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Viewing the Inca Ruins
Posted by Heather on December 28th, 2006
The death of a President always means a national day of mourning and to pay respect. Leaders of our country are expected to come together, put aside the politics of the day and pay those respects. Apparently Harry Reid can’t be bothered. He should be ashamed of himself.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will miss the state funeral for former President Gerald Ford at the Capitol Rotunda on Saturday night, opting instead to lead a delegation to South America with an expected stop at the Machu Picchu Inca ruins.
Reid, D-Nev., left Wednesday afternoon from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland with a bipartisan group of five other senators, including Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the incoming assistant majority leader, for what has been described as a weeklong visit to Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru.
The highlight of the trip is said to be separate meetings with the presidents of the three nations, with the last one scheduled in Peru on Tuesday afternoon.
“They would be difficult to cancel,” Reid spokesman Jim Manley said via mobile phone as the congressional delegation took off in a U.S. military plane.
Difficult but not impossible. The Presidents of the three nations mentioned here would surely understand. For all we know, they may be invited to attend President Ford’s funeral.
The senators are also scheduled to be in Cuzco, Peru, on Sunday, which would give them an opportunity to view the nearby Inca ruins and anything else in advance of New Year’s Eve.
Manley said the senators opted to skip Ford-related ceremonies over the next few days because of the long-scheduled meetings with the South American presidents, noting that U.S. relations with some of the countries are in need of improvement.
How classless. While Americans will be viewing a President laying in state, Harry Reid, Dick Durbin and company will be viewing Inca ruins.
Other senators making the trip are Kent Conrad, D-N.D., Judd Gregg, R-N.H., Robert Bennett, R-Utah, and Ken Salazar, D-Colo.
As Ed Morrisey states:
What a classless act, and Reid, Durbin, Kent Conrad, Judd Gregg, Robert Bennett, and Ken Salazar should be ashamed of themselves. If Harry Reid can’t figure out that his new position as Majority Leader carries some extra responsibilities, then perhaps the Democrats need to find someone who does understand it.
What ever happened to respect?
December 28th, 2006 at 7:12 am
THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY
It says a lot about the character of the new Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that he would blow off the state funeral of Gerald Ford, the least partisan of our most recent presidents, in order to get in a little holiday sight seeing and engage in so…
December 28th, 2006 at 12:31 pm
As I commented over at GM’s…
It’s far better that Sen. Reid and his entourage show to the American people and the whole world their true hearts by junketing off to South America than for them to hypocritically feign respect for Mr. Ford. Good riddance to them!
December 28th, 2006 at 12:50 pm
The really amazing thing about this is the lack of outrage from the MSM! It has been almost 24 hrs since the announced snub and no screams from:ABC,CBS,CNN,NBC, et. al. IF anyone ever doubted the bigotry of the MSM this should be prima facia evidence of such bogotry.
December 28th, 2006 at 6:33 pm
I’ll ask the question again — why can’t we treat the traitors of this country like we did the Rosenburgs?
December 29th, 2006 at 8:07 pm
Were it Clinton who had died, these Dems would have hauled their asses back for all the of the funeral rites.
December 29th, 2006 at 9:32 pm
Civil Truth- I only just found this post LOL…and what you say is true BUT I think respect is an issue here. Remember…this is a President who died, not just anyone. Harry Reid has no class and nor do those with him- including MY Senator Gregg (who WILL be hearing from ME about this!)
December 29th, 2006 at 9:33 pm
Rodney= why would the MSM care? They’re liberal as heck and Ford was republican. Need say no more about this huh??
December 29th, 2006 at 9:34 pm
Klabdak– If we allow the likes of John Kerry to get away with the antics of treason he performs on an almost weekly basis- there is little hope that anyone would ever be tried like the Rosenburgs.
December 29th, 2006 at 9:35 pm
AOW– VERRRY true! How sad.
December 30th, 2006 at 5:49 pm
first of all, what Reid is doing is not acceptable. But I just had to comment on this…
“What ever happened to respect?”
Republicans as of late have shown very little respect for the opposition. What about the slander campaign on Max Clelend, a decorated war vetern? Or what about the entire republican leadership, for many years, always referring to them as “the democrat party” instead of “the democratic party” (fyi, this was originally started in the 70’s or 80’s as an insult.)
December 31st, 2006 at 11:58 am
Oh Nick get a grip of something on yourself. Come on.
I read somewhere that President Bush wasn’t going to attend yesterday’s events at the Capitol..let it be said here: this too is disrepectful and he needs to have been there. I did see Harry Reid (I think)?? Maybe he smartened up.
January 3rd, 2007 at 11:09 am
Look, Reid has been on the take forever; but, escapes much criticism. We are paying for his junket to South America for a Vacation–his trip will have nothing to do with better relations, worse relations, or no relations with the countries visited. And, Machu Pichu certainly is not a place to visit for a Senator who is trying to look senatorial rather than idiotic.