Some GOP Notables to Miss Falwell Rites

[RamboLiberal]

Source: SFGate.com/AP

U.S. Sen. John McCain isn't planning to attend the Rev. Jerry Falwell's funeral Tuesday. Rival Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani can't make it, either.

Nor can former Virginia former governor and long-shot 2008 Republican presidential candidate Jim Gilmore.

While some Republican figures will attend next week's funeral in Lynchburg for the founder of the Moral Majority, many will not. Experts say that even with a presidential election looming, it's not a must-attend event — and there likely won't be political consequences for skipping it.

"This funeral will be very much more about the people who were influenced by him and his ministry," said Merle Black, political science professor at Emory University in Atlanta.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/05/18/national/a155455D07.DTL

[chaplainM]

1. Virginia?

Is the cemetery at Bitburg full?

[AlCzervik]

2. thats gonna leave a mark.

:rofl: :rofl:

[Atman]

3. LYNCH-burg seems oddly appropriate, though

Just sayin' ...kind of appropriate for such a hater.

.

[DemSoccerMom]

4. I had the exact same response. n/t

[PATRICK]

5. Orcs only

Not a Nazgul black tie event.

[tinymontgomery]

6. If we can't use you for political opportunity

then we don't want to be bothered by you. Amazing how the religious right can't see how they are used.

[LiberalFighter]

15. They feel neglected and unwanted if they aren't used.

They love being used. If gives them status.

[Erika]

7. Bush used you and abused you, conservative Xtians

But neither of you cared much about feeding or taking care of the poor, did you?

[JI7]

8. such great Christians these people are

<Veteran GOP strategist Christopher J. LaCivita, architect of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth initiative against Democrat John Kerry in 2004, found the suggestion that religious conservatives would punish no-shows offensive.


"To assume that Christian conservative voters would hold it against any candidate for public office because they did not attend a respected leader like Jerry Falwell's funeral, that's just another attempt to portray Christian values voters as shallow," LaCivita said.>


but personally attacking with lies against someone on something like their military service fits in with their Christian values i guess.

[JI7]

9. i hope this is the beginning of the fading of the religious right

they will always be around but i mean their influence. i hope it's going down.

[Judi Lynn]

10. Wonder why the distancing from Falwell? They still go to Bob Jones University,

which is a deadly place, every bit as phobic and hate-filled as Falwell's realm.

Could be they feel safer there as not nearly as many Americans know anything about the racist, homophobic, misogynistic Bob Jones U.

It's an odd turn they've taken, considering how they've thrown themselves at the fundies for years, to see them avoiding a real good old-fashioned fundie funeral of one of their most powerful people.

[Ian David]

11. Let me know when security goes home for the day, so I can shit on his grave. n/t

[Joe Bacon]

12. I'm surprised that Bush hasn't made this a day of national mourning!

Including a proclamation requiring all crosses should be at half staff...

[Orsino]

13. Miss Falwell?

Worst idea for a beauty pageant EVAR.

Sorry for the levity, but I had a powerful mental image of the swimsuit competition.

[gratuitous]

14. Assiduously courted in life, ignored in death

I think this might actually penetrate some of the less thick skulls amongst the True Believers.

[durablend]

16. Candidates obviously trying to distance themselves...

Lest they slip up and say the wrong thing at the funeral which costs them the nomination, so it's obviously better that they skip it entirely.

[lpbk2713]

17. I expect all the RW radio hatemongers will be there.

The hypocritical bastards. As long as there will be cameras and microphones there you can count on Limbaugh and Hannity being there. I hope that asshole Phelps has a few 'special' words for them face to face.

[SemperEadem]

18. that's ok--because the Fred Phelps freak show will be attending