Your view/opinion from across the pond?

[denogginnator]

I am curious what those of you think about the Obama administration not sending a senior delegation to attend Thatcher's funeral?

Here is a cut and paste from an article which discusses it;

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Today, April 17, 2013, Great Britain buried Lady Margaret Thatcher. British supporters of Lady Thatcher say that they are, “Plainly Annoyed” by the lack of American senior representation at today’s funeral proceedings.

The New York Times’ European Section described today’s funeral as “austere and devout.” Seven-hundred members of the British military comprised the full Honor Guard for the former Conservative giant known to most as “The Iron Lady.” The troops lined the streets leading to St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, where the service was held.

More than one-thousand British citizens filled the streets gathering to bid farewell to the Baroness. A Royal Army horse-drawn gun-carriage brought her Union-Jack-draped casket to the steps of the ancient church, where her remains were carried into the sanctuary. Four-thousand police guarded the outer- perimeter of the London event. Inside the church, 2,300 national and international dignitaries gathered to pay their respects.

As the service began, a gun salute rang out from the Tower of London as Big Ben’s chimes paused in a moment of sacred silence.

President Obama and Vice President Biden missed these sacred moments today. The British took note of the fact that The Obama administration chose not to send one senior member of the Cabinet. In-fact, no actively serving elected Democrat attended Lady Thatcher’s funeral.

The British newspaper, The Guardian, reported:

“While Barack Obama was invited, he has opted to send a presidential delegation comprising no serving politicians. Shultz was secretary of state to Ronald Reagan while Baker served the elder George Bush. Also representing Obama will be Barbara Stephenson, chargé d’affaires at the US embassy in London, and Louis Susman, the recently departed ambassador to Britain.

Separately, the Republican Party is sending three members of the House of Representatives: Marsha Blackburn, who will lead the delegation, along with Michele Bachmann and George Holding. Blackburn is a leading fiscal conservative, while Bachmann, a member of the hard-line conservative Tea Party Faction, became internationally known during her spectacular, if brief, bid for the 2012 presidential nomination.

Another leading Republican conservative and attempted 2012 nominee, Newt Gingrich, is also among the confirmed attendees. Ronald Reagan’s widow, Nancy, was invited but has said she felt unable to make the trip aged 91.”

Obama’s absence meant he was upstaged by the presence of F. W. de Klerk, former President of South Africa, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Italy’s Prime Minister, Mario Monti, and Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, just to name a few state leaders who decided that Lady Thatcher was worth honoring.

The leading chief-of-state who attended today’s memorial was Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Today was the first time the Queen of Great Britain attended the funeral of a prime minister since Sir Winston Churchill passed away forty-eight years ago.

The Obama Administration did, however, send a formal delegation to the funeral of Socialist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who died last month.

The president chose to honor Chavez, the Socialist who called President G.W. Bush, “the devil” and said that “Hitler would be like a suckling baby next to George W. Bush,” but refused to honor Lady Thatcher. Obama sent a formal delegation to the funeral of Hugo Chavez, who said that under President G.W. Bush, the U.S. was, “The most savage and cruel in the world.”

While the White House was heaping honors on the Socialist, Chavez, Congress was fighting over whether it was valid to honor the woman whose life’s work was defeating Socialism and Communism across the globe.

The entire House of Representatives (Republicans and Democrats) passed a resolution honoring Thatcher’s memory without a single dissent. Yet, Senate Democrats blocked a resolution to honor Britain’s former conservative titan.

Today, the Obama Administration’s conspicuous absence at Lady Thatcher’s funeral simply adds one more insult to a long list of injuries.

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Let me know your thoughts?

[blackburn_stevie]

I think it is disgusting. Put aside the fact that she was hated by a lot of Brits, she was a Brit politician of the highest order and to not attend her funeral shows Obamas true colours.

ps ... My name has changed and the shed has long been demolished but that night still lives on in my memory.

[right-then-petal]

maybe he was not invited but anyway he sent someone and at the moment the Obama administration has enough other problem needing his attention

hope they catch the Boston bombers soon

have a nicer day

[crazy-bargain-store]

It's disgraceful. The UK serves no purpose to Obama at the present time but no doubt he'll come knocking again when it does. I hope he gets told where to go X-(

The Obama Administration did, however, send a formal delegation to the funeral of Socialist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who died last month.

Draw your own conclusions from that ^

[tommy.irene]

Plenty of people didnt go or watch it on TV,, Just another funeral,, only this one cost £10 million..

[tommy.irene]

I think it is disgusting. Put aside the fact that she was hated by a lot of Brits, she was a Brit politician of the highest order and to not attend her funeral shows Obamas true colours.

ps ... My name has changed and the shed has long been demolished but that night still lives on in my memory.

Is this the yank that saved your life Stevie by calling the police.

[denogginnator]

Indeed I will never forget it either.

Sadly when James decided to re-remove SEGOOI (probably due to button pushers who cannot handle opposing points of view), all history of you being locked in the shed and 10 years worth of other RT history was cast aside.

As to the Obama snub, he obviously did not plan on sending another otherwise they would have already been book and probably on the way prior to the Boston bombs going off.

BTW - What happened to the shed and how did it come to be demolished? 

[blackburn_stevie]

Update on the shed .... As you may remember it was 8ft x 16ft wide x 8ft at the front and 7 ft at the back and made of pine. It was a home made job and took a few weekends. It had electric with more than enough power points. Broadband set up to run my computer. A heating system and more security than you could shake a stick at. The only problem was that the area that backed on to the back end of our garden became a vacant lot and kids gathered there for all sorts of nefarious reasons. The favourite was to try to break into the shed from the rear. They would rip out a few of the shiplap boards and find themselves stymied by 1/8th inch steel mesh grating. Then they would give up. So then I put metal sheeting at the rear of the shed so then they tried the sides. After about 8 goes at it I gave up and put an add in the paper. "Make a cash offer for shed and contents. Must be able to dismantle it and take it away." I had 4 people turn up and accepted £1,200 for the lot. The only thing that I took out beforehand was the wiring from the house to the junction box.

I'm now in the house with a top end Mac Mini and a 70" plasma TV . :^O

[salfordmarinade]

It was supposed to be a ceremonial, not state affair.


"just to name a few state leaders who decided that Lady Thatcher was worth honoring."

Just a couple of points, Howard isn't current Australian PM, he's been out of office some years. M Monti lost the recent election and is really only caretaker PM  because  a new coalition has not yet been formed. The other leaders not mentioned seem to include some of the former eastern block states. The Lithuanian leader came via a budget airline whose pic  she pasted on her FB page apparently.
A brief read  suggests only about 11 serving leaders (some with UK connections still, some apparently not generally  named ), actually attended. Germany was represented by its foreign minister , France by head of it's foreign affairs committee,
The US delegation included Shultz and Bacon who were both sec of state while Thatcher was in power, so quite appropriate   I think.


I didn't notice much by the way of grand gesture from the GOP apart from a few house representatives, and Newt
Nancy declined, and didn't offer any family representative just a Ronnie foundation rep
What happened to the Bush dynasty with Bush snr playing her 2nd misleading man after Ronnie? ....declined

[al**bear]

Beware of visitors from across the pond who speak with forked tongue.

The REAL Story

The thread you speak of, was 'locked' because You were the only person who kept bumping it (once or twice a Year), new posters to the boards, would get very angry at your posts and find themselves being reported off the boards for angry replies.

hope they catch the Boston bombers soon

Denog , will likely count them as Political Freedom Fighters

[lhasa.two]

I agree with salformarinade's post...

Dick Cheney and Henry Kissinger also attended to add to the US list. These were people who knew Baroness Thatcher during her years in office.

Because it was a Ceremonial and not a State funeral, absolutely no need for President Obama to attend. He and his government were represented by the UK American Ambassador (or near equivalent). That's what Ambassadors are for... Why waste your tax payers money...

It's protocol to invite heads of state to this type of funeral but many others did not attend, including many of the countries in the Commonwealth. 

[denogginnator]

al**bear(72) Apr 19, 2013 02:27 AM

Beware of visitors from across the pond who speak with forked tongue.

The REAL Story

The thread you speak of, was 'locked' because You were the only person who kept bumping it (once or twice a Year), new posters to the boards, would get very angry at your posts and find themselves being reported off the boards for angry replies.

I knew you could not help and reveal yourself as the person I left un-named. The SEGOOI thread lasted 10+ years, and only after you and maybe a couple others complained was it locked. While it certainly did not have the same participation as it did in it's heyday, I was certainly not the only one bumping it. I believe that due to the peace process which many here never thought would hold, discussion became less passionate and some regulars drifted away(heck some even passed away like poor Cheeserik).

Regardless RT had a much more tolerant group before the likes of certain people showed up. 

 hope they catch the Boston bombers soon

Denog , will likely count them as Political Freedom Fighters

The shots you take at me only reflect poorly upon yourself. Those who know me over here would never believe I would think or say such a thing. Sometimes terrorists are just what they appear to be.

As to how any of this relates to the thread, I'd just point out that Obama did not have any intention of attending prior to the terror attacks. Heck he was not even sending a senior delegation to pay respects.

I've always felt that the British are the keepers of the flame when it comes to proper decorum, protocol etc.

So I am certainly interested in the RT's point of view on this regardless of how you feel or felt about former PM Thatcher.

[renomarvinm]

When a military unit conducts a ceremony or a parade, they are doing it to honor their own, to honor their people, and, most importantly, to honor their country.  But it is important to remember that they are also doing so for the sake of those who have come before, and those who will form their ranks long, long after they are gone.  Do not forget, they are saying, how far back our origins were, or how long in the future they will be.  

This is also true in the political arena.  From an American standpoint, speaking strictly as one individual, I do not understand why no representative of our country was there for Mrs. Thatcher's funeral.  And, speaking quite frankly, it troubles me, worries me....... 

[denogginnator]

I agree.

To me it is just another in a long line of examples where this administration has it's priorities wrong. We seem to have turned out back on traditional allies, not just in a ceremonial way like in this instance.

One needs to look no further than how Egypt/Mubarak played out. Now we are funding and giving F16's to the Muslim Brotherhood?

[joe_bloggs*]

I think the only ones who appear upset in this country are the conservatives,no-one else seems bothered,after all neither President Johnson or Vice President Humphrey attended Churchill's state funeral opting to send a delegation instead

[renomarvinm]

When bill clinton had his inauguration, they featured a lawn chair band of some kind, and he is reported to have turned his back on the United States Marines when they came by and saluted....  If this is true, It is hard to think of a higher disgrace...