Four Presidents and a Funeral (PEGGY NOONAN)

[norml]

PEGGY NOONAN



Four Presidents and a Funeral
A spirited tribute to Mrs. King--and to democracy.

Friday, February 10, 2006 12:01 a.m. EST

Listen, I watched the funeral of Coretta Scott King for six hours Tuesday, from the pre-service commentary to the very last speech, and it was wonderful--spirited and moving, rousing and respectful, pugnacious and loving. The old lions of the great American civil rights movement of the 20th century were there, and standing tall. The old lionesses, too. There was preaching and speechifying and at the end I thought: This is how democracy ought to be, ought to look every day--full of the joy of argument, and marked by the moral certainty that here you can say what you think.

There was nothing prissy, nothing sissy about it. A former president, a softly gray-haired and chronically dyspeptic gentleman who seems to have judged the world to be just barely deserving of his presence, pointedly insulted a sitting president who was, in fact, sitting right behind him. The Clintons unveiled their 2008 campaign. A rhyming preacher, one of the old lions, a man of warmth and stature, freely used the occasion to verbally bop the sitting president on the head.

So what? This was the authentic sound of a vibrant democracy doing its thing. It was the exact opposite of the frightened and prissy attitude that if you draw a picture I don't like, I'll have to kill you.

It was: We do free speech here.

That funeral honored us, and the world could learn a lot from watching it. The U.S. government should send all six hours of it throughout the World Wide Web and to every country on earth, because it said more about who we are than any number of decorous U.N. speeches and formal diplomatic declarations.


snip


http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/?id=110007937

[Rose Siding]

1. Just kill me now. I agree with Peggy Noonan.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

2. Even this part?

snip-
A former president, a softly gray-haired and chronically dyspeptic gentleman who seems to have judged the world to be just barely deserving of his presence, pointedly insulted a sitting president who was, in fact, sitting right behind him. -snip-

Jimmy Carter has grace and eloquence, and a deep felt respect for
the American people, democracy and our Constitution. Who cares
about B43. He's ruined our country!

[norml]

3. The Fweepers are having a meltdown over this.

A funeral turns into a spirited tribute to democracy.(big barf alert)
WSJ - Opinion Journal ^ | Friday, February 10, 2006 12:01 a.m. EST | Peggy Noonan


Posted on 02/10/2006 10:12:49 AM PST by Eva


Listen, I watched the funeral of Coretta Scott King for six hours Tuesday, from the pre-service commentary to the very last speech, and it was wonderful--spirited and moving, rousing and respectful, pugnacious and loving. The old lions of the great American civil rights movement of the 20th century were there, and standing tall. The old lionesses, too. There was preaching and speechifying and at the end I thought: This is how democracy ought to be, ought to look every day--full of the joy of argument, and marked by the moral certainty that here you can say what you think.

There was nothing prissy, nothing sissy about it. A former president, a softly gray-haired and chronically dyspeptic gentleman who seems to have judged the world to be just barely deserving of his presence, pointedly insulted a sitting president who was, in fact, sitting right behind him. The Clintons unveiled their 2008 campaign. A rhyming preacher, one of the old lions, a man of warmth and stature, freely used the occasion to verbally bop the sitting president on the head.


...........With Bill nodding beside her, his hands clasped prayerfully in front of him, nodding and working that jaw muscle he works when he wants you to notice, for just a second, how hard it is sometimes for him to contain his admiration.


God I love them. .........


Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...


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TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Click to Add Topic
KEYWORDS: FUNERAL; LORETTASCOTTKING; NOONAN; Click to Add Keyword
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Peggy Noonan has had her panties in a wad, ever since George W. turned down her speech writing services for the 2004 campaign.
Now, she loves the Clintons!(I don't care if she was being faceteous, she was more flattering to the Clintons than she was to the President)


1 posted on 02/10/2006 10:12:53 AM PST by Eva
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To: Eva
Yeah I have to agree. And this isn't the first time I have really objected to an article she has written for the WSJ. Perhaps it's time for her to part ways with them...



2 posted on 02/10/2006 10:15:45 AM PST by steel_resolve
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To: steel_resolve
My husband was so angered that he threatened to cancel the subscription. He was saying that it seemed as though another newspaper had turned to the left.



3 posted on 02/10/2006 10:17:53 AM PST by Eva
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To: Eva
She has jumped the shark. Numerous times.



4 posted on 02/10/2006 10:19:17 AM PST by manic4organic (We won. Get over it.)
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To: Eva
I don't get this article. Is it sarcastic, serious or just incoherent?



5 posted on 02/10/2006 10:19:20 AM PST by zarf (It's time for a college football playoff system.)
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To: Eva
Man, what bullcrap!



6 posted on 02/10/2006 10:21:02 AM PST by Chi-townChief


snip


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1575992/posts

[bo44]

4. One of the morans thinks Nooner might be a smartass

To: Eva
I don't get this article. Is it sarcastic, serious or just incoherent?

5 posted on 02/10/2006 10:19:20 AM PST by zarf (It's time for a college football playoff system.)
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Clap louder zarf. You are a pitiful fweeper.

[Booster]

7. You made me laugh out loud, and I'm by myself.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. Bitch is trying to make herself look like Grace Kelley.

She doesn't look anything like that depiction.

[mzmolly]

6. I totally agree with Ms. Noonan. I felt democracy ring at that funeral

like I've not felt in a number of years.

Indeed, the funeral of CSK reminded ME of the fact that, while we've lost much, we still have much to lose. Lets get busy!

[rman]

8. Uber spin doctor Noonan admits Spin = Lying

PN: "... because America is so infused by media that we're all spinning in a way."

Q: "We're embellishing our story?"

PN: "Embellishment is ok, there's..."

Q: "What's not ok? where does spin begin?"

PN: "The disingenuous part, the calculating this-isn't-the-whole-truth part."

-- Peggy Noonan

from the documentary "Spin"
http://mysite.verizon.net/res7dhyg/id3.html

[LittleWoman]

9. When I first started reading this

I was astonished that I tended to agree with her--obviously pigs were flying by my window. However, even when making a good point she cannot avoid being snarky to President Carter and President and Senator Clinton. At the same time she is still kissing President Bush 41's backside.

I would also like the address the issue of anger at the memorial service for Senator Wellstone. Somehow to her this is a very bad thing. I would like to remind Ms. Noonan that anger is an important part of the grief process and I believe it is a necessary step to healing. I watched the whole service on c-span from my home in Columbus, but as a once and always Minnesotan my spirit was there in Williams Arena. Any criticism from someone like Noonan or anyone of her ilk is irrelevant and intrusive.

The difference between the funeral in Atlanta and the one in Minneapolis is that Coretta Scott King lived a long and full life. I know to her family it probably seems that she died too soon, it always does when it is your parent, but she accomplished a great deal for all of us. Paul Wellstone and Shirley Wellstone and all of the passengers on that ill-fated plane died well before their time when they still had miles to go and promises to keep. It is totally natural that the anger would last longer. In the case of both funerals it is the Republican noise machine that is making it all political. The rest of us are honoring people we love and respect in the best way we know how.