Thanks for saying that...I was wondering if I was alone in this position...unless I am mistinterpreting your position.
When Paul Wellstone died the democratic party tried to use his death as a rallying cry for the election. They even went to the point of holding a campaign rally at his memorial.
Granted the Reagan service wont be turned into a call to arms for republicans have too much respect for the living and dead alike to behave so disgracefully. But the salivating of some conservative pundits about how Bush will get a bounce and all of thir thinly veiled glee at how this will translate into votes for Bush in 2004 is in my view just as bad. Don’t get me wrong I am a big fan of Hugh he is a good man he personally wrote me back twice when I sent him emails on his show, and it not like he isn’t being disrespectful towards the president. But I have to say he had a guest on at the start of his show yesterday and he asked him the same question he is asking all of his guests (which just goes to show that this issue is foremost in his mind) he asked if Bush was gonna get a bump out of this and the guy (former Reagan speech writer) you could tell he wasn’t all that comfortable with the question. It is frankly in my view inappropriate. Its one thing to wonder privately...maybe its ok to even postulate on it once or twice publicly. But Hugh is asking every one of his guests and now writing articles for publication about how this is a win win for Bush Sure the focus of the article is how great Reagan was..but so was the wellstone memorial...underneath however is a very clear sense of "This is good for Bush". Its not appropriate. Its certainly not as tasteless and tacky as the Wellstone memorial but it is tasteless and tacky nevertheless. I think it makes us look bad.
I thought it was tasteless for Wellstonians to try to turn Wellstones death into a political issue. In honesty and integrity I have to demand the same standard from our own.
You & I are on the same page. I also heard Hugh's show yesterday & frankly was repelled.
He's a sharp guy but I think he needs to back off with the punditry lest he become what he abhorrs.
The timing may be tasteless but comparisons are inevitable. That is what people do, compare things.
We should not politicize his funeral.
I have no problem just discussing whether the timing of this may impact the election, however.
I think you're comparing apples and oranges. If GW Bush and the RNC had a big rally and acted like the "demoncrat party leadership" acted, then you would have a point.
I have seen NO partisanship from Republican leaders this week. Pundits will always analyze the issues of the day, that's what they do.
BTW read my tagline, wouldn't you agree? W governs much more like Reagan than like his own father.