Obama Heads to Arizona For Memorial Speech

In what will be a defining moment in his presidency, Obama delivers an address to a traumatized nation Wednesday night in Tucson.

It will take all of Obama’s considerable oratorical skill to strike the right tone in tonight’s speech at the University of Arizona. The president must attempt to lead the nation in mourning for the victims of last Saturday’s shooting rampage that killed six, while avoiding sparking the political furor that some say helped fuel Jared Lee Loughner’s attempt to assassinate Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. In the wake of the shooting Republicans and Democrats have accused each other of using aggressive political rhetoric that inspires violence. Meanwhile doctors for Giffords say she is recovering remarkably well from the gunshot she sustained to the head, and Loughner’s parents issued a statement apologizing to the victims and their families.