Obi’s Sister

Such sadness. Massacre at Ft. Hood – 12 killed, at least 30 injured. At latest reports, the shooter, Major Malik Nadal Hasan, is alive and in custody at a local hospital. A Muslim, unhappy about an impending deployment…jihadi?

So senseless… Pray for the victims, their families, everyone effected. And our clueless President.

“Shout out…” – oh, pullllleeze!

UPDATE: HotAir is rounding up details as they come in.

UPDATE II: Yesterday, during my evening commute, I heard the President’s address over the radio. I am still aghast at his fumbling of the situation.

Even ABC considers Obama’s remarks “insensitive” (yes, you read that correctly A-B-C)

[SIC] The situation cled for not only his trademark eloquence, but also grace and perspective.

But instead of a somber chief executive offering reassuring words and expressions of sympathy and compassion, viewers saw a wildly disconnected and, inappropriately light president making introductory remarks. At the event, a Tribal Nations Conference hosted by the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian affairs, the president thanked various staffers and offered a “shout-out” to “Dr. Joe Medicine Crow — that Congressional Medal of Honor winner.” Three minutes in, the president spoke about the shooting, in measured and appropriate terms. Who is advising him?

Anyone at home aware of the major news story of the previous hours had to have been stunned. An incident like this requires a scrapping of the early light banter. The president should apologize for the tone of his remarks, explain what has happened, express sympathy for those slain and appeal for calm and patience until all the facts are in. That’s the least that should occur.

Indeed, an argument could be made that Obama should have canceled the Indian event, out of respect for people having been murdered at an Army post a few hours before. That would have prevented any sort of jarring emotional switch at the event.

Did the president’s team not realize what sort of image they were presenting to the country at this moment? The disconnect between what Americans at home knew had been going on — and the initial words coming out of their president’s mouth was jolting, if not disturbing.

If the president’s communications apparatus can’t inform — and protect — their boss during tense moments when the country needs to see a focused commander-in-chief and a compassionate head of state, it has disastrous consequences for that president’s party and supporters.

Indeed.

UPDATE III: Must read at Patterico – typical of the media’s coverage spin of this horrible event. Do not be distracted. The red flags on this guy where… ahem… glaring. A time bomb. Ed Driscoll also has a long and detailed update. Why is the media concealing information, even as they learn it? It doesn’t fit their news template, stupid! The Homeland Security connection.

UPDATE IV: Doesn’t his people vet anything before it shows up in a speech? Dr. Joe Medicine Crow, the object of Obama’s ill-advised “shout-out,” received a Medal of Freedom from Obama himself, not a Medal of Honor. Sheessh….