The Idiot in Chief strikes again

Chris,

I read your post with an open mind, but I find your arguments to be completely irrelevant. The point is that George W. Bush,the standing President of the United States, does not have the decency to pay his respects to former President Ford. A former President, the man who tried to bring the country together following Watergate, just passed away and Bush won't cut his vacation short? It's an immature act by an amateurish President.

 

Nixon disgraced this nation, yet Clinton found the time to be present at state funeral activities.

End. Of. Argument.

 

Chris and I have been at odds for weeks, but he makes great points here. Is that really you, Chris? Has an alien taken over your mind?

I don't think we should jump to conclusions without having the solid information. There certainly is that chance that Bush will be a target after Saddam's execution.

 

HB - you only think you have an open mind - its like a sense of humor - everyone thinks they have an open mind just like everyone thinks they have a sense of humor (though I'm sure in your heart you know you're funny).

If Bush went to the "event" on Saturday - I'm sure there are people who would criticise him for not going to the funeral services in California and Michigan as well. These things are well planned out and I'm sure Bush is attending the parts he was supposed to be part of. For the Reagan funeral - Bush paid his respects while Reagan lay in state at the rotunda and then spoke at the National Cathedral. Exactly the same thing he'll be doing for Ford.

Ignorance is bliss for some of you people.

 

Nixon did not have a state funeral. It was in his will that he didn't want one.

Of course since you invoked "end of argument" I guess it would be wrong of me to point that out.

 

Ford was the RNC's top choice as Reagan's vice presidential nominee in 1980, Herbert Bush was not.

 

I don't know where you go with someone who acts like the "Rockefeller wing" of the GOP doesn't count, historically.
Look! Watch out! The Baathists are coming! Luckily, they'll never get him at the National Cathedral!
Seriously, I'd agree on the Reagan precedent, if we weren't talking about skipping formal government tributes in Washington. He really ought to be at all of them.

 

Chris, in my heart, I know I'm not funny. Funny looking? Perhaps.

I read your post three times, trying to find a point I could agree with. I couldn't find it. Not even a scintilla of a point. Bush should be in D.C. right now paying his respects to a former President because he is The Leader Of The Free World. Part of the deal with being President means you have to cut vacations short on a moment's notice. Think about it this way: If a family member or a friend passed away while you're on vacation, do you tell your loved ones "Well, I'm on vacation, but I'll be back in four days" or do you just come back to mourn together? It's the same thing here. As The Leader Of The Free World, he should be in Washington leading the country in mourning Ford's passing. I don't think anyone would criticize Bush for not being at the services in Michigan and California. But not to be in Washington while Ford lays in state is inexcusable.

 

No excuse. None.

 

Reagan never considered Ford for VP for a second. If you read any of the Reagan histories you'd know that.

The whole idea of Ford as VP was floated by former Ford cabinet members like Kissinger as a way to raise their own visibility to the new Administration (the idea being - we won't take Ford but we will take some of his people to keep Ford happy - luckily Reagan rejected that notion).

 

While I agree with you that it is more fitting for Cheney to speak ... I, too, cannot find an instance of state funerals being "normally" attended to by a sitting vice president instead of a sitting president.

Reagan's National Cathedral service, FWIW, was attended by the four living ex-presidents, the sitting president, the sitting vice-president and major leaders from around the world.

Bush WAS occupied at the time of Reagan's Capitol Hill "events" -- he was hosting the G-8 summit at the time. Believe what you want, but Wikipedia's entry for Reagan's state funeral says the following:

After returning to Washington, Bush paid his respects at the Capitol and spoke at the National Cathedral service.

I have trouble believing that his current "vacation" in Crawford is on the same level as a G-8 summit on anyone's list of "what takes precedence over a presidential funeral".

 

I don't where you go with someone who argues that DUI is so evil yet who votes for a Kennedy like a Pavlovian dog answering a bell.

These things are planned out and I'm sure the Ford people were asked - "what would you like the President to do" and that the President's staff made sure that their wishes were complied with.