Supreme Court Justice Scalia dead at 79

Reba said:
President Obama won't attend Scalia's funeral Saturday. I don't know why.

VP Biden will attend.
Click to expand...
I suspect sometimes the VP is sent to dignitaries of note funerals... it's been done in the past I'm sure and not because of a "golf game" either. Though I don't know the reasoning or logic behind why Obama decided not to (not 'refused to' as some people are saying) to go but he is still paying his respects and has even spoken positively about the memory of Scalia (noted in the NBC article).

Seems to be some precedent though it's been 65 years since a sitting justice has died.

http://heavy.com/news/2016/02/why-i...court-justice-funeral-history-bush-rehnquist/

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...l-not-attend-justice-scalia-s-funeral-n520236

http://crooksandliars.com/2016/02/obama-following-precedent-not-attending

I neither agree nor disagree with any of the three above articles (I have my own opinions and I'll keep those to myself thank you).

There's no win-win apparently. If he had gone the Republicans (and anyone else) would figure out a way to still slam him for going (a "political stunt") and of course not going...
 
What I heard was he didn't want to "disrupt" (not sure what words they used) the funeral with the entourage of security for the president. The VP isn't as well protected.
Personally, I think he should go.
 
LoveBlue said:
What I heard was he didn't want to "disrupt" (not sure what words they used) the funeral with the entourage of security for the president. The VP isn't as well protected.
Personally, I think he should go.
Click to expand...
Obama didn't mind disrupting the service in Charleston last year for the nine church members that were killed.
 
DeafDucky said:
. . .
There's no win-win apparently. If he had gone the Republicans (and anyone else) would figure out a way to still slam him for going (a "political stunt") and of course not going...
Click to expand...
He managed to attend services for the Emanuel 9 in Charleston last year, and that's further away than the funeral for Scalia.
 
One thought that I had is that most times both the President & Vice President don't attend these types of funerals and Vice President Biden may have known Justice Scalia better.
 
Jane B. said:
One thought that I had is that most times both the President & Vice President don't attend these types of funerals and Vice President Biden may have known Justice Scalia better.
Click to expand...

In June, President Obama and Vice President Biden both attended funeral services of South Carolina state Sen. Clementa Pinckney and Biden's son Beau.

They also both attended funerals of Senators Daniel Inouye and Robert Byrd.

I don't think Biden and Scalia were close. Biden made the following statement, which is a good one but it doesn't indicate any special relationship.

"Statement by Vice President Biden on the Passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia

Jill and I send our deepest condolences to Maureen and the entire Scalia family on the loss of their beloved husband, father, and grandfather. Justice Scalia and I had fundamental disagreements about how the Supreme Court interprets the Constitution, but we shared a belief that sharp debates, tough questions, and deep respect for the adversarial process was an essential part of our judicial system and our democracy. That’s how our rule of law—forged with the deep principles and convictions of justices, and laid out in majority decisions and minority dissents—becomes the model for the world. For the country, Justice Scalia will be remembered as one of our most influential justices, who inspired and challenged generations of students, clerks, lawyers, and judges. And for so many, he will be remembered as a mentor, dear friend, and a man devoted to his faith and his family, who will miss him most of all, and who we will keep in our prayers."
 
This is interesting and touching:

"Antonin Scalia's son will be the celebrant -- the priest leading the mass -- for the late Supreme Court justice's funeral service on Saturday, according to a spokesman for the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

The Rev. Paul Scalia will also deliver the homily, the sermon that explores the themes of the Bible readings at Mass, Basilica spokesman Jackie Hayes said...."

Scalia funeral
 
Obamas' visit to Scalia in repose on Friday = 2 minutes

Scalia's funeral service on Saturday = 2 hours
 
Back
Top