No Special Treatment

I concur with the thoughts in this Freeper thread about Kerry’s potential plans to visit the Reagan Library. If he wants to pay his respects (and this isn’t just grandstanding), fine, but he should stand in line for hours with everyone else. None of this “Do you know who I am?” business.

Of course, as another commenter pointed out, he does have a natural face for mourning. I suspect he’ll get many opportunities to use it in the coming months, particularly in early November…

By the way, as I was driving up to Chatsworth this morning, the sign in Sepulveda pass said that there was an eight-hour wait at the library. I usually drive up the 405 to the 118 (the Simi Valley Freeway) and across, then take DeSoto down, but this morning, after hearing traffic reports, I decided to go across on the 101 instead.

[Update a few minutes later]

You know, this actually could be a good political move for him, as long as he does stand in line and take the bus (and that should include having his “family’s” SUV sit out on the 118 for hours as well, just like the rest of us). After all, he claims that he’s taking the week off from campaigning out of respect for President Reagan. What better way to show that he really is than by spending a few hours of his own personal time, on queue with the commoners? It would be all the more admirable, because it can’t be expected to be a friendly crowd to someone like him. It would be an opportunity to show, despite all previous evidence, that he really does have the common touch.

This, of course, is exactly why he won’t do it. I fully expect him to revert to character, and try (and maybe even succeed) to pull a “Do you know who I am?”. But maybe he’ll surprise me.

[Update]

He met my expectations, and Iowapresidentialwatch isn’t impressed, calling it “indecent exposure.”

At issue: The need for a Kerry visit to the Reagan Library in California. As reported by Rush Limbaugh, a Kerry spokesperson had already announced Kerry would attend the State Funeral for Reagan on Friday in Washington, D.C.

At issue: The photographer accompanying Kerry into the Reagan Library. Clear guidelines (handed out to everyone prior to entering the library to view Reagan