Storm cancels Obama's Memorial Day speech

At the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Illinois, the president tells spectators, 'We are … concerned about lightning. This may not be safe.' Later, he delivers the speech in Washington.
By Stacy St. Clair, Chicago Tribune
June 1, 2010

Reporting from Elwood, Ill. —A violent thunderstorm forced President Obama to cancel his Memorial Day address Monday at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Illinois, where he took to a rain-soaked stage and urged the thousands of spectators to seek shelter.

"We are a little bit concerned about lightning," he told the crowd. "This may not be safe. I know that all of you are here to commemorate the fallen. ... What we'd like to do is, if possible, have people move back to their cars, and if this passes in the next 15 to 20 minutes, I'll stick around."

The White House said Obama made the decision to halt the event. the rest