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[LAGC]

This message was self-deleted by its author (LAGC) on Wed Jan 4, 2017, 07:21 AM. When the original post in a discussion thread is self-deleted, the entire discussion thread is automatically locked so new replies cannot be posted.

[LeftyMom]

1. That's routine.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-mast#United_States

Under 4 U.S.C. § 7(m) and established traditions by Presidential proclamations, the flag of the United States is to be flown at half-staff on rare occasions, in the following circumstances:[44]
For thirty days after the death of a current or former president or president-elect, as occurred after the death of President Reagan and the death of President Ford.
For ten days after the death of a current vice president, current or retired chief justice, or current Speaker of the House of Representatives.
From the day of death until interment of an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a secretary of an executive or military department, a former vice president, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate,[45] or the governor of a state, territory, or possession.
On the day of death and the following day for a Member of Congress.

I swear, people here give him undue credit for the weirdest stuff. That's literally a form letter.

[LAGC]

3. I suppose so.

But he really seemed to go above and beyond mere "routine" and "motions" in praising him in his passing:

President Obama struck a somber tone, remembering the late-Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia as a "towering legal mind" who influenced a generation, but made it clear, he intends to replace him.

"Justice Scalia dedicated his life to the cornerstone of our democracy: the rule of law. Tonight, we honor his extraordinary service to our nation and remember one of the towering legal figures of our time."

UPDATE: President Obama spoke with Scalia's son, Eugene, per the White House. He passed "along condolences to the entire Scalia family on the passing of his father. The President extended his sympathies on behalf of the First Family and the country," said White House spokesman Eric Schultz.

He didn't have to do any of that. But clearly he has the bigger picture in mind.

[Skittles]

4. "extraordinary service to our nation"

certainly not the way I would put it

[jberryhill]

6. If you chose to serve this nation

...by kicking everyone in the ass, I'd say your service was "extraordinary".

It means "abnormal".

[Hortensis]

9. We honor the office and our nation

as much as the person who occupied it. The office lives. And, as stated, it would be unthinkable to insult based on partisanship.

Lord help us, I hope never to hear a President Teump's comments on the passing of someone who happened to offend him. "He was a big, fat doodoo, and no, I didn't kill him, but I could have and no one would have stopped me!"

[LeftyMom]

11. He said something nice about a dead person and gave condolences to the family?

That's literally what he's supposed to do. Christ, you're going on like he went over to the Scalia residence with a casserole and let Mrs. Scalia cry all over his favorite suit.

[Mister Ed]

2. I'd say he's fulfilling an official duty, with dignity and respect.

To have snubbed an ideological adversary by doing otherwise would have been a disgraceful, unthinkable affront. I doubt we'll ever see that sort of behavior in a U.S. president, unless perhaps we elect a Trump or a Cruz.

[gratuitous]

10. I tend to agree

Yes, by doing otherwise, President Obama would have behaved disgracefully. But unthinkable? Not so much. When you have a congressman yelling out "You lie!" during the State of the Union address, the unthinkable becomes more and more thinkable all the time.

[Katashi_itto]

5. It's Routine. I didn't think anything of it.

[Bluenorthwest]

7. standard protocol. proper and fitting.

nt

[jberryhill]

8. It was nice of him to give everyone a day off on Memorial Day too

I further understand he has decided to stay in office until January 20 of next year!

[Yo_Mama]

14. Thanks, I got a good laugh. I needed it. n/t

[iandhr]

12. This kind of thing is SOP

[Yo_Mama]

13. It's standard procedure in the US. Why wouldn't he follow that? n/t

[nichomachus]

15. I think he was being a politician

Politicians are supposed to say this crap when someone dies. It's just standard boilerplate:

"Great public servant, blah, blah blah. Service to his country, blah. blah, blah. He will be missed, blah, blah, blah."

And the statement is being written by underlings while the politician who says it is doing a little victory dance and talking on the phone trying to figure out how to maneuver it to his advantage.

Obama got the message on the golf course here and managed to suppress his grief long enough to finish the game with his three golfing buddies.

[MatthewStLouis]

16. Interesting how some of the first propaganda tweets I saw after Scalia died

were about how scandalous it was that Obama still had the flag at full staff. Oh, the outrage!

What assholes.