tuscl

President Skipping Justice Scalia Funeral

pensionking
Illinois
So, what do we think of POTUS not arranging his schedule to attend the funeral of Justice Scalia? Are we able to comment on other than strict ideological party lines?

I will go first -- I'm not happy. I feel it is shameful and political. This after lecturing the Illinois legislature a week ago about putting politics aside and finding common ground.

POTUS spent over $11M taxpayer funds to attend Nelson Mandela Funeral. POTUS has attended funerals of civil rights leaders (notably Dorothy Height), left leaning elected officials (Sen. Kennedy, Sen. Inouye, et al), gun victims (S.C. Rev. Pinckney, et al). POTUS skipped funeral of Margaret Thatcher and other heads of state and recently skipped Arlington Cemetery funeral of Maj. Gen. Greene. He did attend funeral of Beau Biden. His choices have clearly reflected his political leanings.

Don't get me wrong. I do not see where the right wingers think they have the constitutional right to intentionally stonewall POTUS's right to nominate a successor.

In the last 12 years, we have seen politically motivated disrespect and hatred each direction -- left and right. For the good of the country, it has to stop. I have given up HOPE that this administration will effect CHANGE for the good in this regard.

Here is an old article from last summer on the topic for those wishing to read more:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-…

What say ye!

49 comments

  • san_jose_guy
    •
    9 years ago
    Nelson Mandel was a great world leader!

    Antonin Scalia was an arch reactionary. I'm glad he is no longer on our court.

    SJG
  • Dominic77
    •
    9 years ago
    Sounds like he's going to the viewing and reflection. Seems like an okay trade off to me. Supposedly VP Biden is going to the funeral.
  • flagooner
    •
    9 years ago
    Total lack of respect. But to be honest, it doesn't surprise me. It is consistent with his entire presidency. Total narcissism.

    I can't imagine any of the past presidents, in my lifetime, from either party, not paying proper respects
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    9 years ago
    I certainly can imagine such!

    SJG
  • WetWilly
    •
    9 years ago
    Being a big Obama fan myself, I was actually a bit surprised when I read he is not going to attend.
  • motorhead
    •
    9 years ago
    Scalia is Catholic. Barack Hussein Obama is not. Let's just say it's payback for the Crusades.
  • larryfisherman
    •
    9 years ago
    Him not going to the funeral is not the end of the world.
  • georgmicrodong
    •
    9 years ago
    It kind of depends on what he's doing instead. any idea what that is?

    I had a flippant answer all types up, but I deleted it.
  • rockstar666
    •
    9 years ago
    Scalia was an almost perfect example of intelligence going down blind alleys. But Obama should still go out of respect. I'm often compelled to suffer idiots and he's no different.
  • motorhead
    •
    9 years ago
    "It kind of depends on what he's doing instead. any idea what that is?"

    "Golfing"

    But the secret service knows what's that code for
  • rockstar666
    •
    9 years ago
    With Obama, "golfing" probably means golfing. We share that addiction.
  • flagooner
    •
    9 years ago
    I just read the article. Apparently it's not uncommon for the president not to attend. But it it's still wrong
  • twentyfive
    •
    9 years ago
    Doesn't mean anything either way. I'd skip it if I was POTUS.
  • georgmicrodong
    •
    9 years ago
    Well, I don't think it's "wrong" per sé. It might be considered disrespectful by some, but funerals are for the benefit of the living, as the dead no longer care, so to whom is it actually disrespectful?

    I also understand that sharing grief helps, but I doubt Obama is actually feeling much in the way of actual "grief" as most of us understand that term. Sadness maybe, but not grief.
  • rockstar666
    •
    9 years ago
    Personally I'm dancing on Scalia's grave, and as a lame duck maybe Obama is just tired of pandering to the religious right.
  • gawker
    •
    9 years ago
    I hate funerals and skip them whenever possible. I considering skipping my own.
  • pensionking
    •
    9 years ago
    To be fair, IMO Scalia is not a reactionary, just a conservative. Furthermore, POTUS has not pandered to the religious right whatsoever -- if anything, he has, at times, needlessly tormented the religious right. The idiot religious zealots fall for the bait ever time. So predictable. They seemingly never got to the bible verse about turning the other cheek!

    If it needs stated, I can't stand the positions taken by extremists in either direction, left or right. Full disclosure, I consider myself leaning fiscally conservative and socially liberal.
  • Mate27
    •
    9 years ago
    Obama killed him so why would he attend his funeral.
  • rockstar666
    •
    9 years ago
    Meat: LOL I wish!!!!! We'd have 9 liberal SC justices if that were true.
  • Mate27
    •
    9 years ago
    U mean he didn't order the hit on his head? Wasn't there a pillow found over his head, and no autopsy was ordered.

    Funny what shit you see on the conspiracy news feed.
  • sharkhunter
    •
    9 years ago
    I believe Obama is anti catholic and the SC justice was catholic so it fits Obama's profile to not attend a funeral. Plus the SC just shot down Obama's EPA climate change rule just last week and now a Justice ends up dead less than a week later. Obama might be happy about it all. At least he showed respect by not acting gleeful about it. I heard a rumor that in the 1960's, senate democrats passed a law requiring the senate to confirm any nomination and that no justice had been appointed since then in a presidents lame duck last year. not sure if true or not.
  • motorhead
    •
    9 years ago
    A Supreme Court Justice is murdered surrounding a case involving the environment.

    Wasn't that a plot of a John Grisham novel?
  • rentz2
    •
    9 years ago
    I don't go to funerals of people I don't like too.
  • jester214
    •
    9 years ago
    As I recall Bush went to Rehnquist's. I suppose it matters what he already has going on but this feels like a bit of a snub.
  • rockstar666
    •
    9 years ago
    shark@ Ask Justice Kennedy about that.
  • sharkhunter
    •
    9 years ago
    I'm sure Obama can think of something more important to him.
  • grand1511
    •
    9 years ago
    It's interesting to read tonight that Scalia was at the ranch on the dime of someone who had a case coming up before the court.
  • JohnSmith69
    •
    9 years ago
    There are so many others things to dislike Obama for that this one insult hardly even registers.
  • MrDeuce
    •
    9 years ago
    SJG: The fact that you consider Scalia a "reactionary" and not simply a conservative is indicative of your own ideological extremism. Good heavens, Bernie Sanders isn't left-wing enough for you!
  • MrDeuce
    •
    9 years ago
    The fact that Obama is skipping Scalia's funeral is just the latest in a long list of classless acts on his part, like his snubs of visiting British and Israeli prime ministers. He has gone out of his way to insult two of our closest allies.
  • Clubber
    •
    9 years ago
    Anyone ever hear of Clarence Thomas?
  • Corvus
    •
    9 years ago
    It's sad, but doesn't surprise me. Obama is the most prejudiced President in the past 100 years. He tries to come off as otherwise but fails miserably.
  • nemesisk7
    •
    9 years ago
    TRUMP 2016
  • Cashman1234
    •
    9 years ago
    It's sad that he's not attending. He should attend simply out of respect. Hasn't Scalia endured those useless State of the Union addresses over the past eight years?
  • grand1511
    •
    9 years ago
    Scalia had not attended at State of the Union adresss the past 19 years. This year there were only thre Sumpreme Court justices at the speech.
  • Daddillac
    •
    9 years ago
    My Grandfather always said "If I would not visit them when they are alive no reason to visit when they are dead"... I apply that rule to funerals also. I n this case though I believe it is completely disrespectful for Obama to skip it, but also not surprising with his attitude
  • rockstar666
    •
    9 years ago
    I'm changing my mind on this one after reading you guys' posts. I think it's okay for him to miss it, because Scalia should have gone to the State Of The Union addresses. And Daddillic's post makes sense too.
  • how
    •
    9 years ago
    Obama hates the Constitution which Scalia defended. He would be disingenuous to go to the funeral.

    Also, PensionKing: the senate cannot block the president from nominating whomever he wants to nominate. They won't. But, the senate is the authority for confirming or not confirming any nominee to get appointed to the USSC. That's their responsibility.
  • jester214
    •
    9 years ago
    Rockstar, Scalia hasn't gone in decades, if he has just skipped Obama's addresses your argument might hold water but it clearly wasn't personal with him.
  • rockstar666
    •
    9 years ago
    jester: He should have gone to all of them. Missing one is no big deal, but all of them? I'm with Obama: Let's play 18 instead. Funerals for people who hated you in life are dreary at best.

    I do the same thing in missing events I don't want to go to. Whenever one of my 35 nieces and nephews has a baptism or confirmation or anything that has a mass, I always manage to have a "band practice".
  • motorhead
    •
    9 years ago
    Bottom line is its utterly disgraceful. Obama went all the way to South Carolina to attend the funeral of Clementa Pinckney yet can't go across town to attend the funeral of someone who has been on ths Court for 30 years.
  • rockstar666
    •
    9 years ago
    If he went Meat, you'd just find some way to disparage that he went. Abject hatred of Obama really doesn't get us anywhere.
  • Cashman1234
    •
    9 years ago
    Based on grand1511 correcting my mistake - I think Obama shouldn't attend.

    Also - Daddilac makes a great point - if he didn't want to see him when he was alive - it makes sense that he stays away now too.
  • pensionking
    •
    9 years ago
    The argument to skip "if not liking the man" works for your neighbor or your distant cousin. In fact, I like that -- "if I wouldn't visit him while alive, why would I now." I may use that one, myself.

    However, in this case, it is disrespect for the office that makes his absence egregious. Just like skipping the funeral of the Major General killed in Afghanistan serving under current POTUS. Even if no personal connection to the man, the title demands respect.

    @how: I get it. The president nominates; the Senate confirms. I take issue with Senate leadership indicating they will not confirm ANYONE nominated no matter what until after the election. Stating their intention not to confirm ANYONE betrays their ultimate motives -- to circumvent the constitution for political purposes.
  • how
    •
    9 years ago
    Or, pensionking, the senate's declaration may just indicate their certainty that anyone Obama will nominate will be leftist, and thus an enemy of the Constitution. They took an oath to defend the Constitution against exactly that. So, they're not "circumventing the Constitution."
  • rockstar666
    •
    9 years ago
    According to Trump, the major General who was killed was a loser because he was killed. So which way is it?
  • Hugh_G_Rection
    •
    9 years ago
    I really hope we can get past this state of cross the aisle contempt. My gut reaction is that if there were another civil war this country wouldn't be a neat Union/ confederacy divide with a six year war and a generation to recover. You would have red state here, blue state there, black nationalist enclave over here, islamic republic on that side of the river, survivalist enclave , theocracy, peoples republic etc.... The point is were getting ready to come apart at the seams if we can't at least learn to talk to each other. It would NOT be a pretty sight if it happened
  • rockstar666
    •
    9 years ago
    I think the Republican party needs to decide what it stands for, or break up into two parties if they can't Their abject determination to not even negotiate with Democrats is not conducive to a democracy, and if they keep it up we won't BE a democracy for much longer.
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    9 years ago
    Deuce,

    Scalia was a reactionary because he is reacting against forward progress, trying to turn the clock back on things which are largely already settled issues. Mussolini defined Fascism as Reaction.

    Bernie Sanders is slightly to the left of the Democratic Party center. This is not much. If we are going to avoid going completely over a cliff, then we need someone who will restructure our economic system. Sanders is not even talking about anything like this. Sanders is still to the right of most of Western Europe.

    SJG

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