“There’s no greater honor but also no greater responsibility for me than to make sure that the extraordinary men and women in uniform are properly cared for and that their safety and security when they are at home is provided for,” Obama said today.

The president was speaking about a shooting at the Fort Hood military base in Texas that killed at least 12 people.

“These are men and women who have made the selfless and courageous decision to risk and, at times, give their lives to protect the rest of us on a daily basis,” Obama said. “It’s difficult enough when we lose these brave Americans in battles overseas; it is horrifying that they should come under fire at an Army base on American soil.”

Obama said he has spoken with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and top military, security and investigative officials to ensure Fort Hood is secure.

For Democratic politicians, many consider President Obama to be a great political asset. That may be why Virginia Gubernatorial Candidate Creigh Deeds held a campaign rally with Obama and current Virginia Governor Tim Kaine October 27.

“Again and again, Creigh has been there for the people of Virginia, and now he needs you to be there for them,” Obama told the audience. He said the state needs a governor who will worry less about politics and more about the people of the state. “That’s the kind of person Creigh Deeds is.”

Obama’s support may not be enough for Deeds – recent polls like this one (PDF) have him trailing by quite a bit ahead of the November 3 election.

President Obama declared the spread of H1N1 influenza a national emergency, more of a procedural move than a cause for alarm.

The declaration enables health care facilities facing H1N1 outbreaks to more quickly implement new procedures or set up alternative care sites. These facilities will be able to submit waivers that will excuse them from certain regulations.

“H1N1 flu is moving rapidly throughout the country and the majority of states now have widespread influenza activity,” the White House says. More information about the emergency declaration is available on the White House Web site.

A group of elementary school students eating lunch welcomed a surprise guest to their cafeteria – President Obama. The president stopped by October 19 to congratulate the students on their reading skills and test scores.

“I wanted to come by and introduce myself, to say I’m very proud of you,” the president said. “I am hoping that you guys will continue to read, read, read, and that all of you are going to be really working hard not just this year but all the way through high school and then all the way through college.”

Yesterday was not President Obama’s first visit to New Orleans after the devastation from Hurricane Katrina, but it was his first time as the head of federal agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security who came under criticism for their response in the immediate aftermath of the crisis.

At a town hall meeting at the University of New Orleans, the president acknowledged that the U.S. federal government “wasn’t adequately prepared and we didn’t adequately respond” in late August 2005, and there is still “a long way to go” towards a full recovery. “There are sewers and roads still to repair. There are houses and hospitals still vacant. There are schools and neighborhoods still waiting to thrive once more,” he said.

But progress has been made in getting more federal assistance to the city, reducing the number of residents living in emergency housing, and moving forward on stalled infrastructure, education and health projects, he said, and the Recovery Act has “put thousands of Gulf Coast residents back to work.”

“We will not forget about New Orleans,” he promised. “[T]here are too many folks out there who are having a tough time — to get tired,” and who are still working hard to rebuild their unique community.

“The story of this city’s resilience begins with all the men and women who refused to give up on their homes; who stayed to clean up and rebuild — not just their own homes or their own yards or their own lives, but their neighbors’, too,” he said.

The people of New Orleans “have reminded the rest of America what it means to persevere in the face of tragedy, to rebuild in the face of ruin,” Obama said.

President Obama became the first president to light a ceremonial Diya at the White House to mark the observance of Diwali, the “festival of lights.” He also used the occasion to sign a new initiative aimed at expanding opportunities for Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander heritage.

Diwali, holy to Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists, has a different significance to each faith, but the president said the lamps symbolize “the victory of light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance.” The festival is a time for both rejoicing and reflecting on the less fortunate, he said.

“In that spirit of celebration and contemplation, I am happy to light the White House Diya, and wish you all a Happy Diwali, and a Saal Mubarak,” he told White House guests at the October 14 ceremony.

The president then signed an executive order to set up a commission to find the most effective ways of helping Americans of East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian heritage, as well as descendants of Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.

There are “very real challenges” facing certain Asian-American communities, he said, such as having higher than average rates of diabetes and Hepatitis B, higher school dropout rates, low college enrollment rates, and economic disparities, particularly among those of Hmong, Cambodian and Malaysian descent. In addition, Obama said many continue to face language and workplace barriers, and have been victims of hate crimes.

The U.S. government can provide help, he said. For example, the Small Business Administration can offer loans to Asian-American entrepreneurs, the Department of Health and Human Services can fund research on the diseases that disproportionately affect them, and the Justice Department can uphold their right to vote, as well as provide language assistance at the polls. The two year commission will collect data on the many communities in order to find the most effective means of helping them.