What is Digg?76 Comments
- JimMessenger, on 10/12/2007, -8/+52Disrespect on both sides of the isle...
President Bush was busy cutting cedar and riding his bike on his ranch in Texas.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his deputy, Richard Durbin, couldn't make it, either; they were on a trip to visit Incan ruins.
Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took a pass, too
A 6-to-3 majority of the Supreme Court, including Ford's appointee, John Paul Stevens, failed to attend
All the nation's governors were invited; few, if any, came.
Only two Cabinet members -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez -- accepted the invite.
Congressional staffers and Ford family representatives scrambled to find sufficient greeters and honorary pallbearers to join Vice President Cheney
Waiting in the Capitol crypt -- There were only eight congressmen in the room, and a couple of them were watching the Texas-Iowa football game. "What's the score?" one called out. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -10/+53As much as anyone else refuses to admit it, funeral/wakes often come out of nowhere and you can't just change the schedule of 600+ people, however it's the thought that counts
- kaje, on 10/12/2007, -6/+43I'm sure no one here has ever missed a funeral, so everyone feel free to criticize away.
- JimMessenger, on 10/12/2007, -1/+31One pallbearer, Elford Albin Cederberg, the former Republican congressman from Michigan had a good excuse for not attending, he died eight months ago.
- retral, on 10/12/2007, -15/+38This brings up the question... Who is going to show up for Bush (Jr)'s funeral?
- keitho, on 10/12/2007, -1/+21Ford's family
- ptcfast2, on 10/12/2007, -4/+20Yeah, I am sure he wanted to die Christmas morning. He had it planned out. Rightttttttt....
- jessecrouch, on 10/12/2007, -3/+17just because he was a president, not to mention a non-elected one, means that if you're in government you should be attending his funeral? why? just because you're a congressperson means you have to go pay your respects to someone you probably never met?
i dislike almost everyone in the congress, but im not going to hold them to attending the funeral of someone they don't even know. even if they did meet him.. what if they just don't want to go?
get off their backs about it already. - hbweb500, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12"Disrespect on both sides of the isle..."
I realize it is customary for a Congressman to attend the funeral of a president, but I, for one, would consider it equally disrespectful for a Congressman to attend a funeral out of mere political motivation, rather than actual heartfelt desire to mourn the deceased.
Im just saying, I would not like it if people came to my funeral just so they could day that they were there. Of course I'd be dead, and I really wouldnt know the difference. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+17With all do respect to ford, is it after all a holiday season, politicians spending time with THEIR family.
- keitho, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12it was his state funeral for 1 thing and it was in the same building they all work in. if 100 had missed the event because of travel issues coming from the west coast, it'd look a billion times better that they tried as opposed to 93% of them not even bothering to show up.
- siszam, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12Do you reallly think that a man who flings the lives of hundreds of thousands away like it's no big deal really has the decency to care if he misses the funeral of a non supporter? I'm sure it doesn't matter that it was past president.
- Web_Weasel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Tell me about it. My mother passed away in 2003 2 weeks before xmas. She was from a large family but most of them couldn't make it. We had a second funeral in January so everyone else could attend. December is a lousy time of year for a funeral.
- Cambo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5it is better to have genuine people there than people that attend out of obligation. It is sad that this shows a lack of respect.
- ericdano, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7Seriously. There are a number of services for President Ford. Everyone doesn't have to be at all of them. Geeze. If they attend at least one, that is fine.
- hotsoda, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Someone remind me to make the same comment at Scabdates' funeral.
- 9enisP, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Buried as inaccurate. There is still time.
"I see the Digg sheep are once again being fooled because they don't bother checking their own facts; the President is having two funerals in D.C. and one near his library (California?)... The one on Saturday was the first, the President will attend the one on Tuesday, and most of congress will attend the one of the two remaining. Hard to believe this paper (which is usually a good source) would stoop so low for a knee jerk reaction." --musicmantrs - musicmantrs, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I see the Digg sheep are once again being fooled because they don't bother checking their own facts; the President is having two funerals in D.C. and one near his library (California?)... The one on Saturday was the first, the President will attend the one on tuesday, and most of congress will attend the one of the two remaining. Hard to believe this paper (which is usually a good source) would stoop so low for a knee jerk reaction.
- Laike, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Thats disgusting. He's a former president, like him or not, elected or not. He's a former president. Shame on all those who didn't attend! Such disrespect. If this was George HW Bush's funeral, and the attendance by politicians were THAT SLIM, George W. would be having a fit in the media!
- Geekbeard, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I hardly see how keeping up appearances by going to a funeral is virtuous.
I would rather have those who were friends with Ford, or worked with him, or admired him go. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5***** congress. They suck ass.
- chrisryn64, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I think everyone needs to actually learn what a state funeral is
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_funeral
it's where the body lies "in state", this is very different than the actual FUNERAL SERVICE held in the national cathedral - timmyt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3President Ford will have a funeral service held in Washington on Tuesday, after which he will be flown to his hometown of Grand Rapids (where I proudly live) and will travel from Gerald R. Ford International Airport to Grace Episcopal Church in East Grand Rapids, where the final funeral service, invitation only, will be held. Afterwards, he will lie in state in the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum for a night and a morning (Tuesday night and Wednesday morning), to which he will be buried in an alcove at 3:30PM EST.
Picture of where he will be buried: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/165/339298282_fdaf920c1e.jpg
Higher resolution: http://farm1.static.flickr.com/129/337682127_c455f14bbc_o.jpg - vspazv, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Commander in Chief
Master in Chief is something completely different. - rqwhitaker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Honestly, I'm not a Bush supporter by any stretch of the imagination, but I was under the impression that our cedar chopping president named January 2nd a national day of mourning, and would be attending the funeral today, which he did.
I don't like the dude, but he gets ***** on enough for the ***** up things he actually DOES. - FuzzyJJE, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2George and Laura Bush viewed the body on Monday (not sure if it was Monday or Sunday - can't tell if the Washington Post story was written early or late Sunday). George HW Bush and Bill Clinton also viewed on the same day.
George W. Bush also spoke at the funeral at the National Cathedral today (Tuesday)!
This article was just a bunch of hot air!!!!
Also, just noticed the article was written by Dana Milbank, one of the worst/inaccurate reporters currently writing!! - unloud, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Master Chief: http://www.joystiq.com/media/2006/02/mastacheifunmaskedjoy.jpg
Commander in Chief: http://www.dmoma.org/lobby/exhibitions/presidentially_speaking/images/un_dance.jpeg - chrisryn64, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8no, this was the part where he lies in the capital rotunda and everyone views the casket
his actual funeral will take part tomorrow at the national cathedral, which Bush is attending
and you do realize that even though the congressmen work at the capital building, they don't actually live two blocks away. During the holidays they are back in their home states and with their families
apparently this is too hard for you to grasp - keitho, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2state funeral: A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony held to honour heads of state or other important people of national significance. They usually include much pomp and ceremony.
Most state funerals tend to make one point clear: the family of the deceased agreed to the public honors because so many of their nation's citizens want to join in.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_funeral - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2congress is a joke needs to be rebuilt from the ground up they really get very close to nothing done with the time they are given.
- gab00n, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Those that did not attend are the ones you need to worry about.
- Chainring, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4It really was inconsiderate of Ford to die at such an inconvenient time for everyone.
- inf4my, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3its the holidays what can you say...
- rossmcd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Ford was once president of the country that these politicians are now serving. That is an affiliation.
- rossmcd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have to say that in my book, Cheney went up by a small notch. I heard the eulogy he gave and was moved. And as the WaPo article points out, he was pretty gracious to overlook the recently published Ford interviews.
But I still am looking forward to the day Cheney leaves the white house. - gordonp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@timmyt, Here's a +digg from another Grand Rapids boy.
- browwiw, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3I'm not surprised. The Republicans blew their funeral budget on the two weeks of feasting and gladiatorial games that followed Reagan's death. They could barely afford a long boat and ceremonial virgin for Ford.
- Zellius, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Gerald Ford didn't even serve a full term. I'm sure everyone respects him greatly, but most of us wouldn't go if we were in their place.
- faskippy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1May I introduce you to a thing called the PERIOD. It comes at the end of a sentence. See?
- CantScanMoney, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Those bitches show no respect! This man was a president, The Master in Chief!...
- DCMacHead, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2There's a constitutional mechanism that put him in office. Shut the f*ck up with your snarky tone.
- yogione, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1hahaha - and this after the networks blabbing on about how "the Nation mourns" for three days.
BTW - most politicians will go to Bush II's funeral because he made sure all the family friends got kickbacks from the military-industrial complex. - widman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Have a look at this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Ford#Nixon_pardon
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2This shows the utter lack of moral values most elected representatives have and lack of respect for the American system. Regardless of the good and the bad aspects of Ford's presidency, showing respect for a dead president is showing respect for the American way. And not respecting it, well that says a lot. I hope we continue to clean the slate and get some people who believe in America, not what benefit they can get out of America by getting elected.
Of course, when Bush Jr. dies, there will be a lot of people at the funeral, partying in gratitude. You can't respect a president who doesn't respect the people. - awfulgrace, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Pardon the unfeeling tone, but I guess that's what happens when an unremarkable president dies during a holiday week....
It's actually kind of sad, that his was so much overshadowed by being sandwiched between those of an abusive entertainer and a genocidal madman. - drk1t, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0We must also consider the impact on all federal employees who are forced to take the day off. Those poor people will have to squeeze a whole week's work into just three day.
- Rezzy, on 10/12/2007, -7/+7Regardless of their beliefs, I think it's still a travesty that our representatives couldn't take the time out of their recreational schedules to pay their respects.
- domat392, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Is it any wonder that people hate congress.
- haiduz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1thats despicable
- SlashNot, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1but yet they were able to make time to give themselves yet ANOTHER day off by making tuesday a national day of mourning.
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