Posted on 06/08/2004 8:54:12 AM PDT by lainie
Edited on 06/08/2004 11:18:28 AM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Controversy develops over Reagan funeral speakers...
'President Clinton really held out all hope the funeral would be a nonpartisan event, like Nixon's was,' a top Clinton source said on Tuesday morning. 'He's angry and disappointed neither he nor President Carter have been asked to speak, as of yet'...
CLINTON DISAPPOINTMENT: LEFT OFF FUNERAL SPEAKERS LIST
Former President Bill Clinton has privately expressed anger he has apparently been left off the speakers list of Friday's Reagan State Funeral, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.
"President Clinton really held out all hope the funeral would be a nonpartisan event, like Nixon's was," a top Clinton source said on Tuesday morning. "He's angry and disappointed neither he nor President Carter have been asked to speak, as of yet."
The top source says Clinton has been critical that both Bush presidents will address the crowd gathered at National Cathedral.
Nixon's vice president Gerald Ford did not speak at Nixon's funeral.
Clinton's inner circle is convinced Nancy Reagan has personally shut out Clinton from any high-profile participation.
"It is a state funeral, using tax dollars," the top Clinton insider explained.
Former President George H.W. Bush, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney will join President Bush in eulogizing Ronald Reagan, Reagan's office announced. Presiding over the service will be former Sen. John Danforth of Missouri, who is an ordained Episcopal priest. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and the Rabbi Harold Kusher will give readings, while Irish tenor Ronan Tynan will sing.
The eulogy is being prepared by President Bush's chief speechwriter, Michael Gerson, who also wrote the president's moving speech for a memorial service in the same cathedral after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Developing...
First of all Maureen Reagan was the daughter of Jane Wyman and Pres Reagan. Nancy Reagan was her stepmother.
The White House sent a representative to attend the funeral as they often do for non-state funerals. Maureen Reagan was a private citizen!
Go to hell
This is a STATE Funeral for a former President not a rally like Wellstone. Republicans have a lot more class than that.
President Bush will speak and so will his Dad who just happened to be President Reagan's Vice President for eight, repeat eight years.
Anyone who compares the Wellstone pep rally to this state funeral is not a Republican (obvious) and is here to cause trouble (obvious).
Sick and tired of being lectured by people obviously trying to make political hay by trying to say this State Funeral for a President is going to be a pep rally like event the RATs had for Wellstone. Not our fault the RATs are classless and clueless!
I see your point & I don't disagree. Reagan was indeed well-loved by some democrats, too. Those democrats aren't really represented by today's DNC but that's for them to figure out. But, still, the bottom line is, whatever the family wants is the way it will be.
I'm curious as to why you would think that my unsolicited advice and opinion that some not turn the Reagan funeral into an "us against them" type event is "causing trouble"? There are political minefields everywhere these days. If someone says, "Watch out, don't step there" is that "causing trouble"?
This is not about Kerry paying respects.....there was and IS a perfect time for him to do that, in D.C., with his colleagues.
He did not love Ronald Reagan.
He strove against Reagan at every turn. As was his job, I guess, as a liberal democrat.
He was NOT THERE to mourn, he was there to get into the news, and apparently, camera in toe, he made sure it would happen.
He USED THE NATIONAL MOURNING OF RONALD REAGAN, HE USED THE PRIMARY NEWS OF THIS UNFOLDING SADNESS, TO GET HIS FACE IN THE NEWS.
It was NOT his time. He made it his time. And that he went without a response from Nancy, after trying to call her, says volumes.
Let the freaking man/men speak, I say. To do anything less looks very, very suspicious
What nonsense. You'll see, if you read the thread, that at Nixon's funeral Clinton spoke because he was the sitting president and he conveyed the respects of the former presidents who were in attendance.
It is absolutely the height of tastelessness to have a tantrum demanding a speaking role. He has been invited and that is enough. There is zero precendent, much less requirement, that a former president must be assigned a speaking role at the funeral of another former president.
Your bringing up the Wellstone event is highly suspect, since that is the angle the libs have brought up almost from the instant the word was received that President Reagan had passed on. It is a revolting and insulting comparison, especially when the remarks are constantly made in anticipation of events instead of in response to actual occurrences.
I couldn't believe that Larry Kudlow didn't say anything. I'm not sure if he was caught off guard or couldn't believe what he was hearing!. But I was disappointed that Cramer got away with an outright falsehood.
From http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/6/7/114943.shtml
"According to the book Hillary's Scheme by NewsMax.com's Carl Limbacher, one time Clinton bodyguard L.D. Brown, a former Arkansas State Trooper, says that in the 1980's Bill Clinton actually did admire Reagan, and got along well with Vice President Bush. But not Hillary. According to Brown's 1997 book, "Crossfire: A Witness in the Clinton Investigation," the Clintons had been invited to a party at Bush's estate in Kennebunkport.
"Hillary flatly refused to go," says Brown in his book. Brown then quotes Hillary as saying, "F---him Bill. He's Reagan's G--D---Vice President."
In a separate incident, Brown says he showed Hillary a picture that he had taken with Nancy Reagan. Clinton allegedly told him that he should burn it. Brown also writes in his book that during a trip to D.C. in the 1980's, he recalls taking a taxi with Hillary and young Chelsea Clinton from the airport. Passing the White House, Chelsea wanted to get a closer look, but her mom shot back, "..we'll take a tour when someone decent lives there." "
.
The Democratic Response =
CLINTON's Anger
.
I remember that. I sat there, yelling at the tv, "Get gone you jack@ss." He couldn't let go. Still can't. Just wait and watch. He's going to try to schmooze the press and what's left of his following. Losers all.
Dunno whose call it is, but whoever made it evidently didn't want the democRATs coming in and turning it into another travesty like they did at Paul Wellstone's funeral.
Well, I just heard on Brit's "The Grapevine" that now House Democrats are complaining because (are you ready?) Nancy Pelosi has not been invited to speak tomorrow night.
Brit said Dennis Hastert, Ted Stevens for the Senate, and VP Cheney are slated, and Hastert was the Reagan family selection to represent the House.
The dem complaint evidently has to do with Nancy being from California.
The crybaby Pelosi is now whining that she doesn't get to speak tomorrow at the ceremony in the Rotunda in DC.
Good grief.
There is absolutely no sense of decorum on the left. It's long gone.
(I think Joe Lieberman and Zell Miller must be the only honorable dems left in this country.)
"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards, if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book!"
Here's the link. (Scroll thru the various quotes - 4th quote)
That doesn't wash...Ketchup boy meetng Reagan more than
President Bush?...GWB was around White House for 12 years
visitng parents...working on campaigns, etc....He has
patterned his political career more from Reagan than his Dad..but am sure he loves both equally.....some of these
asinine statements by Kerry is the old Dem. ploy....get it
out there -even if not true -most people will believe it??
Jake
Actually, I don't believe Jane Wyman was present yesterday. Michael was there with his wife Colleen, daughter Ashley and son Cameron. The elegant older lady in the family group was Nancy's best friend, Mary Jane Wick, whose husband is one of the honorary pallbearers. Just an FYI...
I believe Jane Wyman and Nancy are cordial...they were both at Maureen Reagan's funeral and I seem to recall footage of them greeting each other. I thought it was lovely that Maureen's widower, Dennis Revell, was included in the intimate family group along with his new fiancee. Dennis and Maureen adopted a girl (from Uganda?) who is now a young teenager so I wonder if she will be present in Washington.
I'm sure that, by now, it's all been said.
...but I sure think billyblythe is a pig.
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