Let's be honest here. If Clinton spoke. . . .

[StopThief]

at the memorial service, every positive thing he said would be either a back-handed compliment or a platitude. Much of the time would be spent implicitly demeaning Bush in contrast.

Great politics, but the family can hardly be blamed if they only want those who truly cared for Reagan to speak.

Whatever the family wants to do should be respected by all.

[SoFlaJet]

Oh yea

They'd be accusing him of hawking his book at the very least

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. True

If I were Bill, I wouldn't want to speak there. Let the Repukes be maudlin on their own.

[Justice]

2. Did You Read Clinton's Eulogy of Nixon?

It was posted here. It was very nice, sincere.

[StopThief]

6. Different story. Nixon was not a . . . .

conservative. He did several things that liberals can love, such as instituting the practice of affirmative action.

[lancdem]

7. I remember it

Of course, he was the sitting president, so it would've been strange not to let him speak.

[theboss]

10. I think Clinton genuinely liked Nixon

They had a relationship during Clinton's first two years in office and seemed to have become friends. I'm not sure Clinton and Reagan ever bonded.

The list of speakers seems appropriate. I don't really see why Clinton should be included.

[AndyTiedye]

17. Probably Didn't Really Want to, but Offered To because he is a Gentleman

particularly when compared to the current residents.

[rocktivity]

3. This is NOT the time to be playing politics

This is a taxpayer-supported state funeral with the whole world watching. All past and present American presidents should be invited to speak. If the Bush regime can't lay down its arms long enough to bury the guy, it will reflect horribly upon them.

:headbang:
rocknation

[StopThief]

11. The family chooses . . . .

who speaks.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

12. rocknation exactly ........you are correct

[lancdem]

4. If Clinton weren't going to be sincere, he wouldn't bother speaking

I'm sure he would do a fine job. BTW, the Bushes and Reagans don't like each other, so I don't know if Poppy Bush "truly cared" for Reagan either.

[RememberTheCoup]

5. You didn't have to start a new thread to say that.

There are already quite enough Reagan threads and there is one still on page 1 specifically about having Clinton or Carter speak at the funeral.

[StopThief]

9. Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, . . . .

Mea Maximus Culpa.

[Bridget Burke]

8. You think Shrub "truly cared for Reagan"?

He won't even be able to pretend. It will be another fiasco of a campaign speech.

Clinton would have done his best to give a sincere speech. But if the family would prefer the funeral to be Republicans-only, that's their call.

[Bandit]

13. BS ~ He was the President of the USA ~ not just some family member

He was a world leader and should be addressed as such with all the pomp and circumstance that goes along. Every living President should have a say. He was not just a Republican President he was an American President. If Bush* is shown as being a lessor because of it then so be it. This is an issue that should not be left up to the family alone.

[ProfessorGAC]

14. Yes, And Many Here At DU Would Castigate Any Dem. . .

. . .who said nice things about him. So, let the Repubs have their little ghoulfest. They don't want any Dems. Fine.
The Professor

[lancdem]

19. That just occured to me, too

It might be better to let the Repukes do all the speaking.

[kaitykaity]

15. Bill Clinton has more class than that.

This is just one more example of Republican wussiness.
They're afraid to have their miscommunicator upstaged
by the loquacious and smooth Bill Clinton, and that's
all there is to it.

[aldian159]

22. I agree

The White House doesn't want Bill there. He will give a passionate and moving speech he probably wrote himself, while Dan Bartlet (White House Comm. Dir.) will write a God awful speech and Bush will make it worse.

Everyone will recall fondly how great it was listening to Clinton, and want those days back.

[kaitykaity]

25. I watched a Dem candidate event where

Kerry followed Clinton, and the remark was made
how tough it was for Kerry, because he couldn't
match the "master."

And Kerry's a decent speaker.

[hlthe2b]

16. I agree it should be family's call, but I'll bet it is not for the DC even

It would seem to me appropriate, given all the rhetoric about Reagan supposedly being able to cross part lines at the end of the day and to be "gentlemanly towards his opposition," to have Clinton and/or Carter speak to underscore that....I think they are being rather shortsided not to do so, but

Whatever....

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

18. Yeah Poppy cared for him so much a family friend tried to off Reagan

with friends like that...uh...

[prolesunited]

33. Have you heard any mention of that fact

in mainstream media. In all the accounts I've read, there is no mention of the ties between the Bush and Hinkley families. Wasn't some Bush having dinner with a Hinkley family member right before the assassination attempt?

What reliable sources do you handy have for this just in case I need to back it up?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

37. Neil with Scott Hinkley..JH's brother

and I'll have to locate the links...apparently it WAS reported at the time then mainstream press backed off it and it fell into the memory hole.

[politicaljunkie3]

20. If Clinton spoke...

...some people would be accusing him of using the publicity in order to sell more of his memoirs.

[lancdem]

24. True

It's probably to have him simply attend.

[newyawker99]

29. Hi politicaljunkie3!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Commendatori]

21. Let's just wait on this

The above posts saying that the family should choose are correct.

If the Repugs do anything to match what happened at Wellstone's funeral and start chanting "we will win," we can jump their asses. If not, we should leave this one alone, because it's ridiculous to demand equal time at someone's funeral.

If it were Carter dying and the Repugs were complaining about not getting speech time, we'd be beside ourselves.

[Justice]

26. Small Point of Clarification

The media hysteria about Wellstone was not about what happened at this funeral - but what happened at the memorial. To me, they are different animals altogether.

[Commendatori]

28. Okay, but it was televised, as this will be.

If the Republicans turn it into a camapign ad, it's the same shitstorm - IF the media is even remotely fair about it.

[hippiegranny]

30. the media remotely fair?

bwahahahahahahahaa... that will be the day.

[Commendatori]

32. That's why I qualified it.

I can't say that it's anything I'd expect.

[BeFree]

23. No Bill, no bill

If the family wants to exclude the President, then they can pay the damn bill for the whole thing. If there is one penny of federal dollars going into the fun, er, fun-er-al, then we need to be represented by our President.

Any of you who say other wise can kiss my ass as I hug your elephant! <grin>

[msmcghee]

27. I don't think you really understand who Bill Clinton is.

The reason he won't speak at the funeral is because it would be impossible for even Freepers not to see the vast difference between the kind of useful idiots the pukes elevate to high office and the kind of sincere, thoughtful, intelligent people we nominate.

[chelsea0011]

31. What, and have Clinton upstage all the repub speakers?

Can't happen if he is silenced.

[genius]

34. If Clinton spoke, it wouldn't be the re-elect Bush show.

[Cocoa]

35. three problems with this

first, you sound like you believe Clinton won't speak.

Second, you sound like you believe that it's the family's wishes.

Third, you sound like you believe what the RW says about Clinton's character.

[MallRat]

36. Why do you give Clinton so little credit?

He has a long history of being quite diplomatic towards members on the other side of the aisle (not that they returned the favor). Why do you think Clinton would stoop to making petty attacks and sniping in a eulogy for Reagan? What precedent are you basing this on?

-MR