Politics & Government

Rep. Rothman to Obama at Ground Zero: 'Job Well Done, Mr. President'

U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman witnessed President Obama lay a wreath at the World Trade Center site, and spoke with the commander in chief

In his first visit to Ground Zero since the historic address of President George W. Bush on Sept. 14, 2001—the same week as the World Trade Center attacks—U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9) was on hand Thursday afternoon when President Barack Obama arrived at the site days after American soldiers slayed terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.

Rothman, a Fair Lawn resident, told Patch that when he spoke directly to Obama on Thursday, he had a simple message for the commander in chief: "Job well done, Mr. President." Obama responded "Thank you, Steve," Rothman said.

When Bush came to Ground Zero in 2001, "the landscape before us" included towering piles of rubble and debris, twisted metal, and flakes of unknown chemicals with contents of the Twin Towers floating in the air, Rothman recalled in a telephone interview. Nearly 10 years later, while the debris has been removed and the new buildings are on their way to completion, "there is still an overwhelming sense of seriousness at the site," Rothman said.

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Before laying a wreath at the World Trade Center site, Obama joined firefighters and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani at Engine 54 firehouse in Midtown, which lost 15 members in the attacks. Rothman called the wreath "an appropriate punctuation mark on the closing of a chapter on the never-ending 9/11 history," a chapter in which Obama "finally brought justice" to bin Laden.

At Ground Zero, the wreath-laying was a solemn affair. Obama did not make any formal remarks, but shook hands and traded words with members of the honor guard, family members of victims and local politicians. Rothman said he thought Obama was "filled with emotion" and "an undoubted sense of relief and pride" because of the accomplishments of U.S. military and intelligence forces during a "difficult mission."

Find out what's happening in Fort Leewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Rothman said he was greatly moved by the words of one New Jersey mother who suffered the loss of a child on Sept. 11. The mother told Rothman that "my children have always been afraid of bin Laden, and anytime they saw his photo fear overcame them." With the mother's children by her side, Rothman said he told them—as a father himself—that "This man (bin Laden) can never hurt anyone anymore."

NY1 cameras captured Obama saying that, “Obviously, we can’t bring back our friends that were lost" on Sept. 11.

"I know each and every one of you have grieved for them, but also tried to deal with their families and children, trying to give them comfort and support,” Obama said.

Security was intense throughout the city, with street closures taking place to clear city traffic for the president’s motorcade and police stepping up patrols and searches on subways. New York City residents lined the streets, packed up against barricades at the intersection of Barclay and Church streets north of the World Trade Center site.

Thousands of people gathered to catch a glimpse of Obama. Brooklyn resident Lindsey Oates got an close-up view of the president through an open window while driving by on Barclay Street on the way to Ground Zero.

"He had his head out the window and waved," she said. "It was really exciting stuff. I just wished I could have grabbed a picture but it happened so fast."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Michael Bloomberg were at the location as well. U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY), who praised the president’s decision not to release photos of bin Laden’s corpse, said the day was important for families who lost loved ones on Sept. 11.

“With Public Enemy number one finally gone, we should instead focus on coming together as a country,” Weiner said. “That is why today I look forward to joining the President, heroic first responders and their friends and families as we honor those who lost their lives on September 11.”


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