have been wounded, and we offer our support to Governor Hickenlooper and the entire community of Aurora as they heal.”

• Mike Coffman

• Nikki Haley

  ‎”Michael Haley and I have the victims and their families of the Colorado massacre in our thoughts,” South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) said in a statement on Facebook. “Please join us in prayer for all those effected by this horrible senseless tragedy.”

• “I join in mourning the tragic loss of life in Colorado this morning. The families of the victims, the many injured, and all those in Aurora are in my thoughts and in my prayers,” House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer said in a statement Friday. “It is in times like these that Americans have always rallied together as one community and one family, and we do so again today. I commend the heroism of our first responders from local and federal law enforcement and area hospitals, who have done an outstanding job in the face of great difficulty.

  “As the people of Aurora find themselves facing their darkest hour, I hope they find comfort knowing that the memories of the lost will never fade, their community will remain strong, and that the nation stands united alongside them as their process of healing begins.”

• Mitch McConnell

  “Elaine and I are heartbroken by the shootings in Aurora,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday in a statement. “This senseless massacre of so many innocent people gathered with friends and family in a movie theater reminds us not only of the great evil that exists in the hearts of some, but of the great and precious gift of life. I join all Americans today in prayer for the victims, their families and friends, and the wider Aurora community, and in heartfelt thanks to all the first responders who quickly responded at great risk to themselves. It is in moments like this that Americans have always drawn closer together and shown their great compassion and generosity to those touched by tragedy and loss. We hope that in the midst of the horror in Aurora, these qualities shine through once again and reach those who are suffering most. America is at prayer today for all who are affected by this tragedy.”

• MicheleBachmann

• Chuck Schumer

• Rep. Diana DeGette

• Harry Reid

  “The shooting in the Aurora movie theater is a national tragedy, and the victims of this cruel and violent act are in my thoughts,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in a statement Friday. “Innocent people suffered a heartbreaking loss, but the victims and their families are not alone. Today, Americans take time to reflect on the value of life and the things that are most important to us, and mourn for those who lost what is most important to them. Everyone affected by this violent act will be in our hearts today, and for a long time to come.”

• Carolyn McCarthy

  “The horrific nightmare of a mass shooting on innocent civilians in a crowded public place has, sadly, come true once again,” said Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), whose family was affected by a mass shooting on the Long Island Railroad before she was elected to Congress, in a statement Friday. “I mourn alongside the people of Aurora for the many killed and injured and the countless family and friends whose lives, as a result of the consequences of this event, will be negatively affected for decades to come.

  The shooter should be brought to justice and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. But we as a nation should also not continue to ignore avenues to prevent tragedies like this from happening in the future.”

• Senator Dick Durbin

• Condoleezza Rice

• Jeff Flake

• “This is a terrible tragedy for the families of the victims, the city of Aurora and our entire nation,” Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren said in a statement Friday. “This senseless violence has no place in our society. As a mother and grandmother, I am truly saddened that so many of the victims were so young. Bruce and I send our thoughts and prayers to the victims and their loved ones.”

• Gary Johnson

  “The shooting in Aurora is a senseless tragedy and a despicable act,” said Libertarian Party presidential candidate and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson in a statement Friday. “Our thoughts go out to the victims, their families, and to the entire community as they deal with the shock and grief today brings. “

• Joe Biden

  “Jill and I were shocked to learn of the tragedy in Aurora, Colorado this morning,” Vice President Joe Biden said in a statement Friday. “The reason this is so deeply felt by all Americans is that, but for the grace of God, the victims could have been any one of our children, in any one of our towns. It is every parent’s worst nightmare to receive ‘that phone call’ and to sit by their child’s bedside, praying. We know what it’s like to wait and wonder and the helplessness a parent feels at this moment. Our hearts go out to each and every person who is suffering right now as a result of this terrible event. The prayers of an entire nation are with the victims and their families. We stand with the city of Aurora and the state of Colorado in mourning.”

• Newt Gingrich

• Steve Israel

• Mark Kelly

• Gov. Buddy Roemer

• Claire McCaskill

• John Lewis

• Rick Santorum

• Sarah Palin

  “Todd’s and my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of the terrible tragedy in Colorado,” Sarah Palin said Friday in a statement on Facebook. “Our family joins others in praying for everyone affected by the evil that inexplicably took innocent lives. We wish to remind all to hold loved ones tight.”

• ChuckGrassley

• Paul LePage

  “On behalf of all Mainers, our hearts go out to the people of Colorado affected by this senseless act of violence,” Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) said in a statement Friday. “The perpetrator will be held responsible and justice will prevail. Meanwhile, as Coloradans grieve during this difficult time Ann and I will continue to keep the victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers.”

• Ron Barber

  “The people of Aurora have suffered an immense loss,” said Rep. Ron Barber (D-Ariz.), who survived the 2011 shooting in Tucson, in a statement Friday. “We are tested in times like these and we must come together to support one another in the wake of tragedy. I know that Aurora and its residents will take solace in one another in the coming days and weeks.

  “My thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends who lost loved ones last night, each of those who were injured, the first responders and medical teams treating the victims, the law enforcement personnel and the entire community of Aurora.

  “All of Southern Arizona, and the nation, stands with you today.”

• Frank Lautenberg

  “The shooting in Aurora is a horrific act of violence, and our thoughts go out to the innocent victims and their families,” Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) said in a statement released Friday. “Our hearts are filled with sadness for the 12 people killed and the dozens wounded in this senseless act,” Lautenberg said. “We have to face the reality that these types of tragedies will continue to occur unless we do something about our nation’s lax gun laws.”

• Steve King

• Raúl Grijalva

  “My first thoughts are with the families of the people killed or injured in last night’s terrible attack,” Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) said in a statement Friday. “At such moments, words can offer little relief and comfort. I extend my sympathies and support to them nonetheless. There is very little most of us can do in the wake of such a tragedy, except hope the wounded recover and give the families time and space to grieve. We would be remiss if we did less. I only wish I were able to do more.

  “This is not the first time such a horrific crime has been visited on a peaceful community. Unfortunately, it may not be the last. When the time comes, we owe it not only to the dead and wounded but to our national community to have a conversation about violence and weapons that is respectful, honest and productive. That conversation should neither start too soon nor be postponed indefinitely. When we have it, and we will, we should be careful not to rely too much on clichés. These attacks, like all violence, cause great pain, and that pain will not heal if we are not honest about it.

  “As much comfort, support and fellowship as I can offer to the people of Aurora, I humbly offer today. They have done nothing to bring this tragedy to their community. All we can do now is try to help them, and each other, bear the pain of it. Grieving is often long, but grief is not permanent. As a nation, our solemn duty is to help bring them through this period of grief and mourning without expectation, without excessive need for answers, and without judgment. If we take time, I believe we can do that much.”