Beltway Insider: Obama Addresses Nation on Sandy Hook Massacre; Hillary Clinton Injured; Susan Rice Out as Successor

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Category: Beltway Insider

Published on Saturday, 15 December 2012 23:54

Written by Janet Walker

The looming Fiscal Cliff and Washington business as usual was disrupted Friday when news of a tragic school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut brought the nation and the president to tears.

According to Gallup, President Obama’s job approval, over the past week, stayed steady with 50% of those polled approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness also remained steady at 43%.

The Sandy Hook Slaughter of the Innocent

President Obama attempted to maintain his composure as he addressed the nation in the aftermath of the senseless Sandy Hook tragedy. He quoted scripture and offered sincere and deepest condolences as well as a guarantee that Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy would receive all the assistance necessary to deal with the unfathomable murders of innocent lives a week before Christmas.

26 victims, 20, six and seven year old, children and six adult females were systematically gunned down at close range by a lone gun man who fought his way into the building.

From all accounts school principal, Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung and school psychologist, Mary Sherlach were the first to encounter the heavily armed lone gun man. Both lunged and momentarily struggled in an effort to protect the children. They were both slaughtered.

In the 24 hours since the shooting, act of heroism are being told by surviving children who indicated teacher Victoria Soto, hide her students in cabinets and closets and told the gunman the students were in the gymnasium. She was murdered and saved the lives of every student in her class.

Parents of the deceased were not permitted to enter the scene overnight, as their children lay murdered and alone, and held vigil at the local Fire Station which had been designated a safe zone destination by local FBI, SWAT and Connecticut police as law enforcement regained and secured the building.

In total, 27 victims were found as police discovered a secondary crime scene with one additional body that was later identified as, Nancy J. Lanza, the mother of the gunman, identified as Adam Lanza, a psychologically disturbed twenty year-old, who committed suicide at the scene bringing the death toll to 28.

Obama Tables Cabinet Talks

The Sandy Hook Tragedy has left even hardcore GOP senate members silenced. President Obama and the GOP leadership have paused, at least for a moment as Friday’s Massacre has left the world stunned.

With the looming resignation of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the horizon Washington Insiders have mentioned several key democrats to fill the position. After the news that Susan Rice, the Ambassador to the United Nation was no longer under consideration for the top state position the focus shifted to and odds on favorite is Massachusetts Senator and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, John Kerry.

Kerry, 69, was the democratic challenger in the 2004 presidential election with former North Carolina Senator John Edwards as his running mate. Kerry, who lost to George W. Bush, regained his democratic senatorial seat. He is married to Teresa Heinz, heir to the Heinz Ketchup fortune, left to her after her late husband Senator John Heinz of Pennsylvania died in a helicopter crash.  

Hillary Clinton Injured in Fall

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton fainted yesterday. The fall resulted in a concussion. A statement released by her office indicated she had a stomach “bug” which resulted in lightheadedness which caused the fall. She is at home resting.

In other news John Kerry has announced that Hillary Clinton will not be required to testify before the Senate Foreign Relations committee, this week, for her role in the Benghazi Compound terror attack.

For more information on President Obama: www.whitehouse.gov