A note about attendance at Scalia's Memorial

[jberryhill]

Joe Biden was the ranking minority member of the Judiciary Committee when Scalia was nominated to the court.

It is unusual for both the president and vice president to attend a public event together on short notice, for security reasons.

Joe Biden is going, because Joe Biden had an important role in Scalia's Supreme Court career.

http://www.c-span.org/video/?c4046024/bidenscalia-1986-confirmation-hearing

[Bucky]

1. Also, Biden's got more experience at stake-driving... you know, just in case

[MADem]

2. POTUS and VPOTUS have appeared together publicly at funerals.

It's not that unusual. In fact, it's almost par for the course in many situations.

They both -- along with Bill Clinton -- made it to Daniel Inoye's funeral.



EVERYONE made it to Ted Kennedy's funeral:


Dorothy Height's funeral, with Pelosi, Reid, Clyburn, HRC:
?itok=il0IpQ0n



I think Obama preferred to not attend, and he has a Vice President, and that IS what they do. Even though they do other things as well, nowadays.

Biden's association with the Judiciary Committee (which everyone will be reminded of when CONFIRMATION is released on HBO) is a reasonable justification to send him along to do that duty.

[onenote]

5. Right. And the Church where the funeral service is being held is used to high profile events

The Pope visited there last year. A number of Presidents have been there. For example, President Johnson's daughter was married there in 1966. In 2008, President Bush attended the funeral of his former press secretary, Tony Snow, at the church. They are very accustomed to major security events.

In contrast, the President and VP both attended Clementa Pinckney's funeral's in Charleston, held in a sports arena twice the size of the church and with admission open to all members of the public (in contrast to the Scalia funeral which is invitation only).

If there is a good reason for Obama not to attend I haven't heard it. Yes, it's not required. But given the current political debate in which the repubs are back on their heels for overreaching in their partisanship, the right move is to go above and beyond and disarm the critics rather than allow them (and the media) to change the conversation, as they have.

[MADem]

6. A good reason to not attend is to make it plain that Scalia and Obama had nothing in common.

Obama taught Constitutional law. I think his view of that document is quite different from the views that were held by Scalia.

Obama is in a situation where it's probably best to acknowledge that if he can't say anything nice--and he cannot--it's best to not say anything at all.

I think he's right to give this one a miss. It sends a very clear message that he's a liberal, and Scalia was not.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

8. It's supposed to be about the office

not about the man.

And he wouldn't have to speak, he could just attend.

[MADem]

9. Office? What office? He wasn't the chief justice. He was just one dude warming the bench.

He's not the first, he's not the last. He was part of a crew of nine, with no special authority, a backward-thinking troublemaker, and he fucked up our country real good with his shenanigans.

Hello? Bush v. Gore?

The man was a menace.

And if POTUS showed up and didn't speak, it would make it worse.

He's making the right move, here.

He's not pretending he's sad the guy has given him this opportunity to put a decisive stamp on the court. And that's HONEST.

[onenote]

10. He was the senior member of the court, having served nearly 30 years and Obama doesn't need to speak

And if the President is trying to draw some sort of distinction, why would he say the things about Scalia he said publicly and why would he attend the wake at the Court. He simply steps on his own message by not sucking it up and attending the funeral without giving a good explanation.

Clinton and Gore attended Thurgood Marshall's funeral and only Gore spoke.

It's a lost opportunity to back up the President's criticism of hyper partisanship with action (and if folks at the funeral misbehave or disrespect the President, it also advances the President's argument against the repubs.

[MADem]

14. He was one of nine and without a title. Justices die all the time. Most on the bench, because

they don't have the decency to retire when they feel a little wobbly.

Thurgood Marshall and Clinton and Gore AGREED on much. You can't draw a comparison to them. Also, Thurgood Marshall's SON worked in the Clinton White House. He also worked for Al Gore when Al was a Senator, AND he was a campaign manager during at least one of the Clinton-Gore elections. So, you see, it's not just a POTUS and VPOTUS thing--there's a personal relationship that precedes the WH.

Scalia couldn't carry TM's bags. TM's mark on America was positive and game-changing. Scalia's contribution codified graft and "business as usual" in the worst sense of the term into law.

Gore gave a scripture reading at that funeral. http://www.c-span.org/video/?37494-1/justice-thurgood-marshall-memorial-service It was an appropriate one.

There's no "lost opportunity" with Scalia. The maxim applies: If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

[onenote]

18. Since 1993, seven Justices have died. Two had funerals outside DC

Of the remaining five, the President was in attendance for four (and two of the four had not served as Chief Justice).

But the point is that it was a lost opportunity to make the point through action that the President has sought to make in his recent comments -- that it is time to reduce the partisanship in DC.

Your comments suggest that partisanship should continue to rule the day, contrary to the President's message.

And as I said, there is no requirement for the President to speak, as was the case with the Marshall funeral

Richard Nixon attended Earl Warren's funeral and I guarantee that Nixon felt as negatively towards Warren as Obama feels towards Scalia. And Bush attended Ted Kennedy's funeral, even though the two agreed on virtually nothing.

[jberryhill]

22. "which is invitation only"

Do you know, for a fact, that Obama was invited?

If not invited, and asked if he is going, should the answer be "no I am not going" or "no I was not invited".

[onenote]

23. Giving that explanation would be far better than giving no explanation.

And it would be an unimaginable breach of protocol to invite Biden and not invite the President. I doubt that is the case and if it was, somebody would have let it leak out to the press.

[pinboy3niner]

3. For Obama it would be overkill to go to the funeral after paying his respects at the viewing

(Okay, I couldn't resist using 'overkill' for the benefit of the conspiracy theorists. )

How many times does he need to pay his respects? There is no disrespect in missing the funeral after attending the viewing the day before.

[MADem]

7. The conspiracy theorists will have their field day, won't they?

I think it's smart that he not attend--what could he say about the man? "Well, The Notorious RBG liked him?"

They had nothing in common, really.

[onenote]

11. Then the better decision would be to attend the funeral

If you're only going to one, why not the funeral?

[lostnfound]

12. Obama knows many Scalia family and friends wouldn't welcome it?

He's doing the right thing by going to the memorial to pay respect to the position that Scalia held,, while letting the Funeral not become a focal point of irrational hate from the right.

[onenote]

13. Except by not attending the funeral has in effect become a focal point of irrational hate.

[LanternWaste]

15. His attendance would produce the same irrational hate.

His attendance would produce the same irrational hate.

[jberryhill]

17. Yup

"How dare he not attend!"

"How dare he show up!"

It doesn't matter what he does or doesn't do.

[onenote]

19. And if it did, it would a win for the President

Since it would reinforce his message that the repubs are being overly partisan. Whereas not going to the funeral makes it look like the President is the one being partisan.

[jberryhill]

21. And, here we are, talking about someone's funeral as a "win" or "loss"

[lindysalsagal]

4. Sorry, but not everything is strategy with Obama.He went because he should. He's potus.

The. Man. Always. Does. What's. Right.

[Rex]

16. All good facts. I really don't understand the kerfluffle over this issue.

Scalia was just another bench warmer...the POTUS has more important things to be doing plus he already went to the viewing. Biden is an excellent choice.

[Demonaut]

20. he needs to go...it will only hinder the nomination process as it's more ammunition