NBC's Andrea Mitchell (Mrs. Greenspan) gave a recap of the Carter snub

This is from memory-no video link up yet on NBC

ON the Today Show Andrea Mitchell reported (to Lauer) on how the Bush White House ~"from the inside talk in DC....clearly snubbed" President Carter going to Jon Paul II's funeral.

The White House contacted Carter first (from what I could tell) and asked if he would like to attend the funeral/ceremonies.

President Carter asked if any other former Presidents (Ford no longer travels at age 91) were going. The White House said-No. Carter said okay then I won't go.

Michelle ~"Then former President Clinton expressed an interest in attending" READ:Then the White House asked him next. The White House put him on the list of 5.

Then Poppa Bush was added.

Carter was asked about not being invited and he put out a very nicely worded statement.

At this point Andrea Michelle reported that the list was set with W, Laura, Poppa, Clinton, and Condi.

Lauer and Michelle then went back and forth about how it was a bit odd to have the Secretary of State included over a former President especially the only President to officially welcome a Pope to the White House and given Carter's work on elections and on human rights very much in line with JP II. She added at the end that the Vatican, of course, is a state so the Sec.of State is a logical choice but (head tilted a bit) this really seems a bit of an odd choice and a strange way it all went down.

ON EDIT- they had some discussion about the WH asking for another spot (my read:Carter would say no to being an add on at the last minute). Oh and how Frist has an Air Force Airplane going over (Santorum is going I read on the web) and that the Senators don't even have hotel rooms they are just going.

In all she did report this (with an insider's wink and nod) that in fact the White House pretty much screwed Carter over possibly (as Lauer asked) due to Carter's damning speech at the Dem convention and his opposition to the war from the get go. Both (yes Lauer too) painted the picture that this is nothing but pure retribution.

She doesn't hold a government position, and never has. She doesn't pull down a government paycheck, either.

I wish the Vatican would invite him separately, and send a plane for him, and give him the best fucking seat in the house--that would send a message.

Wow talk about childish and petty. W is more embarassing every day.

:eyes:
What a good Christian man.:sarcasm:

They really are like a bunch of sixth graders.

I wonder if they'd do that? I feel so bad for Carter though. :( Since he is a nobel peace prize winner and was friends with the Pope. :( Condi and Laura should stay home.

would say: Send a plane for MY friend and give HIM a seat of honor.

...I don't see their names on the Bush**'s little list of five. Petty, hateful people, these Bush** criminals.

NGU.

a lift to the ceremony.

President and Mrs. Carter should go with the Senators. Then they won't have to be embarrassed by retarded chimp behavior.

Plus, Chimpy is going to be knocking people down to push in front of the other presidents anyway. He's likely to hurt someone.

...with Nazareth's Hair of the Dog cranking over the loudspeakers.

His work from the Carter Center has more than justify his being there. Even moreso than the idiot chimp

so he will need someone to do over there.

:evilgrin:

Gross.

just as the commission to look into the election is getting off the ground.
i want jimmy there mad as hell, and with a good stiff spine.

themselves?

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=45409

Every nation wants to send someone so just because the US wants X amounts of spots doesn't mean squat.

The cynical side of me says that a lot of this is just for the Catholic vote here. I know that Catholic Senators and Reps want to go as much as the next person and are using their position to at least get transport (no rooms apparently) which I have no problem with.

Of course it is!

I saw another post about the flag being at half staff for a non-American who is also a religious leader.
Would they do that for the Anglican church? I don't think so. Would they do that for any other religion? Does this appear to be in violation of the constitution?

I'm just asking.

is the Anglican Church, the Bishop of Canterbury is the person in charge I believe. Of course it is the official Church of England and not all that universal. There are Anglican churches in the US. I think I remember one being near you. Unfortunately, I don't know very much about them.

Protestants & Orthodox Christians are specifically NOT into the Pope thing.

The Dalai Lama is revered by Buddhists but doesn't "rule" anyone but his followers--mostly exiles from Tibet. Sunni Muslims don't have leaders of that sort; Shia Muslims have several.

And the Pope is also chief executive of a country, Vatican City.

the Dubya Delegation is going to be in the middle of a couple million people who really don't like him. President Carter may be better off not being there.

by the people. I am sure security will be extra tight so they might not get to be around "the people" that much (Kerry and the Sens apparently are going to have to make their way at least officially on their own) so we will see.

I am sure everyone will be polite to W sort of in that "weird cousin" don't say anything way.

Nobody in Italy can stand chimp-boy. If I were President Carter I would not be a part of the political pandering, and we all know that's what this trip is all about. Haven't met a redneck yet who gave a damn if the pope was dead or alive.

Then there's the post by mopinko. I have also considerd the election commission. Mopinko is right about pissing Carter off right now.

Putting Big Dog down slow?

...9/11 victims and their families and friends were a prop for the Republican Convention even though NYC was against the Republicans and eventually voted 84-16 to get rid of them, and now the Pope's death comes along so Chimpy and crew can cry more crocodile tears and have a photo-op, rather than allow it to be what it is supposed to be--an occasion for people to pay their respects. Not even a former-President whom the late Pope had a lot less of a problem with than he did with the current one can be allowed to get in the way of that. :puke:

what you just said.

Lots of corpse chasing for votes.

That was a memorable week of wallowing in death.

There are some dead who must not be seen nor spoken of....



http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/coffin_photos/dover/

:evilgrin:

The idiot-in-chief is an asshole, but we already knew that.

in acts of revenge.

Maybe I (we) are playing right into it but from everything I have read W actually relishes pissing off his opposition and that apparently that does weigh in on some decisions/marketing of decisions.

What a miserable little puke.

I wonder if he even cares though that we're upset? He doesn't have to worry about re-election or anything like that. Maybe things are different this time around.

Plus, no doubt * & Co didn't want Carter around to hear them talk of their evil deeds. Clintons' in on it all, but they can't risk exposure to Carter who would spill the beans. Carter should probably be happy that he's not tainted by that bunch anyway.

:sarcasm:

because W looks the out-of-touch, pretender he is compared to the last real President we had (Clinton). I'm looking for the crowd to cheer Clinton and boo W. What a beautiful video memory that will be!

We'll see.

Bush will have Clinton grafted on to his hip so when the crowds cheer Clinton, Bush will look like he's the subject of all of this Italian gratitude and admiration. He'll be a pathetic little hanger-on.

I'm getting a little tired of Clinton being best buddies with the Bush family. What we need now is someone pointing out the many errors of their ways (like Gore and Carter have done), and I suppose he's keeping quiet to help Hillary (like the Bush fans will EVER find her less reprehensible - not likely).

I can't wait to see how they spin whatever happens there.

It just doesn't make sense to dis a former president like that.

people going. Clinton is just okay and the rest of them are evil incarnate. I hope some holy water gets on W, Poppa, Condi and Laura and they start sizzling. That would be awesome.

I would really like to believe that Friday will be just a simple showing of respect for the Pope, but I'm not naive enough to believe that.

Friday will also be an incredible collection of world leaders, an occasion that very rarely presents itself. Consequently, people will talk, quite possibly of matters of great importance. Now, if this happened during the Clinton Administration, then I would expect Pres. Clinton to expertly navigate this diplomatic sea by himself. But unfortunately, we're stuck with Bush, and he definitely needs a wingman here.

Of course, I don't expect Bush and Rice to accomplish good deeds here. But I understand that a lesser president, of either party, would choose backup instead of decorum.

My apologies if I offended anyone here.

With his pop, his wife & his "Secretary of State" along, he may be restrained from embarrassing us horribly. Smirking, joking, getting mad--the possibilites are dreadful.

Too bad that we have a "lesser president." Carter should definitely be there.

that light comes from within Carter.

BUSH: "What is up with that?"

AIDE: "Mr. President.. the light only shines down on you if you have died and been turned into a saint. It is called a halo. What you mistake are the TV lights that followed you and your family around"

BUSH: "Oh - but Carter walks funny - what is up with that?"

AIDE: "Mr. President, Carter is walking the walk".

BUSH: "I jog".

AIDE: "No Mr. President - walking the walk is a metaphor"

BUSH: "He is a metaphor? I thought they only did that in Spain? But that explains why he walks funny. Oh and the light coming outta him..that is from his shiny jacket. Now I get it".

Made it sound like Carter was not all that interested in going, and it was not unusal for Condasleaza to be going since the Vatican was a state and she was the Secty of State.
Guess by 8PM she was told to get the talking points straighter.

I can't find a link (video) but it went something like this

Lauer:Can we FINALLY put this Carter controversy to bed?

Tim: Yes it seems that it was just a misunderstanding and we won't know what really happened until the memoirs are written.

Oh here's the link Video 7 of 9

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/?ta=y