Colo. Senator Compares Obama to 9/11 Hijackers

Obamas pay respects in Shanksville

(NEWSER) - President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, placed a wreath at the Flight 93 National Memorial today, arriving at the site to pay respects to the 40 passengers and crew who died a decade ago. The Obamas visited the Wall of Names. Each of the 40 marble slabs is inscribed with the name of someone killed in the crash of United Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001. More»

(NEWSER) - Colin Powell today honored the "gallant heroes" of United Flight 93 who fought back against their hijackers 8 years ago today. At a ceremony in Shanksville, Pa., where the plane went down, he likened them to the "citizen soldiers" who have fought for the US since its inception. "They refused to let it just happen," he said. Bells tolled for the 40 passengers and crew who were killed, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. More»

Decision could cause problems during election in key states

(NEWSER) - President Obama’s official embrace of gay marriage will certainly energize some of his supporters, but it’s also sure to give him grief in these seven states, as rounded up by Politico :

• North Carolina: As evidenced by the recently-passed constitutional amendment banning it, gay marriage is not very popular with voters here. And North Carolina is not only a swing state—it will also host this year’s Democratic National Convention.
• Florida: To put it bluntly, senior citizens don’t tend to like gay marriage. Plus, a high percentage of them vote, and a large number of them live in Florida. An anti-gay marriage amendment passed by a landslide in 2008.

Moment of silence at 8:46, moment first plane hit

(NEWSER) - President Obama opened a sun-splashed day of solemn remembrance today by honoring the 9/11 dead with a visit to ground zero, bowing his head at the cascading pools of the North Memorial Pond created in the footprint of the demolished north tower of the World Trade Center. Obama, hand in hand with wife Michelle, walked with former President George W. Bush and wife Laura to the memorial pool. They ran their hands over the bronze panels bearing the names of those lost in the attacks. Mayor Michael Bloomberg led a moment of silence beginning at 8:46am, the moment the first plane hit. Obama then read Psalm 46, and the names of the victims were read. Click through the gallery for images; MSNBC has live coverage of the ceremony at Ground Zero here . More»

Then-rookie tells story of how she almost gave her life on 9/11

(NEWSER) - Heather “Lucky” Penney was a rookie who’d just finished F-16 training on September 11, 2001, but when the attacks hit, she was one of two pilots who took to the air to defend Washington from United 93. There was just one problem: They didn’t have any ammo or weapons. Except, that is, for their own planes. “We wouldn’t be shooting it down,” she tells the Washington Post . “We’d be ramming the aircraft. I would essentially be a kamikaze pilot.” More»