White House: ‘Some People Want to Use’ Scalia’s Funeral as a ‘Political Cudgel’

REPORTER: "Why wouldn't he just go to the funeral to do that?"
EARNEST: "Vice president Biden who had his own personal relationship with Justice Scalia and his family will be representing the administration at the funeral. Obviously, when the vice president travels someplace, his security footprint is at least a little bit lighter. But given his personal relationship with the family, and given the president's desire to find a respectful way to pay tribute to Justice Scalia's service to the country, we believe we have settled on an appropriate and respectful arrangement. I think all of this should be viewed in the context of the comments that the president offered in person on Saturday evening just a few hours after receiving the news of justice Scalia's death. The president addressed the news media and spent the bulk of his remarks paying tribute to jJustice Scalia and his life. When asked about justice Scalia at a news conference on Tuesday, the president, once again, took the opportunity to speak at length about his respect for Justice Scalia's intellect and commitment to the rule of law and his service to the country. I think all of that taken together reflects the kind of approach that I think that most Americans are looking for from their leaders in Washington, D.C. There's so much rancor and politics and partisanship that we allow ourselves to get drawn into separate corners to the extent that some people want to use the funeral of the supreme court justice as some sort of political cudgel. The president doesn't think that's appropriate. In fact, what the president thinks is appropriate is respectfully paying tribute to high-profile patriotic American citizens even when you don't agree on all the issues. That's what he's going to do."