French President Chirac says he will not attend Reagan funeral. Why, he is in Georgia. I feel this is another slap in our faces. I am sorry Astropol this is not aimed at you but your President is not showing any class. No matter the feelings of a leader toward another when a former leader passes away it is customary for all leaders of allies to attend.
AM I alone on this? or do you all think that maybe Chirac is a little angry because he and Germany are being percieved as caving to us in the UN.

No, you're right, that is pretty classless.


I just want to add that I think Nancy is so poised, and lovely, and is full of grace, still in her later years. I am sad for her and you can just see her love for her husband.

Yes, she shows her strength for those around her, but the pain is in her eyes.
It was moving today in the Capitol when she walked to the casket and whispered something to her husband.
I am not known to be a softie, but it brought tears to my eyes to look into hers.

how true.......her eyes did say it all.

How my heart went out to her when she rested her head on his casket, such a simple gesture, yet it told volumes of how they were together.

Originally posted by creetwins
how true.......her eyes did say it all.

How my heart went out to her when she rested her head on his casket, such a simple gesture, yet it told volumes of how they were together.
Many have said that even after he left the White House that they would ride together on their ranch and he would jump from his horse and run to her. It was said that they were like teenagers at a drive ine all the time. There must have been real love there. And that loved was pouring from Nancys eyes today.

i dont think its that big a deal that he doent want to come to reagans funeral. i doubt bush goes to the funeral every time some imprtant frenchmen dies.

Yeah, honestly it doesn't strike me as an incredibly huge thing, as long as they send someone reasonably high-ranking or important to represent the country. Like Rated said, if Mitterand (sp?) died would Bush go? (I'm assuming he's not dead already - I really have no idea). We'd probably send Cheney or a former president to represent the U.S.

I think Chirac is just sick of spending time with Bush, with G-8 and d-day and everything. The french people don't pay him to sit around in America all day...he does have a job :).

I guarantee that when a French ex President dies we always send the President. The White House has hinted that it was insulting, and so did the dems in congress.
It is a big thing when you are in debt up to your eyeballs with the country you offend.
Trust me if a member of the family I owed most of my income to died I would be there. If only to lobby for a reduced debt payment and some quiet detant time.

Originally posted by Beirut_Veteran
Many have said that even after he left the White House that they would ride together on their ranch and he would jump from his horse and run to her. It was said that they were like teenagers at a drive ine all the time. There must have been real love there. And that loved was pouring from Nancys eyes today.

Lets not romanticize it too much. Sure she was upset - her husband just died.

Chirac is a classless fool - doesn't suprise me that he isn't going to the funeral, but lets face it - Reagan was a President in the 80's - unless Chirac had direct dealings with him there is no real expectation that he would come. I wonder if Margaret Thatcher is going to be there?

Bush would not go to an ex-president of Frances funeral period. It would be uncalled for for the President to attend. Cheney at best would go and even then that would probably be too high ranking. Ex presidents don't mean much except nostalgia.

Although I dislike Chirac immensely - I must say - he's made a fool out of Bush the last few days responding to some of Bush's idiot statements. Chiracs response to Bush saying that Iraq was like the liberation of France in WWII was a well crafted put down of Bush - it read like Chirac was saying "oh dear George, you are such an idiot". Bush just hands out these opportunities like they were going out of style

Originally posted by Beirut_Veteran
I am sorry Astropol this is not aimed at you but your President is not showing any class.

Don't be sorry - I really have no sympathy for Chirac and you can criticize him as much as you want !

I think it would have been wise from him to go to the funerals, since he tries hard to get along better with the USA and (quite surprisingly from here) Reagan seems to be very popular in your country. Chirac probably missed an opportunity. But I agree with those who say in case a former french president died, I don't think Bush would go to the funerals.

BTW Lionel - Mitterrand died in 1996, a few month after he ended his career. I could not find out who represented the USA at his funerals.

Originally posted by DrewM
I wonder if Margaret Thatcher is going to be there?


Yeah, Reagan specifically asked that she eulogize him. But I guess she's in such bad shape that she had to videotape the eulogy even though she's going to be there in person.

Anyone see Gorby paying his respects? It's a strange world.

Typical French

I am not a fan of Chirac but I do not think this is a large insult by him. It would have been a good gesture to help restore Franco-Amrican relations in the same manner that Gerhard Shroeder is doing by attending. However Junchiro Koizumi is not attending rather sending the Japanese PM that served during Reagan's administration, as is Vladimir Putin by sending Gorbachev. Margaret Thatcher is there too. I am curious though as to who the French are sending in Chirac's stead?

With that said I do not expect Bush to go to another country if one of their former rulers were to lay in state. That is usually something that is done by other representatives.

Reagan seems to be very popular in your country.
Well he is very popular to some. Personally I don't think he was an exceptional leader. There were many presidents that had done a much greater job in leading our country.

Typical French

What's typical about it? Please explain.

I'll explain it. Another cowardly French insult. You see, the French have no balls to stand up to anyone and actually SAY anything. They make their little statements through just cowardly words and acts. Acts by a country filled with cowards. Screw 'em. Completely wortless country. Completely worthless people.

Originally posted by pna43
I'll explain it. Another cowardly French insult. You see, the French have no balls to stand up to anyone and actually SAY anything. They make their little statements through just cowardly words and acts. Acts by a country filled with cowards. Screw 'em. Completely wortless country. Completely worthless people.

You are full of hate...it's really sad. I pity you.

I'm watching a re-run on the funeral on C-span and I could've sworn I saw Chirac sitting next to Gorbachev. Does anybody know if he decided to show up? I'm probably just seeing things.

Originally posted by pna43
I'll explain it. Another cowardly French insult. You see, the French have no balls to stand up to anyone and actually SAY anything. They make their little statements through just cowardly words and acts. Acts by a country filled with cowards. Screw 'em. Completely wortless country. Completely worthless people.
You got it backwards. You're the completely useless coward here. You can't say such things to their faces, so you go on Internet forums and talk about how cowardly they are when the act of complaining about them (and making statements with no merit) is cowardly.

And I'm sure your claims are not based in fact. You certainly provided none to back them up.

Was Tony Blair there? I haven't seen any mention of him. Have the French acted any differently than anyone else?

I believe Tony Blair, Prince Charles, and Margret Thatcher were all there.

Blair was there.
The french representatives were M.Barnier, foreign affairs ministry, and former president Giscard D'Estaing.

pna43 my post was a political comment, not one aimed at the people but the politics of France. It is no different than commenting on either dems or reps.

Yes, Blair, Thatcher and Charles were there as well as other leaders past and present. My problem is that Chirac was in the country, I can understand the Japanese, Germans and others not showing as we have not been allied to them as long as we WERE to the French.

From the french press, here are the resons why Chirac did not attend the funerals :

- official reason : he had to be back in France to meet China's deputy prime minister. Ok, but that does not seem so important.

- unofficial reason : after spending many days with Bush at D-Day celebrations and ant the G8 summit, Chirac, in spite of his new "we love each other" policy, was getting pretty pissed off by GW and didn't want to attend these funerals !
- Anoter unofficial reason : standing with personalities Thatcher, Gorbachov and Lech Walesa, Chirac would have been the only from this generation of the 80's still in exercise. It would have been bad for his image - he doesn't want his age to make him look like "a man from the past".

Some out-of the records quotes reported by a french newspaper :
- During the D-Day celebration, Chirac told Bush he planned to say in every speech that "France loves the USA". Bush replied "The USA do not want to be loved. They want to be powerful."
- During the G8, Bush told his hosts that one day would be "casual day", and that they should not wear ties. Of course Chirac was the only one with a tie - he probably was furious with Bush telling him how to dress !


- other unofficial

Originally posted by astrapol2
Some out-of the records quotes reported by a french newspaper :
- During the D-Day celebration, Chirac told Bush he planned to say in every speech that "France loves the USA". Bush replied "The USA do not want to be loved. They want to be powerful."



Lol, this sounds nothing like U.S./Bush, but more like how the French perceive the U.S./Bush. I seriously doubt that this quote is accurate.

Yeah but the main shock is how France beat England 2-1 in Euro2004 scoring 2 goals in the last 3 mins. I could have cried. Astropol - I bet you were jubilant :)

While not a real football fan, I was pretty amazed by Zidane's first goal, I must admit.

About the truth of the quote - I can't prove it of course but the paper that quoted it is usually very well informed and serious.