In an electrifying moment, the president revealed that Giffords, who on Saturday was shot point-blank in the head, had opened her eyes for the first time shortly after his hospital visit. First lady Michelle Obama held hands with Giffords’ husband, Mark Kelly, as the news brought soaring cheers from thousands gathered for a memorial service.

Obama bluntly conceded that there is no way to know what triggered the shooting rampage that left six people dead, 13 others wounded and the nation shaken. He tried instead to leave indelible memories of the people who were gunned down, and to rally the country to use the moment as a reflection on the nation’s behavior and compassion.

“I believe we can be better,” Obama said to a capacity crowd in the university’s basketball arena and to countless others watching around the country.

“Those who died here, those who saved lives here — they help me believe,” the president said. “We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us.”

In crafting his comments, Obama clearly sought a turning point in the raw debate that has defined national politics. He faced the expectations to do more than console, but to encourage a new day of civility, all without getting overly political in a memorial service.

Obama settled on a theme of challenging the country to have a debate that is worthy of those who died. He tapped into the raging debate about the role of incendiary rhetoric without dwelling on it. “Let’s remember that it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy. It did not,” the president said. After offering personal accounts of every person who died, he challenged anyone listening to think of how to honor their memories, and he was not shy about offering direction. He admonished against any instinct to point blame or to drift into political pettiness or to latch onto simple explanations that may have no merit. The president said it was OK, even essential, for the country to suddenly be debating gun control, mental health services and the motivations of the killer. But then he added: “At a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized — at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do — it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds,” the president said.

The shooting happened as Giffords, a three-term Democrat who represents southern Arizona, was holding a community outreach event in a Tucson shopping center parking lot Saturday. A gunman shot her in the head and worked his way down the line of people waiting to talk with her, law enforcement officials said. The attack ended when bystanders tackled the man, Jared Lee Loughner, 22, who is in custody.

“One of the reasons I’ve selected Gene is he’s done this before,” Obama said. During the Clinton administration, the president added, “He helped formulate the policies that contributed to turning deficits to surpluses and a time of prosperity and progress for American families.”

Obama also named several other deputy economic advisers during an appearance at a manufacturing plant in Landover,at which he also hailed Friday’s government report of continued job growth in December. But with unemployment remaining high, he added, the administration is “not letting up on our efforts” to create jobs.

Obama also promoted Jason Furman, who will remain as deputy director of the National Economic Council but with higher rank. Furman worked under Sperling during the Clinton administration. Neither Sperling nor Furman need Senate confirmation.

The president nominated Katharine Abraham as the third member of his Council of Economic Advisers and Heather Higginbottom, currently a White House domestic policy adviser, as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. Those two posts require Senate confirmation.

In Sperling and the recently installed Office of Management and Budget director, Jacob Lew, who returned to the same job he had in the Clinton administration, Obama has two officials experienced in navigating Washington’s policy-making process through the executive and legislative branches.

After working at the White House for all eight of the Clinton years, Sperling spent some time as a consultant and writer for the TV presidential drama “The West Wing.” His name is attached to story lines ranging from anxiety over inaugural addresses to worries that the show’s fictional president was compromising his ideals to be more popular.

Gibbs confirmed that he will leave sometime in early February, after the president delivers his State of the Union speech to the new Congress.

No replacement name has been found yet, but there are several candidates for the post, including deputy press secretary Bill Burton and another deputy, Josh Earnest. Jay Carney, a spokesman for Vice President Joe Biden, has also been mentioned.

As a private consultant, Gibbs is a top political adviser to Obama as the re-election campaign gears up. David Axelrod, a senior adviser and Jim Messina, a deputy chief of staff, are also leaving the White House to concentrate on the re-election campaign.

Gibbs said he will be “speaking and advising” from his new posting.Gibbs(39), began working for Obama in 2004.

He was born March 29, 1971, in Auburn, Ala., and graduated from North Carolina State University. He lives in Virginia with his wife and son.Previously, he worked as a spokesman for Sen. John Kerry in 2003 and on several other campaigns, including that of Ernest F. Hollings of South Carolina.

Obama,with his wife Michelle and daughters Malia and Sasha spent several hours of Saturday at Pyramid Rock, a secluded beach at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. It’s the same base where the president starts his day with a morning workout.

Then the first family visited the tennis courts at Kailua Racquet Club, a private club near the neighborhood where the Obamas are renting a luxurious oceanfront home.

Obama has made just a few, brief public appearances during his nearly two-week vacation. The Obamas are scheduled to leave Hawaii late Monday, arriving in Washington the following day.

“First, I think we ought to put this whole thing into perspective. We have all come through an election, and what have we learned? More than half the people who could have voted, refused, apparently believing that what we do here has so little impact on their lives that they need not pass judgment on it. In other words, the biggest vote of all in November was a vote of no confidence. So our first order of business is to regain the trust and confidence of the people we serve…..”

He added that, “An honest government is not enough. We also have to be effective. Today, unemployment in this state is well above the national average. That is not just a statistic, it is a reality. Men and women whose futures are uncertain, whose families are anxious, look to us for answers. I know much of the solution lies at the federal level, but I also know that California is the most influential state in the nation. What we do here will not only help our own citizens, it will provide a model for the entire country.”

“We are going to use to the fullest the millions of dollars available to put Californians back to work. We are going to cooperate with local government and industry to create as many new jobs as humanly possible. And as we do we will not ignore the role of women in our work force and the special need for additional child care centers.”,he says.

“From this moment on, we must aspire together. Work together. Fight together. Triumph together. And today only marks the first day of our journey together,” Martinez said in her inaugural ceromony.

After her formal speech, she was already in charge of the State as the new acting governor, as a result of a private swear in ceremony that was held in the Capitol Rotunda. “There is no worthier or more satisfying work than to serve others in a just cause,” Martinez said. “Not every New Mexican voted for me. But every New Mexican deserves and will receive my best efforts to protect and promote their interests. I serve you all, and I am grateful to you for the privilege.”

Martinez has the experience of facing high unemployment degree, a $400 Million + budget deficit and an economy that has one leg stiffly coifed in the grave. Don’t know how she’s going to deal with all the problems but we all wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors. She did acknowledge the difficulties that lie ahead in the long run.

“I assume the duties of governor understanding this is a challenging time,” she said. “Our state and its leaders must have the courage to make the kinds of changes that will positively impact people’s lives and put us back on a course toward prosperity.”

The bill was a major priority for Obama, who ironed out the deal with the House Republicans earlier this month and also the bill has opened a big positive path for Obama. It passed easily through the Senate on Wednesday in a rare bipartisan vote, with 81 senators voting for the bill and 19 voting against it.

Now Sarah Palin has denied the rumor, choosing an unlikely venue to do so: Facebook (Facebook). Palin spokesperson Meg Stapleton posted the following to Palin’s official Facebook page today:

Yet again, some so-called journalists have decided to make up a story. There is no truth to the recent “story” (and story is the correct term for this type of fiction) that the Palins are divorcing. The Palins remain married, committed to each other and their family, and have not purchased land in Montana (last week it was reported to be Long Island).

Less than one week ago, Governor Palin asked the media to “quit making things up.” We appreciate that the more professional journalists decided to question this story before repeating it.

Meg Stapleton

In the first round of what will be an annual “Strategic and Economic Dialogue,” the two major economic powers signed a memorandum promising greater cooperation in tackling climate change, energy and the environment, although the document was not publicly released and few specifics emerged.

The countries also “touched upon” the exchange rate between China’s yuan and the U.S. dollar, but there were no detailed discussions, People’s Bank of China chief Zhou Xiaochuan told reporters through an interpreter.

The United States has largely steered clear of a public appeal for China to allow its currency to rise faster, but Beijing did take a sharper tone, warning against letting the dollar slide too far.

“As a major reserve currency-issuing country in the world, the United States should properly balance and properly handle the impact of the dollar supply on the domestic economy and the world economy as a whole,” Vice Premier Wang Qishan said.

The United States would like to see a stronger yuan to help correct trade imbalances, but China remains dependent on its export sector, and would stand to lose from a dollar fall that would reduce the value of its substantial dollar holdings.

The formal session of the two-day talks wrapped up near midday on Tuesday, almost entirely behind closed doors.

Press conferences were still expected from officials including U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Wang.

With the United States trying to claw its way out of the longest recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s and China suffering from a steep drop in demand for exports, a key focus of the talks was on restoring economic stability.

But there were plenty of other tricky issues on the table.

Clinton co-chaired the U.S. side and was seeking Beijing’s cooperation on a wide range of sensitive diplomatic issues from North Korea and climate change to infectious diseases and energy markets.

RESTORING GLOBAL BALANCE

The United States is China’s best customer for exports, and China is the United States’ biggest creditor, holding $802 billion of U.S. Treasury securities as of May 31. Washington needs Beijing to keep buying its debt to finance a budget deficit estimated to hit $1.8 trillion this year.

On Monday, Chinese officials said they wanted to see the United States rein in its soaring budget deficit, while the U.S. side appealed to China to stimulate domestic consumption to restore balance to the global economy and trade.

The veteran Wang said China would help to ensure a recovery from the past two years of financial crisis, which he said seemed to be largely over, but pointed to concessions that China wanted.