I think Bedell makes a good point. I think it's fine if Obama doesn't attend if he has a legit reason, but he hasn't really come up with a good excuse. Right now it just seems like he doesn't want to show up for political or petty reasons. The liberals on this board are fine with that, but they're pretty much fine with everything Obama does I've noticed. I'm not sure I really buy the idea that the family doesn't want him there.
Some of you are acting like it's not a big deal, but I think any little thing can play a major role here in this SCOTUS nomination fight.
Oh... so the left cares about old quotes now?
who is the left you speak of?
but let's not play games, what old quote do you want to use or quote to show "hypocrisy" to justify these actions?
hmm... i posted one about Obama and executive orders, and y'all brushed it aside... Here's another fun one:
"If you like your doctor, you'll be able to keep your doctor"
"Historically, Presidents Have Not Always Attended Funerals Of Supreme Court Justices, Regardless Of Whether The Death Occurred While Serving. According to a Media Matters analysis, sitting presidents attended four of the funerals of 10 Supreme Court justices who have died since June 1, 1980 -- including justices who died while serving and those who died after serving on the bench."
In spite of the criticism, people close to the Scalia family said Obama was making the right choice. "I wouldn't have expected President Obama to attend the funeral Mass, and I see no reason to fault him for not attending," said Ed Whelan, a former Scalia clerk who now heads the Ethics and Public Policy Center. "The ceremony at the Supreme Court seems the most apt opportunity for the president to pay his respects, but he obviously might have severe competing demands on his time."
This is a massive non-issue. Bush didn't go to Byron White's funeral. It's silly to think this is an issue.
It looks bad for Obama to people that ...
you fill in the blank
But in a speech on the Senate floor in June 1992, Mr. Biden, then the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said there should be a different standard for a Supreme Court vacancy “that would occur in the full throes of an election year.” The president should follow the example of “a majority of his predecessors” and delay naming a replacement, Mr. Biden said. If he goes forward before then, the Senate should wait to consider the nomination.
“Some will criticize such a decision and say that it was nothing more than an attempt to save a seat on the court in hopes that a Democrat will be permitted to fill it, but that would not be our intention,” Mr. Biden said at the time. “It would be our pragmatic conclusion that once the political season is underway, and it is, action on a Supreme Court nomination must be put off until after the election campaign is over.
“That is what is fair to the nominee and essential to the process. Otherwise, it seems to me,” he added, “we will be in deep trouble as an institution.”
My two cents is that the whole thing is now in the political discussion and should be taken with a grain of salt. I think Obama has it right when he says "It's my constitutional duty to appoint." I wish instead of politicizing the process, McConnell would have said "The President can, and should, appoint, and the Senate, in its constitutional duty, should consider and then accept or reject the nominee." Biden was wrong then and McConnell is wrong now.
That said, both sides will look for every edge, so people shouldn't get all that indignant over McConnell's statement. My guess is they will suffer at the polls if they don't handle this right.