The nation watched in horror at the toll of dead and injured from the evil carnage at Fort Hood. Yet President Obama seemed insensitive about it. In his comments on the incident  it was like he was reading a traffic report on the beltway. Even worse it was not even the top item on his agenda. The situation called for not only his trademark eloquence, but also grace and perspective. Instead he led off a jocular shout out to “Dr. Joe Medicine Crow,” Medal of honor winner. It was almost three minutes into his speech before he brough the matter up.  

True, the event was the at the Interior’s Bureau of Indian affairs.  However after the worst carnage on a military base the country has ever seen it was highly inappropriate to have anything but a solemn speech with nothing but condolences  grace and dignity.  This was equivalent to the killings at Virginia Tech which shocked the nation. The President and even most of the main stream media played it as just another days news.

Anyone at home aware of the major 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 have occurred.

After all the political heat he as taken for not making a quick decision on Afghanistan while our soldiers are dying, someone in his media staff should have consulted with him on an appropriate response.  This one attack was larger than any single day death toll in the who Afghan war. It happened right here on American soil.

He has often blamed his problems on his predecessor. Here is a situation he should have learned from his predecessor. President Bush, and for that matter President Clinton would have handled this correctly with grace and dignity. Situations like this only increase the doubt of his leadership by his detractors.