Posted on 06/05/2004 3:49:09 PM PDT by ambrose
Posted on Sat, Jun. 05, 2004
Reagan's death may affect G8 Summit
Associated Press
SEA ISLAND, Ga. - It was not immediately clear how the death of Ronald Reagan would affect the Group of Eight Summit planned for next week along coastal Georgia.
The meeting's host, President Bush, will be expected to attend Reagan's funeral, but the arrangements had not been immediately made. The summit is scheduled to run from Tuesday through Thursday, and there is a chance that the funeral will occur on one of those days.
"As of now, there are no changes," said Evan Keefer, a spokesman for the summit's planning committee. "Once the funeral arrangements are made, we'll have to react accordingly."
Keefer said he was not aware of any immediate plans for an observance of Reagan's death among the world leaders during the summit. He also said he was in no position to comment on whether Secretary of State Colin Powell or another U.S. official would sit in Bush's place if the president is unable to attend parts of the summit in order to attend Reagan's funeral.
Besides Bush, scheduled to attend the meeting are the leaders of the other G-8 nations - Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada and Russia - and the new president of Iraq. Also invited are the leaders of Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Ghana, Jordan, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Turkey, Uganda and Yemen.
So9
if I had to guess, the funeral will be Friday..
Ronald Reagan
JANUARY 11, 1989 Eco Summit
Something that happened to me a few years ago reflects some of this. It was back in 1981, and I was attending my first big economic summit, which was held that year in Canada. The meeting place rotates among the member countries. The opening meeting was a formal dinner for the heads of government of the seven industrialized nations. Now, I sat there like the new kid in school and listened, and it was all Francois this and Helmut that. They dropped titles and spoke to one another on a first-name basis. Well, at one point I sort of leaned in and said, "My name's Ron." Well, in that same year, we began the actions we felt would ignite an economic comeback--cut taxes and regulation, started to cut spending. And soon the recovery began.
Two years later another economic summit, with pretty much the same cast. At the big opening meeting we all got together, and all of a sudden, just for a moment, I saw that everyone was just sitting there looking at me. And one of them broke the silence. "Tell us about the American miracle," he said
Sadly, President Bush looked absolutely tiny in the statement he just made in reaction to President Reagan's death. Stiff, no emotion, mechanically and haltingly read, extremely poor delivery, just the projection of being stunned and frozen. Absolutely horrible, one of his advisors should have insisted that he practice delivering it at least once. The kind of performance that in an instant can doom a campaign. We better hope to goodness that the media doesn't play that clip over and over, it could end up being 'Dukakis in a tank.' It was an incredible contrast to Ronald Reagan, he came off like Jimmy Carter. Extremely disappointing, and I take no joy in writing this.
He better step up to the plate for the funeral. Get your butt in gear, Rove.
Geez, he was sad. Give the po'man a break!
Get a grip man.
I would expect him to be stunned for heavens sake.
I am sure he will take care of his duty to President Reagan
in a way we all can be proud of.
God bless the Reagan family, and the United States of America.
Sorry - not everything in life can be stage managed with props and balloons... it was an emotional and raw tribute.
Would you have preferred if he had consulted Dick Morris and took polls before making a statement?
United States, Japan, G. B., Italy, should do what's necessary to attend.
Leave France, Germany, Russia and Canada alone at the G8 so they can form a circle jerk.
Nice visual image -- that ever-present finger in the air to test the breeze.
My prayers for RR were answered when GWB took office. I dreaded the idea of "42" (we shall not speak his name) delivering the euology with his smarmy crocodile tears.
Thanks be to God for all his blessings.
Sorry if the campaign isn't up and running on Mr. Reagan's death. You must surely know that Mr. Bush knew Mr. Reagan personally, from his father being his Vice President, etc., so having a cynical prepared and pre-planned polished Clintonized speech is just so Wellstone and not part of W's make-up.
Go away DUmmy.
It's becoming apparant that we're on different planets.
I think that given his schedule, (when he delivered the speech it was 1AM Paris time and he was due to leave in 3 short hours to head to Normandy) that fact that he made a statement is admirable and fitting for a man that did so much for this country. I guess he didn't bite the lower lip enough for you and the other guy who started this BS response.
I agree that it was heartfelt, genuine, gracious, and well-intended. My comments were about how the delivery of those comments may be perceived by average Americans. Hopefully I am wrong.
Well, the leaders would have been here for the funeral, anyway. Now they don't have to make another trip, just maybe extend their stay an extra day.
Give it a rest!
I believe you are! Average Americans like George W. Bush precisely BECAUSE he's not a silver tongued liar like x42, and doesn't always speak in a skillful slick manner. They just like his honesty and character, and don't study every move he makes and every word he utters in a political way.
"It's always been quite obvious that Dubya is awful trying to talk off the cuff. I mean TERRIBLE!!"
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.