AP: Incoming Senate Majority Leader Reid to miss Ford funeral

[DeepModem Mom]

Reid to miss Ford funeral
By DENNIS CONRAD, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - 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.

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....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061228/ap_on_go_co/ford_senate_leader

[babylonsister]

1. Hmmm. Are they going to strengthen SA relations, or to sightsee? nt

[heliarc]

4. My guess is that they will be recovering from

Altitude sickness. Takes about 2 days for most people to recover after getting to Cuzco.

I hope that the trip resonates with the immediate peril in which our civilization finds itself. The hike up the Inca trail to Inca city at Macchu Picchu remains one of the more beautiful hikes the world over. If they choose to make the hike in 2 days they will camp just shy of the "Door of the Sun" (Puerta del Sol) and there at dawn they will most likely see the fog part in the valley revealing the stunning carcass of one of the most amazing thinking cultures humanity has ever known. Destroyed by the same idiocy our country seems to be showing the world.

My guess is that they will helicopter up and in doing so misunderstand the sheer grandeur of the place.

If they DO understand the grandeur of the place, my guess is that it is one of those once in a lifetime experiences of humanity --A crossroads of civilizations-- and hopefully it will touch them.

[onehandle]

2. Crank up the Fox News machine!

"Democrat Reid skips state funeral to party with foreigners in another country."

[LTR]

3. Funny you should mention that...

The current headline across the top of Drudge's page:

THE BIG SNUB: Incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to skip Ford funeral...

Hmmm... wonder if the so-called "liberal media" will mention Judd Gregg and Robert Bennett, who are both traveling to South America with Reid and Durbin, and are both... REPUBLICANS!!!

For the record, Ken Salazar and Kent Conrad are the other two on the trip.

Here's the FOX 'News' website headline, which isn't too sleazy:

Reid, 5 Senators to Miss Ford Funeral Because of Congressional Travel

[Gloria]

5. Planes. Peru. Be careful

[LTR]

6. Looks like Bush is skipping the state funeral

Part of it will be missing President Bush, too. The president will not attend Ford's state funeral in the Rotunda on Saturday night, but will return to Washington from his Texas ranch on Monday, pay respects to Ford while his remains lie in state at the Capitol, and speak Tuesday at services for Ford at the National Cathedral.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061228/ap_on_re_us/ford_state_funerals

[badgerpup]

7. Does Drudge know about Bush choosing to skip the funeral, too?

And he doesn't have the excuse of being out of the country and meeting with foreign heads of state either.

When I first saw that Reid wasn't going to attend Ford's funeral, I thought "BAD call, Harry!" :banghead:
But even without the 'sightseeing' the logistics to attend the funeral would be difficult at best...:shrug:

[LTR]

8. I sent him the link and an explanation about Bush's snub

Only about 15 minutes later, the Reid snub reference mysteriously disappeared. Imagine that.