4 U.S. Presidents Expected at King Funeral (Live Thread)

AP on Yahoo ^ | Feb. 7, 2006 | Errin Haines

[katieanna]

LITHONIA, Ga. - Shivering in near-freezing temperatures, thousands of people waited hours in line Tuesday for one last chance to say goodbye to Coretta Scott King before her funeral.

"There's one word to describe going to go see Coretta — historic. It's good to finally see her at peace," said Robert Jackson, a 34-year-old financial consultant from Atlanta whose 10-year-old daughter, Ebony, persuaded him to take her to the visitation.

The lines had already started forming by 3 a.m. By the time the doors opened at 6:30 a.m., people toward the end were warned that if they stayed in line they likely wouldn't get into the funeral because of long lines that were already forming there.

An estimated 10,000 people, including four U.S. presidents, were expected to attend the midday funeral at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, where King's daughter Bernice is a minister.

[Mo1]

Jusge William Sessions is up now

[Carolinamom]

It wouldn't have surprised me to have seen Ted Kennedy on the stage representing his brother.

[Howlin]

Very close. Very.

[linda_22003]

Ted Kennedy was one of the speakers.

[Howlin]

Well, judging on what Bill said, there's no doubt they meant Hillary.

He said, "I'm here with my president, my former president, and with ---"

Then there was a long pause, leaving plenty of time for you to assume exactly who he meant.

The crowd went wild.

[BigSkyFreeper]

It wouldn't have surprised me to have seen Ted Kennedy on the stage representing his brother.

The most surreal moment was Carter brining up "secret government wiretapping", when the Ted Kennedy's brother Robert Kennedy as Attorney General wiretapped MLK's phones without his knowledge.

[NCC-1701]

"...I didn't know we HAD 4 U.S. Presidents...."

We really have six. Here they are:
Gerald R. Ford
Jimmy Carter
George H.W. Bush
Bill Clinton
Hillary Clinton
George W. Bush.

Since clinochio claimed in an interview that both he and hitlery were co-presidents, I included her in the list. And since they were co-prezs, that would prevent her from running for the White House in '08. She would have eight of the ten year maximum allowed by the Constitution to be president.

[Christian4Bush]

Jonathan Alder from Newsweek says it won't be referred to as a Welstone moment

Bravo Sierra. (That's "Bull Sh**", for those in Rio Linda)

[Carolinamom]

I Missed that! Oh, well. It figures. He's a democrat.

[spectre]

Ted quoted scripture after scripture..it was blasphemous.

sw

[Palladin]

Actually, Teddy's speech was very good--brief, meaningful, and appropriate. He quoted the Eight Beatitudes and pointed out how Coretta modeled each of them in her life.

Props to Teddy's speechwriter.

[Carolinamom]

Nothing ugly that Carter says is surprising. I do so hope that when he approaches the pearly gates that there will be a committee of Republican angels discussing his fate.

[Christian4Bush]

Yep. I got it. Her stentorian voice related the marriage and hardships of the Kings...which sounded like her own. She is shameless and using this FUNERAL to advance her own political ambition is beneath contempt.

And totally expected.

[BigSkyFreeper]

What's so striking is, Ted Kennedy is not virtuous enough to carry The Lord's Word unto the edges of the Earth.

[Denver Ditdat]

MLK is the only person who is given a national holiday.

Christopher Columbus has a national holiday, too.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Or they ask Carter, "Are you lost?" and he has a puzzled look on his face, and the angels point down.

[Mo1]

Has there really been a Wellstone moment? Ha!

Yes .. but now that Carter and the Clinton's have left .. the funeral is back to honoring the life of Mrs. King

[Txsleuth]

You are correct....constant bobblizsation mode...

I swear that you could take Bill's speech, with Hillary, bob-bob-bobbing along...and then Hillary's speech and put it just the way it was today, on SNL...

and it would get the biggest laugh of anything this year!

[blu]

Ahem. I didn't name them, someone else did. I merely voted on the likelihood that the Preses would attend. And, ya know, that was so long ago, I've forgotten the ones I chose, except for Sandra Day O'Connor. I think she was the first woman on the Supreme Court, so, yes, I think they would attend.

And hey, watch who you're calling delusional. For all you know, I just might be. And delusional people are not known for their predictable behavior! (Sheesh, even a nut knows you don't call a nut a nut!) :)

[BonnieJ]

Did I miss something or was there not a televised "event" for Chief Justice Rhenquist when he died? It seems he was overlooked in terms of coverage. This has been given a great deal of air time, like the Sonny Bono service! But no ex presidents showed up at his. The King family is just given too much credit, and everyone is afraid to challenge any of the myths about them.