IMO, President Bush is a class act.
A person has died-—he can’t do more harm. He was asked by the resident to go.
To do otherwise would be terribly ungracious.
It’s not like his going makes a political statement. When the president of the US asks you to do something, you honor his office (if not the man) by doing it.
Good answer. You don’t refuse invitations from the president. Bush probably wanted to go but didn’t want to intrude.