White House: Obama To Pay Respects To Scalia Friday, Won’t Attend Funeral

White House press secretary Josh Earnest speaks during the daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 15, 2016. Earnest discussed the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, and other topics... White House press secretary Josh Earnest speaks during the daily news briefing at the White House in Washington, Friday, Jan. 15, 2016. Earnest discussed the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal, and other topics. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) MORE LESS
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White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Wednesday that President Barack Obama doesn’t plan to attend the funeral for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

Earnest said Obama and his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, would “pay their respects” to Justice Scalia on Friday at the Supreme Court as he lies in repose. He said Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill planned to attend the funeral on Saturday.

“The President obviously believes it’s important for the institution of the presidency to pay his respects to somebody who dedicated three decades of his life to the institution of the Supreme Court,” Earnest said.

Scalia died Saturday at age 79 while on a hunting trip in Texas.

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  1. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Wednesday that President Barack Obama doesn’t plan to attend the funeral for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

    Conservative heads exploding in 3…2…1…

  2. He’s being too generous to the man who tried to stop everything he’s done or tried to do to help the country. Being presidential can go just so far.

  3. There goes that damned Barry Bamz again, proving once more that he is not a hypocrite by choosing to not attend a funeral for someone he disagreed with and battled with constantly, and who treated him and his beliefs like shit. Who the hell does he think he is - President of the United States or something?!

  4. I just adore the way President “Fresh outta Fucks” Obama has handled Scalia’s death. He’s been just sufficiently respectful, he’s used mostly neutral adjectives, and he’s done so while refusing to disingenuously conceal his somewhat obvious contempt. I applaud the president for refusing to attend the funeral of such a vile individual.

  5. Plus the double-reverse dig about how the GOP Senate reads things in the Constitution that just are not there. Wonder where they learned that trick of originalism?

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