The President's Speech in Tucson

Because of my Thirty Days of Truth commitment, I haven't commented on the tragedy in Tuscon and the wildfire of words in the blogosphere, but this morning after having watched the very emotional memorial service last night and the subsequent comments I've read concerning President Obama's speech, I am taken aback, though not surprised, with the negativity. It's not that the nay-sayers can say much. It was a great speech. The worst one writer could say was [emphasis mine]:

"The speechwriter produced a heartfelt and respectful speech. This was an occasion that called for sympathy, connecting with the victims and their families, and hope for the future. I sincerely hope the person delivering the speech listened to the words.

For the record, according to CBS News, President Obama was up most of the night the night before the memorial service working on his speech. Those were, in fact, his heartfelt words. I would acknowledge that perhaps a speechwriter edited the words, but I doubt s/he did so as to significantly change the content and tone.

So, to that commenter whose underhanded criticism of Obama's speech was petty and undeserved, I will merely quote another:

"Those with no capacity to ever applaud an adversary when deserved, have little credibility to criticize an adversary when warranted." Matt Lewis, conservative writer and political commentator for PoliticsDaily.com