Ed Morrissey @ Hot Air:
And the British government is apparently unhappy about it, too. Sources within Whitehall told the Daily Mail that the Obama administration’s decision to skip sending an envoy to what has become a de facto state funeral for one of America’s staunchest Cold War allies came before the Boston terrorist attack yesterday, and that the White House had cited a “busy week” for the reason they couldn’t even spare Joe Biden for Margaret Thatcher’s funeral:
Friends and allies of Baroness Thatcher expressed ‘surprise and disappointment’ last night as it emerged President Obama is not planning to send any serving member of his administration to her funeral.
Whitehall sources have revealed that the US delegation at tomorrow’s service in St Paul’s Cathedral will be led by two Reagan era secretaries of state: James Baker and George Shultz.
Though President Obama himself had not been expected to attend, there had been speculation that he would be represented either by Vice President Joe Biden or wife Michelle. However, the Obama administration had said it would not be attending Thatcher’s funeral before the Boston bombings.
The Queen’s decision to attend Lady Thatcher’s funeral has effectively elevated it to a state occasion unprecedented for a political figure in Britain since the death of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965.
Other world leaders, including Canada’s Stephen Harper, Mario Monti of Italy and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, are attending the service in person.
Normally, that would prompt attendance by a high-level figure in the US government — if not the President or Vice-President, a high-ranking Cabinet official. For instance, why not send John Kerry, the Secretary of State tasked with maintaining good relations with close allies like the UK? Instead, the US delegation will consist of two men who would be traveling as private citizens to the funeral already, essentially giving an official policy of ignoring the event and snubbing the other world leaders attending it.
And why? Obama and Biden are too busy pushing gun control, according to the US embassy:
I can not believe we are not sending a government official to the funeral.
Shame on the Obama administration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But hey, we did sent a delegation to the funeral of Hugo Chavez. After all, you pathetic people don’t understand that Obama has to have his priorities, and honoring Baroness Thatcher is not one of them, but honoring a Socialist dictator is.
@retire05:
I understand the reason Michelle doesn’t go is there are not enough rooms available for all her vacationing traveling entourage. She needs a huge staff to keep all her vacations planned well in advance and she just can’t squeeze the funeral in.
It is another disgrace to this nation to ignore the funeral of Margaret Thatcher. BHO has no class and shows it regularly.
obama is too busy playing golf to be bothered with such things
@robert l. gilmore III:
Well, except Chavez….
Apparently Dinesh Dusa (sp?) was correct when he posited that Obama really did adopt his father’s hatred for the UK.
@Nan G: It’s obvious.
But he’s supposed to be the president of the US which is the major ally of UK
I’m guessing that Margaret Thatcher is looking down on us and saying, “Thank God obama won’t be coming to my funeral, or anyone from his administration. I didn’t want him to attend anyway. Thank your mr. president for making the right choice!”
obama didn’t want to be close to the BUST of Winston Churchill. Why would he want to be close to a LIVING WOLD HERO like Thatcher?
Are you liberals finally starting to find out that obama hates to be around people who fight for freedom, but loves to be around those who fight against it?
After I wrote the above, I wondered if it is possible that England secretly asked the president not to attend. I’m not saying I think they did, just that it wouldn’t surprise me if they did.