Why is Reagan's passing such a BFD, I asked? Turns out all the details are mandated by White House protocol. Richard Nixon didn't get all that to-do because he didn't choose to. When you get inaugurated, apparently one of the first things you do is choose your funeral.

I learned all of this from my colleague/client in DC, who is basically stranded there for the next 12 hours since the road to Alexandria is closed.

Although Tim has an excellent point (in yesterday's comments) about old dead conservatives inevitably seeming more harmless than the current crowd.  

¶ 2:42 PM