Obama Gives Rousing Jobs Speech in New Hampshire (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | President Barack Obama returned to New Hampshire for the first time in two years to deliver a speech promoting his American Jobs Act in the gymnasium of Manchester's Central High School. As a candidate in the Granite State's first-in-the nation Presidential primary back in 2008, then-Senator Obama's appearance at Central was cut short by an impending snow storm, but MacArthur-like, he had vowed to return. He made good on his promise.

Though heckled briefly at the beginning of his speech by Occupy Wall Street protestors, the President was enthusiastically embraced by the crowd of high school seniors sitting in the bleachers and by citizens standing on the gym floor, which was sheathed in plastic to protect the parquet surface.

Fired Up

It was a diverse and upbeat crowd who were greeted by the Central High band's playing of classic rock songs, including The Beatles' "Back in the U.S.S.R." and the closing medley from the Fab Four's Abbey Road album called "The End". Lest anyone think that this was a bit of sly editorial commentary by the students of Central, they showed their true colors by shouting down the OWS hecklers who interrupted the President by chanting "O-ba-ma!"

President Obama was in full campaign mode, showing the "Fired Up and Ready to Go!" form that had helped him place a close second to front-runner Hillary Clinton in the 2008 primary. It seemed the President was reinvigorated by being on the hustings, though his trip to the Granite State was billed as official business to push for his jobs legislation and not as a political campaign stop.

The President squarely put the blame for the sluggish economy and lack of jobs on the Republicans in Congress, whom he chided for being obstructionists. He called on the Republicans to vote for the extension of his payroll tax cut to help stimulate the economy.

Two Senators & Two Candidates

Former Governor Jeanne Shaheen, the Democrat who is New Hampshire's senior senator, was in attendance at the event, though she did not speak. Senator Shaheen was signaled out by President Obama for praise for her support of his jobs plan and for voting for legislation that was part of his original jobs package that extends tax cuts to businesses that will put unemployed veterans back to work.

Two days ago, Republican Kelly Ayotte, the state's junior senator, gave her endorsement to Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney in a rather subdued affair in front of Nashua's City Hall. The crowd at Manchester's Central High was far more diverse than the white, seemingly prosperous citizens drawn to the Republican event. Their embrace of Obama, whom the right-leaning New Hampshire Union Leader newspaper mockingly called a "Rock Star" in its coverage of his impending trip, was far more enthusiastic than the Republicans' greeting of Mitt Romney on Sunday.

The front-runner among Republican Presidential candidates in New Hampshire, Romney launched his first television and print ads specifically attacking President Obama today, to coincide with the President's arrival in New Hampshire. The gist of Romney's ads is that Obama is a failure as a president in that he has failed to turn the economy around and provide jobs.

Since the rise and eclipse of Rick Perry and Herman Cain as front-runners in the Republican field (and the recent rise to the top of the polls of the seriously flawed Newt Gingrich) have left many with the perception that Romney is the presumptive GOP nominee, I view the President's trip to New Hampshire as the opening salvo of the 2012 Presidential campaign that most likely will pit Obama against Romney. Having witnessed both campaign events, Romney and Ayotte's Nashua appearance and now this whistle-stop by President Obama, I can say that Romney and other Republicans should be cautious: Barack is back!

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Obama signs disaster aid for tornado-hit Massachusetts (Reuters)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed a disaster declaration for the Massachusetts counties hit by the June 1 tornadoes that killed three people and caused damage in the tens of millions of dollars.

The move frees up federal funding to residents and business owners in Hampden and Worcester counties and will help supplement state and local recovery and rebuilding efforts, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said.

Assistance includes grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and unemployment payments for workers who temporarily lost jobs because of the disaster and do not qualify for state benefits, such as self-employed workers, it said.

Funds in the form of low-interest loans also are available to help cover losses from damage to homes, businesses, farms and ranches, cooperatives and other organizations, FEMA said.

The tally of damages from the tornadoes that ripped through western and central Massachusetts nearly two weeks ago was at least $90 million, the state Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation has said.

It was the most costly single natural disaster in state history, the office said.

FEMA, which is part of the federal Department of Homeland Security, named James Russo as top coordinator for federal recovery operations in the area devastated by the storms.

People in Hampden and Worcester counties can apply by registering online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).

(Reporting by Zach Howard ; Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Greg McCune)

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Obama vows national response to Missouri tornado (Reuters)

JOPLIN, Missouri (Reuters) – President Barack Obama promised victims of the deadliest U.S. tornado in 65 years that the federal government would help them rebuild, saying on Sunday it was a national tragedy.

"The cameras may leave. The spotlight may shift," he told a memorial service for the 139 known victims of the May 22 twister. But the federal government "will be with you every step of the way until Joplin is restored and this community is back on its feet," Obama said to a standing ovation from survivors.

Before the service in an auditorium at Missouri Southern State University, Obama rolled up his sleeves and toured a disaster scene where crushed cars, piles of wood, clothing and a broken dishwasher lay helter-skelter amid the debris on lots where houses once stood.

The president, who returned on Saturday night from a six-day trip to Europe, vowed to cut through any federal red tape to help with rebuilding that he predicted would be "a tough, long slog."

"This is just not your tragedy," he said after meeting survivors. "This is a national tragedy and that means there's going to be a national response."

The tornado was the deadliest single twister in the United States since 1947. In addition to the at least 139 people killed and more than 900 injured, scores are still unaccounted for a week later.

The tornado churned through a stretch nearly a mile wide, damaging about 8,000 buildings in Joplin, a city of 50,000 in southwestern Missouri.

Standing amid the rubble under a scorching sun, Obama told reporters that he had heard some "harrowing stories" as well as some miraculous ones.

He said he had spoken with an 85-year-old man, Hugh Hills, who had just taken a chicken pot pie out of the oven when the storm was approaching.

"He went into the closet and came out without a scratch," Obama said. Hills, before meeting the president, stood outside his mostly destroyed house holding a large American flag on a pole, his family around him.

"These are just things," a woman nearby said, pointing to the debris and the house. "We're just glad Grandpa made it."

The president got a bird's eye view of the damage from his plane before landing. He was accompanied on the tour by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri, both fellow Democrats.

"As president, I can promise you your country will be with you every single step of the way," Obama said at the memorial service. He said he had made the same commitment to other communities devastated by tornadoes in recent weeks and months, including Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

(Reporting by Caren Bohan; Editing by Sandra Maler and Bill Trott) .

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Obama promises long-term help for Joplin (Reuters)

JOPLIN, Mo (Reuters) – President Barack Obama said on Sunday afternoon that the tornado that hit this city of 50,000 people a week ago was a tragedy that will require a national and long-term response.

"We're going to be here long after the cameras leave," he said, referring to federal support for rebuilding efforts that he predicted would be "a tough, long slog."

Obama toured a disaster scene where crushed cars, piles of wood, clothing and a broken dishwasher lay helter-skelter amid the rubble on lots where houses once stood.

Later he spoke at a memorial service at Missouri Southern State University.

The city also planned a moment of silence on Sunday, precisely one week after the deadly tornado struck, killing at least 139 people and destroying parts of the town.

Missouri state officials said on Sunday they had 146 sets of human remains from the tornado, up from 142 on Saturday, but they did not change the death toll from Saturday's 139. There is a chance that remains of one person are in more than one set, state officials say.

An official list of 87 names was released of victims who have been positively identified and whose relatives have been notified.

Forty-three people were listed as unaccounted for, although officials said that number included four persons reported as deceased by their families but for whose deaths official confirmation was still underway.

The tornado was rated an EF-5, or the strongest possible, and the deadliest single twister in the United States since 1947.

Standing amid the wreckage, Obama told reporters after meeting survivors on Sunday that he had heard some "harrowing stories" but also some "miraculous ones."

He said he had spoken with an 85-year-old man who had just taken a chicken pot pie out of the oven when the storm was approaching.

"He went into the closet and came out without a scratch," Obama said.

Some had criticized today's presidential visit as a distraction from more important work on the ground.

But Darrin Pitts, a 31-year-old student at West Governor's University in Joplin, disagreed.

"After everything that's happened, that I've been living in all week, it was only right to do something," Pitts said.

"It shows national support to the people who've lost everything."

TOLL MAY RISE

There is a good chance the death toll will rise because of the number known to be still missing, and as more bodies are found in the clearing of rubble from areas flattened by the storm.

Some families have expressed frustration at the slow pace of identifying the victims and releasing the remains. Families have not been allowed to enter the morgue to view and identify the remains.

Authorities have defended that policy as necessary to be sure that no mistakes are made.

"A year from now, two years from now, those loved ones will want to be sure that the person they buried is truly their mother, their father, their daughter, their son," Andrea Spillars, Missouri Deputy Director of Public Safety, has said.

Speaking on CBS TV's "Face the Nation" on Sunday morning, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said he was sure the city would be rebuilt despite efforts to cut government budgets in the face of deficits.

"I'm confident we'll find the resources to get this done from whatever method it takes. We've had an unbelievable outpouring of private donations already, and I have a great deal of experience with our federal partners," Nixon said

"When you come to priorities, when God chooses your town and takes it away from you, then the people of Missouri and the people of America are going to do everything within our power to make sure we help rebuild."

On his Sunday visit, Obama vowed to cut through any federal red tape to help with rebuilding Joplin.

Mary Gillis, a 40-year-old high school teacher from Rolla, Missouri whose son lost his apartment in last week's tornado, said Obama's visit provided "a sense of closure to those who were affected and help to reunite the community."

Ashlee Wheeler, a 22-year-old telemarketing worker from Seneca, Missouri who has been in town to help sort through the donations pouring into the city, said she hopes the country will continue paying attention long after Obama's gone.

"The people of Joplin need us right now," she said, "they need our help."

(Additional reporting by Elliott Blackburn and Megan Gates; Writing by Jerry Norton; Editing by James B. Kelleher)

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Obama consoles tornado-ravaged Joplin (AP)

JOPLIN, Mo. – Exactly a week after Joplin was nearly leveled by the deadliest tornado to strike the U.S in decades, President Barack Obama visited the Missouri city to offer hope to survivors and promises of help.

Obama came face to face Sunday with the legions of homeless, consoling the community as it remembered the more than 130 people killed in the storm. The memorial service erupted in cheers when Obama said, "I promise you your country will be there with you every single step of the way," a pledge he extended to all parts of the nation raked by violent storms this season.

The service punctuated a day of remembrance as authorities pressed on with the task of identifying the victims and volunteers combed through the apocalyptic landscape of wrecked neighborhoods where nothing was left whole.

Hundreds stood in Joplin's Cunningham Park for a moment of silence at 5:41 p.m. — to mark the first report of the tornado — surrounded by wrecked cars and twisted poles. Many in the crowd wore white T-shirts emblazoned, "Joplin's Heart Will Sing Again."

"We will rebuild Joplin," City Manager Mark Rohr told the crowd. "You have my word on it."

Obama made the same vow hours earlier during the service, telling locals: "We're not going to stop `til Joplin's back on its feet."

The Joplin tornado was the worst to hit the United States in decades. Hundreds were injured, and 39 people remained unaccounted for as of late Sunday. There are four more people whom family members have reported as deceased, but those deaths haven't been officially confirmed.

Air Force One flew over a massive swath of brown — a land of flattened houses and stripped trees — on its approach to Joplin. On the ground, the destruction was even more stark and complete. Obama confronted painful sights at every turn and said nothing in his life measured up to what he saw this day.

Yet he spoke, too, of redemptive moments, the stoicism of the community and tales of plain luck. He told a story of a man he talked to who had taken a chicken pot pie out of the oven, heard the storm was coming, hid in a closet and "came out without a scratch." Obama celebrated the spirit of volunteers who have flocked to Joplin to help, the pickup truck owners who ferried people to the hospital and the citizens who lined up for hours to donate blood to people they don't know.

"You've demonstrated a simple truth," he told the service, "that amid heartbreak and tragedy no one is a stranger. Everybody is a brother. Everybody is a sister. We can all love one another."

The crowd of hundreds at the service reflected a community in the midst of rebuilding: people in shorts and baseball caps, and plenty of babies who occasionally burst out crying. The president talked over the screeching until a baby was hurried out by the mother.

Obama got a notably warm reception in this conservative part of Missouri. His remarks were tailored for a religious service, with quotes from scripture, references to the love that binds people to each other, and comments on the essential goodness of humanity. The stories of the storm lead us to "put aside our petty grievances," the president said. "There are heroes all around us, all the time. So, in the wake of this tragedy, let us live up to their example: to make each day count."

Known for his cool, even-tempered demeanor, Obama offered his own brand of comforting: eloquent words, plentiful handshakes, some hugs, pats on the heads of children, offers of "God bless you." Not for him the raw emotion Americans saw in his predecessors George W. Bush or Bill Clinton.

Before the service, Obama's motorcade pulled into a neighborhood where downed trees cleaved open houses, roofs were stripped or blown off, cars were cratered and splintered wood was everywhere. He saw nothing intact, but rather small domestic sights — a view into a room with a TV still in place, a recliner sitting amid rubble, a washer-dryer standing next to a decimated house. American flags were planted here and there in the mess.

"Sorry for your loss," Obama told an anguished woman, hugging her twice as they talked. Another woman told him that her uncle lives up the road — he survived but his house did not. "Tell your uncle we're praying for him," the president said.

To those working at the scene, the president said: "We appreciate everything you guys are doing. God bless you." One volunteer told him that people were coming in from other states to help in any way they could.

"This is not just your tragedy," Obama said. "This is a national tragedy, and that means there will be a national response." He said: "We are going to be here long after the cameras leave."

___

Associated Press writer Nomaan Merchant contributed to this report.

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Obama pledges to stand by tornado-hit town (AFP)

JOPLIN, Missouri (AFP) – President Barack Obama has promised residents of this disaster-hit Midwestern town to stand by them "every step of the way" as he payed tribute to victims of one of deadliest tornadoes in US history.

"We're not going anywhere," Obama told a memorial service at Missouri Southern State University Sunday. "We will be with you every step of the way."

The massive tornado, which killed 142 people in this town of 50,000, was one of the worst ever in the United States.

Officials said late Sunday that at least 43 people remained missing, down from a list of 232 missing persons that was released on May 26.

The president's motorcade drove through some of the hardest-hit areas, where many homes had been destroyed by the 200 miles per hour (300 kilometer per hour) winds.

After the tour, Obama called the disaster "a national tragedy," and promised there would be "a national response."

At the memorial service, Obama recalled stories of heroism in Joplin, speaking of pizza shop manager Christopher Lucas, a father of two who ushered everyone into the freezer as the tornado approached.

The freezer door wouldn't close from the inside, so Lucas found rope and closed it from the outside.

"Tying a piece of bungee cord to the handle outside, wrapping the other end around his arm, holding the door closed with all his might," Obama said. "And Christopher held it as long as he could. Until he was pulled away by the incredible force of the storm.

"He died saving more than a dozen people in that freezer," he said. "You see, there are heroes all around us all the time."

At the memorial service, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon also pledged to rebuild.

"The people of Missouri were born for this mission," Nixon said. "We are famously stubborn and self-reliant, practical, impatient. No storm, no fire, no flood can turn us from our task.

"We can and we will heal. We've already begun," Nixon continued. "By God's grace, we will restore this community."

Crews continued searching for the missing, seven days after the tornado tore apart everything it touched along a path four miles (six kilometers) long.

The governor said officials are working "24 hours a day" to locate the missing and identify the deceased. He said that the battered condition of some of the bodies means that DNA tests have been needed to identify the remains.

State officials are cross-checking names of the missing with hospitals, and are working with cell phone service providers to determine if anyone has used their phone since being added to the list.

After releasing lower updated figures of the missing, the Missouri Department of Public Safety said there was "steady progress" in the effort, but added that the "objective continues to be reducing that number to zero, to help ease the anxiety of concerned loved ones."

The twister, a massive funnel cloud that struck on May 22, ranked as one of the deadliest tornado to hit the United States since modern record-keeping began in 1950.

More than 8,000 structures in the town, including a major commercial area, were damaged or destroyed when the tornado packing winds over 200 miles (320 kilometers) per hour came roaring through with just a 24-minute warning.

Joplin spokeswoman Lynn Onstot said the city was slowly getting back on its feet, although the traditional Memorial Day weekend opening of Joplin's public pools has been postponed.

"Public transportation is back up and running, and trash is running as normal as possible," although not in the disaster areas, she added.

A total of 318 people are living in temporary shelters in Joplin, state officials said Saturday.

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Obama to view tornado zone in Missouri on Sunday (Reuters)

LONDON (Reuters) – President Barack Obama said on Tuesday he will visit a devastated section of Missouri on Sunday where 116 people were killed by a monster tornado.

Obama, making a statement from the U.S. ambassador's residence in London as he begins a state visit to Britain, said his message to those affected by storms in the Midwestern United States is that the federal government stands by them.

"All we can do is let them know that all of America cares deeply about them and that we are going to do absolutely everything we can to make sure that they recover," he said.

Obama is on a week-long, four-nation Europe tour and is to return to Washington on Saturday.

"Like all Americans, we have been monitoring what's been taking place very closely and have been...heartbroken by the images we've seen," Obama told reporters.

He said beyond the death toll, other people remain missing and hundreds more were injured.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who are suffering at this moment," he said.

Obama said he and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano had spoken to the Missouri governor, Jay Nixon.

"We've offered him not only our condolences, but we've told him that we will give him every ounce of resources the federal government may have that we can bring to bear on this situation."

Obama said during his trip to Missouri on Sunday, he will talk to families affected by the storm "hopefully to pray with folks and give them whatever assurance and comfort I can that the entire country is going to be behind them."

He urged Americans in storm zones to heed warnings to seek safety during a deadly spring in which storms across Southern states last month killed more than 300 people and caused more than $2 billion in property damage.

(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Steve Holland)

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