Obama Leads Moment of Silence
Wall Street Journal reports:
President Barack Obama led the nation in a moment of silence Monday morning, gathering with White House staff on the South Lawn to honor the victims of the Saturday shooting rampage in Arizona.
The president and first lady Michelle Obama emerged from the White House at 11 a.m., walked a few feet forward and stopped, bowed their heads and stood silently for about a minute.
A bell chimed three times, a standard military protocol. The only other sounds were of cameras clicking and a rope thumping with the wind against a flagpole where the American flag flew at half-staff to honor the victims.
About 300 members of the White House staff, including Mr. Obama's top aides, were gathered on either side of the South Lawn.
The moment was also observed on Capitol Hill, where congressional staff members gathered on the steps of the East Front of the Capitol Building, with heads bowed and hands clasped in front of them. Most lawmakers were home in their districts.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D., Mo.), a pastor, offered a prayer: "We ask for your blessing on the spirit of this nation," he said. "Help us move from this dark place to a place of sunshine and hope."
Capitol police estimated as many as 500 staffers participated. The group was led by Barry Jackson, chief of staff to House Speaker John Boehner, and John Lawrence, chief of staff to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. ...
