No Respect(s): Obama to Skip Scalia Funeral

“We are fools for Christ and we must pray for the courage to ignore the scorn of the sophisticated world.” — the late Antonin Scalia, in 2012

As the nation continues to mourn the loss of Justice Antonin Scalia, the White House said President Obama will not attend the justice’s funeral this Saturday, though it was not clear why. This will be the first time in over 60 years that a president will miss the funeral of a sitting Supreme Court justice.

According to White House press secretary Josh Earnest, Vice President Joe Biden will attend the service on behalf of the White House.

The president’s decision not to attend the service is seen by some as a snub to the conservative Supreme Court giant, who earned the scorn of many liberals.

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At the White House daily briefing Wednesday, Earnest would not confirm if there was anything on the president’s schedule that would prevent him from attending. When pressed further on Obama’s schedule and whether or not he would be golfing on Saturday, Earnest deflected. “I don’t have a sense of what the president’s plans are for Saturday,” he said.

Golfing, a favorite weekend activity of the president, is therefore not officially off the table — especially with a beautiful, sunny, 62-degree day expected in the Washington, D.C. area on Saturday.

Obama, along with the first lady, plans to pay respects in the Great Hall of the Supreme Court, where Justice Scalia’s body will lie in repose on Friday.

[lz_bulleted_list title=”Funerals Obama Should Have Attended, but Didn’t”] Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher|’American Sniper’ Chris Kyle|Journalist James Foley|Slain NYPD officers Liu and Ramos|Major Gen. Harold Greene[/lz_bulleted_list]

This isn’t the first time Obama hasn’t shown leadership or respect for the office he holds. In August 2014, Major General Harold Greene passed away and was the first U.S. general to die in combat since the Vietnam War. During the funeral service, Obama was golfing in Martha’s Vineyard while on vacation. Then, in September 2014, when journalist James Foley was beheaded by ISIS, the president took a quick break from his vacation to publicly address the brutal act, but hit the golf links immediately after.

Chief Justice William Rehnquist was the last sitting Supreme Court justice to pass away, in 2005. President George W. Bush attended the funeral and even delivered the eulogy at the service.

When Justice Robert H. Jackson died in 1954 while still serving on the Supreme Court, Dwight D. Eisenhower, who was president at the time, was unable to attend the services. But he sent a four-foot wreath of white carnations in the shape of the cross.

The White House had very few details on the extent of the executive branch’s involvement in the funeral proceedings. It could not say whether the vice president would give a eulogy.

The Associated Press reported the funeral for Justice Scalia will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.