Presidents don’t attend funerals of Senators.
And, apparently, it’s optional for VPs to attend.
Protocol rules in such matters.
Found this tidbit from Wellstone’s death:
“White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said that * “it’s not protocol for presidents to attend the funerals of senators” * but that Vice President Dick Cheney had planned to attend. “The [Wellstone] family was appreciative,” Stanzel said. But the plan was changed after conversations with the family, he said.
Asked if that meant the Wellstone family did not want Cheney to come, he said that was correct. “
Interesting—thanks for the information. The details of protocol are interesting. I bet Cheney has been glad ever after that he missed the Wellstone debacle. At this point, most of the people who actually were there probably deny it.
A rare error on the part of the D’s. If they had held the rally with Cheney in attendance, it would have lent some cover to the illusion that there’s not a dime’s worth of difference between the two parties.