Speaker Boener has lost my respect. (Vanity post)

[Leaning Right]

Speaker Boehner has turned down a request to have Frank Buckles, the last US WWI veteran, lie in state in the Capitol rotunda. This is disgusting.

Mr. Buckles was more than just a veteran. He represents every doughboy who served in the Great War.

[Leaning Right]

Related story here.http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/03/03/boehner-request-arlington-ceremony-buckles?test=faces

[laweeks]

I agree! If indeed Boehner does have the authority to grant this request, then I’m not sure why he declined. This is indeed a historic request and an historic veteran.

What give, Speaker Boehner?????

[Perdogg]

I agree with the Speaker. Once the door is opened it can never be closed. It is just like lowering the flag at half staff means nothing any more.

[ReleaseTheHounds]

Sorry, Leaning Right, but refusing such an honor is no reason to give-up on speaker Boehner. Where would you draw the line on having vets lie in state in the Rotunda? This is a distraction. Mr. Buckles should be honored by his friends and family and maybe the State of West Virginia, but don’t put the burden on the Speaker of the House.

[Ro_Thunder]

Just sent this to the speaker.

Mr. Boehner,

Why would you turn down a request to allow Mr. Buckles, the last of his generation, his kind, the honor to lie in state at the Capital? It would be a tremendous learning opportunity for all, young and old alike. In the words of President Obama, it would be a “teachable moment”. To teach the evils of imperialism; to teach history, so that it shall never be repeat again. Please reconsider, and allow Mr. Buckles to be honored, as we do not have the opportunity to honor the millions of others who died before him.

Respectfully,

My Name
USN CTT3/1988-1992

[PalmettoMason]

That building is only for the ruling elite.

[RC one]

Boehner is wrong on this one. Does he really not understand that this is much much bigger than Buckles?

[thackney]

That teachable moment still exists at any ceremony at Arlington.

[Red in Blue PA]

I agree with the Speaker. Once the door is opened it can never be closed. It is just like lowering the flag at half staff means nothing any more.

The LAST WW2 vet.

Do you comprehend that?

Sounds like you don't.

[Red in Blue PA]

WW2=WW1

[MichaelCorleone]

Short of a legitimate explanation, I also think this is shameful and disrespectful to the military and the soldiers of that era.

The Grim Weeper doesn’t seem to have tears for something like this - why, Mr. Speaker?

[Leaning Right]

Good idea, the letter.

In my anger, I completely forgot the learning opportunity in all this.

Boehner would probably ignore any letter signed Leaning Right because I misspelled his name in my posting headline.

[PGR88]

Maybe he is fighting some deadline, and doesn’t want to have a PR event that the Dems can use to avoid a fight. We don’t know exactly what Boehner is thinking.

While in this case, Mr. Buckles may deserve it, unfortunately our Congress has become obsessed with show, stagecraft and posturing. Probably part of the reason we are $14 Trillion in debt and rising fast.....

[mnehring]

I’m not sure this is something Boener can grant. Office of capitol protocol would have to make the decision as there are guidelines as who can lay in state. Only 27 people have ever been granted this honor (lay in state, on the catafalque, in the rotunda).

Now, the catafalque has been used for many honors of state not in the rotunda so maybe a compromise can be granted and he can lain on that at Arlington or elsewhere.

[SoldierDad]

I guess my question would be has there ever been a precedent set for such a thing in the past - has there been a “last” soldier from previous wars (Revolutionary, Civil War) that was allowed to lie in state? If not, then explain to me why the expectation this time? If the concern is that this would be a “teachable moment” (ala Obozo), then why could that not take place using a much larger medium such as Time Magazine, U.S.A Today, etc?

[EternalVigilance]

I gave up on Boehner, and most of his colleagues, long before this.

[Rippin]

Are you a troll?

[mnehring]

I’m not sure regarding the ‘last soldier’ but I know General Persing was one of the 27 who has been given this honor as well as the unknown soldier from WWII and Vietnam. Other non-Presidents included the architect of the Capitol, L’Enfant. I believe the few others have only been Presidents.

[Leaning Right]

Civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks was granted the honor, so there is a precedent.

[magritte]

Just a handful of people get this honor, including Ford, Reagan, Rosa Parks, Kennedy...WWI was represented in 1921:

Unknown Soldier of World War I November 9-11, 1921. Chosen to honor and perpetuate the memory of the heroes who gave their lives in World War I. The body was that of an unknown American who served as a member of the American Expeditionary Forces in Europe. Congress was in session, 67th Congress, 1st Session. No resolution.

Don't be made at Boehner...it's the right decision...magritte