President Obama drew sharp criticism Sunday for failing to attend the funeral of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
“The president’s absence at Justice Scalia’s funeral is a slight to the Italian-American community,” fumed Neil Mattera, president of the New York-based Columbus Alliance.
Bronx-born actor Chazz Palminteri agreed.
“Historic firsts are important,” he fumed. “Justice Scalia was the first Italian-American on the Supreme Court. It would have been nice if the President of the United States would have recognized its importance to the community.”
Obama stayed home Saturday as mourners paid their respects at Washington’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. He dispatched Vice President Joe Biden instead to honor Scalia, who served on the court for 30 years until his sudden death last weekend while on a hunting trip in Texas.
“Italian-Americans take paying respects at funerals very seriously,” said Philip Foglia, vice president of the Italian-American Museum. “Justice Scalia was a milestone for the community. The president’s absence was disappointing and ill-advised.”
Scalia was born in Trenton, NJ, and attended grade school in Queens and high school in Manhattan before becoming the leading conservative voice on the high court.
“Only President Obama could turn a funeral into a partisan event,” said Adele Malpass, Manhattan’s GOP chairwoman. “He has once again missed an opportunity to bridge a partisan divide and chooses to divide people instead of bringing people together even when it comes to the funeral of a statesman.”
Manhattan resident Betty Ann Hogan added: “He was a Supreme Court justice. I’m sure if the situation were reversed and Obama died and Justice Scalia were alive that he would have gone to his funeral. It’s just the right thing to do.”
Obama and the first lady paid their respects Friday at the Supreme Court, where Scalia’s body lay in repose.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said Biden went because the vice president has a longstanding relationship with Scalia’s family and his “security footprint is a little lighter.”
Obama spent Saturday digging into material about nominating a potential successor. He put off his golf game on the balmy Washington weekend until Sunday morning.
Scalia is only the fourth justice to die while still serving on the bench in the past 65 years.