Repugs hijacking Reagan's funeral: NO DEMOCRATIC SPEAKERS DURING CEREMONY.

[LittleApple81]

C-Span caller (liked Reagan and Bush, he said). Connie said, testily "Why should they have Democrats?" and the caller said: because he was the president for people from both parties, not just the Republicans. And then he said that taking him in the caisson with the riderless horse was being misused: it is reserved for Presidents who die in office, not one who was president 18 years ago. Anybody knows if this is true (about the caisson)?

[Justice]

1. I have no issue with caisson

If they choose only republicans to speak, it will reflect on them.

[LittleApple81]

3. I take issue with anything that glorifies RR. They are trying to

make it like Kennedy's funeral...and Kennedy was assassinated while he was in office.
BESIDES IT IS COSTING US MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. And to spend all this money (I heard 20M) on an empty shell (he had been an empty shell for 10 years) instead of using it more constructively, i.e., feeding as many unemployed, food-line-populating people as possible OFFENDS ME PROFOUNDLY.

[radwriter0555]

27. The caisson rule isn't restricted to those who die in office, it's a

tradition to respect a leader, whether former or current. No exceptions are being made; tradition is being followed.

[htuttle]

2. Why should they allow both parties time?

Because the taxpayers are paying for all this pomp and circumstance, that's why.

If they want a partisan affair, they shouldn't do it on the taxpayer's dime.

[SpaceCatMeetsMars]

4. I looked up that riderless horse thing

and it looks like the guy is wrong. They had it for Johnson and others.

"Tradition allows a caparisoned horse to follow the casket of any Army or Marine Corps officer in the rank of colonel or above. Presidents of our nation, as commanders-in-chief, are given the same honor.


The most famous caparisoned horse was Black Jack. He was foaled Jan. 19, 1947, and was the last of the Quartermaster-issue horses branded with the Army's "US" brand. He was named after General of the Armies John J. "Black Jack" Pershing. He participated in the funerals of presidents John F. Kennedy, Herbert Hoover and Lyndon Johnson, General of the Army Douglas MacArthur and thousands of other funerals during his 24 years of service with The Old Guard. Upon his death, Feb. 6, 1976, he was buried on the parade field at Fort Myer."

http://www.mdw.army.mil/fs-g06.htm

As for them not letting a Democrat speak, how typical. They are the meanest, most petty people. They make it so clear every day how much they hate any American that doesn't think exactly like them.

[LittleApple81]

6. Thanks a lot. We can always count on DU to find out info. n/t

[tom_paine]

19. And now we Free Americans HATE THEM

Hate breeds hate, it is both true and sad, but what choice does Free America have left, considering the Monsters and the Abyss of Tyranny we face?

Who was wrong, the Nazis who hated the Jews, or the Jews who hated the Nazis back?

[olacan]

5. I am not

sure on this but I think it is the family that determines the tone of this service. So it would seem to me to be a family decision not the GOP party

[LittleApple81]

7. I don't think Nancy would have selected Bush* to speak, then.

She is old but not senile.

[kentuck]

8. They are being honest.

Reagan was their President. He was not a president for our whole country. That's why they loved him!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

9. Who cares? They have nothing else going for them right now

let them live in the past. Losers.

[Elidor]

10. I find it entirely appropriate

For the GOP to use Reagan's corpse for naked political purposes. It's the kind of guy he was, and I'm sure he would approve. Let them be petty.

[Vickers]

11. C'mon, you Commie louts, a Dem speaker would desecrate the whole thing!

What the Hell are you thinking?!?!?!?!

Love,

Love Drug Limbaugh

[ArkDem]

12. Oh, the HUMANITY!!!!!!

[demnan]

13. Maybe the whole thing will backfire on them

just like the flightsuit incident.

[bluedog]

14. heard that today

you knoe it pissed me off also when the witch asked why would he have a Democrat speaker? I thought they were saying what a great guy he was and he brought pride back to America.....are we Democrats not part of America??

[Solidarity]

15. Would Anyone Here Want To Say Nice Things About Reagan At The Funeral?

Why would any Democrat want to speak? Reagan was an enemy of working people. If I were a speaker I could find nothing nice to say about Reagan's reactionary policies at home or abroad.

Will any posters here want to speak at George W. Bush's funeral?

The funeral should be a Republican thing! And certainly not a bi-partisan tribute to Reagan and all the terrible things he stood for.

[Kanary]

21. That was my thought. However......

I just saw Harry Reid -D Nevada PRAISING the #(%)#@$!!! on C-Span2. And, the praise was for King Ronnie's actions in ... NICARAGUA! So, Dems think it was not only OK, but praiseworthy to squash people who are seeking their own freedom.

There you have it. We've lost our Party.

Kanary

[jmowreader]

26. I would LOVE to speak at George W. Bush's funeral!

"Ladies and gentlemen, an orator of long ago gave a eulogy that started, 'I come not to praise Caesar, but to bury him.'

"I do not come either to praise Bush or to bury him. I come to cut off his worthless fucking head, stick it on a pike as a warning to the others, then throw the rest of his lifeless carcass into a drainage ditch and piss on it. For that is all he deserves. But that's not all he's going to get."

Then I'd start in on the litany of failures and abuses of the Bush administration. How he was our first cocaine-abusing president. How he was our first president to enter office with a criminal record. How he destroyed our nation, lied us into two wars and ignored evidence that would have stopped 9/11.

You know, spend an hour or so straightening out the Bush record.

Everyone here would love to do that.

[Solidarity]

33. Unfortunately They Won't Let You or I Speak!

But, those who speak at Reagan's and Bush's funeral will only be alllowed to say nice things about these two reactionaries.

That being the case, I don't think any Democratic politicians should speak at either funeral. If you can't say something nice about Bush or Reagan don't say anything at all at their funerals!

[Hawkeye-X]

37. No, but I'd publically piss on *'s grave

but I'd rather see him cremated and ceremoniously flushed in a commode somewhere in North Philly.

Hawkeye-X

[cmf]

16. Of course

But they were all over us for polticizing Wellstone's funeral. I hope it comes back and bites them on the ass.

[Gin]

17. I say let them have their week....let them have their monuments...

let them have the name on buildings and airports and money and whatever....the public is already saturated with RR info to the point of nausea.. and half do not care about RR anymore...so....they are digging their own grave...now let them dig deeper and fall in.

I say.......bring it on!

[Gloria]

32. The only way it will bite them in the ass is if Democrats squall the way

the GOP did during Wellstone's funeral remembrances.

And Democrats don't have the will to do it.......but someone should drop a few comments about the hypocrisy of it all...........

[bluedog]

18. oh oh Drudge flashing light

CONTROVERSY DEVELOPS OVER SPEAKERS AT REAGAN FUNERAL ..........more to come

[John_H]

20. GOOD!!!!!! The more partisan it looks, the better!!!!!!

[JimT]

22. not surprised

Gee..what a surprise that they will capitalize on a death for their campaign. :eyes:

[wndycty]

23. Oh oh . . ..

. . .Drudge and right to spin it as its controversial because the Democrats are whining.

[jackstraw45]

24. Of course, it's ALL about Clinton...usual Repug tactics...

:eyes:

[bluedog]

25. oh shit they are

blaming Clinton.for christs sakes!!!!

[jmowreader]

28. What? Did the Clenis kill Reagan?

I knew the Clenis was all-powerful, but this is ridiculous.

[Auntie Bush]

29. I think LBJ was in a caisson...and he was out of office when he died.

[bluedog]

30. for those who don't go to Drudge.........

CLINTON DISAPPOINTMENT: LEFT OFF FUNERAL SPEAKERS LIST

Former President Bill Clinton has privately expressed anger he has apparently been left off the speakers list of Friday's Reagan State Funeral, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

"President Clinton really held out all hope the funeral would be a nonpartisan event, like Nixon's was," a top Clinton source said on Tuesday morning. "He's angry and disappointed neither he nor President Carter have been asked to speak, as of yet."

The top source says Clinton has been critical that both Bush presidents will address the crowd gathered at National Cathedral.

Nixon's vice president Gerald Ford did not speak at Nixon's funeral.

Clinton's inner circle is convinced Nancy Reagan has personally shut out Clinton from any high-profile participation.

"It is a state funeral, using tax dollars," the top Clinton insider explained.

Former President George H.W. Bush, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney will join President Bush in eulogizing Ronald Reagan, Reagan's office announced. Presiding over the service will be former Sen. John Danforth of Missouri, who is an ordained Episcopal priest. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and the Rabbi Harold Kusher will give readings, while Irish tenor Ronan Tynan will sing.

The eulogy is being prepared by President Bush's chief speechwriter, Michael Gerson, who also wrote the president's moving speech for a memorial service in the same cathedral after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

[hughee99]

31. It's his funeral

Let Nancy have whoever she wants speak (although I believe that it's customary for the sitting president to speak as the Big Dog did at Nixon's funeral). Do we really want to create a situation where Clinton's family is obligated to let a Repuke speak at his funeral? What does it matter if it's all the Repukes, no one's actually going to watch it anyway.

[uncle ray]

34. it's simple

ALL living former presidents should be able to speak at the services when another dies. of course they should keep it appropiate for the situation, as i'm sure Clinton could.

[hughee99]

35. I don't agree

The president, or his family should decide, although the sitting president should speak as Clinton did for Nixon (and I believe Nixon did for LBJ, though I haven't been able to confirm this), because there are only usually 4 or 5 speakers. Just as any of us, or our families, would be able to determine who speaks at our funerals. It's not that I don't think Clinton would be dignified, I'm sure he would. I believe that rather than any former presidents being entitled to speak at a presidential funeral, the deceased president should be entitled to choose his speakers.

[Led Revel]

36. Were there any Republican speakers at Paul Wellstones funeural?

I can't remember, but I didn't really think it was appropriate the way that service turned out, so I think it could back fire on the Republicans if this funeural turns into the same type of political pep rally.

[hughee99]

38. There were some republicans there

but I don't believe any of them were speakers. If the BFEE takes this as an opportunity to make a political statement rather than a memorial statement, then I think it probably will backfire.

[denverbill]

39. No, that only applies to Democrats.

Remember how the entire national media heaped abuse on Democrats for 'politicizing' Wellstone's funeral, even though it was only a handful of people who booed Lott out of the thousands who were there?

Do you recall any similar national media outrage when Hillary Clinton was booed at the memorial service for the WTC victims?

No, they could sell tickets at a memorial, have speaker after speaker denouncing Democrats, and run Bush ads every 15 minutes, and there would still be no outrage from the 'liberal media'.

[catzies]

40. Welcome to DU

What do you think was not appropriate the way Wellstone's service "turned out?"

Why did you state what you did about "the same type of political pep rally?"

Why are you using the RW talking points? Is it because you think they were correct, or are you just looking for info because all you got was their propaganda?

[LTR]

41. I disagree

First off, I don't believe the Drudge story. It's been a few hours, and no outside source. And we all know about Drudge's tendency to grasp at straws. Remember the Kerry intern non-story? I just don't see Clinton as the type to make a stink about something like this.

And from what I saw, the speakers will be Mulroney, Thatcher, Bush I and our current resident...er president. I have no problem with this. Sounds pretty customary. If 20 Republicans went up to give eulogies, I might object. But it's his funeral, so whatever the family deems appropriate. After all, do we really want to see this thing drag on?

Besides, if any Democrat were to speak, I think Carter would be a more appropriate choice.

Let the GOP have their little party. Let's see if W starts campaigning over the casket. I'm all for giving the Bush gang enough rope to hang themselves.