Congress to Honour Winston Churchill

[ORAC]

Perhaps to balance the one removed from the Oval Office by President Obama? :hmm:

On Rare Busy Day on Hill, Congressional Leaders to Honor Sir Winston Churchill (http://blogs.defensenews.com/intercepts/2013/10/on-rare-busy-day-on-hill-congressional-leaders-to-honor-sir-winston-churchill/)

Don’t blink Wednesday. If you do, you might miss something that has become in recent years very rare in Washington: Congress will be doing multiple things at once.

In the morning, a House-Senate committee will be discussing a compromise 2014 budget resolution and how to craft a set of long-term fiscal proposals at the same time a House panel will be examining Obamacare’s sluggish start. In the afternoon, another House-Senate conference committee will be working on a compromise Farm Bill.

Intercepts readers have a stake in one of those, with the budget committee expected to examine how to replace the remaining nine years of sequestration cuts with other deficit-paring items. (Your Defense News Congressional Correspondent will be live-tweeting any noteworthy tidbits from that session here.) But there’s another event on Wednesday that you likely will find interesting: A bipartisan group honors World War II’s “British Bulldog.”

Secretary of State John Kerry will join congressional leaders in the Capitol Building’s Statutory Hall to dedicate a bust of Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

“Placing a bust of Churchill in the Capitol is a fitting recognition of his service to the cause of freedom and his friendship to the United States,” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said in a statement. “We will come together to salute this great statesman and honor his legacy of persistence, determination, and resolve.”

The occasion will feature a bipartisan list of speakers: Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Your correspondent is just back from a holiday in London, which included a tour of Churchill’s underground WWII command center. Below is a pic I snapped of the door leading to the room where Churchill and his War Cabinet made countless strategic and tactical decisions.

You can watch the bust-dedication ceremony live at 11 a.m. (EST) on C-SPAN.

[West Coast]

Heck, the USN even named a ship after him.

[air pig]

West Coast, also I believe that it is a tradition that the ship permanently has a Royal Navy navigation officer on an overseas tour.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/royal-navy-navigator-steers-uss-winston-s-churchill-into-portsmouth

[themightyimp]

Thank you, Sir!

[500N]

Not a bad posting for a RN Lt for a couple of years, especially if single.

[smujsmith]

“Placing a bust of Churchill in the Capitol is a fitting recognition of his service to the cause of freedom and his friendship to the United States,” What a great tribute to a great man. I doubt there will be many since his premiership who will be so honoured by the USA, I wonder why.

Smudge

[500N]

" I doubt there will be many since his premiership who will be so honoured by the USA, I wonder why."

I would suggest Maggie Thatcher would be one.

Stopped your President from becoming "lily livered" at a crucial time :O

[FODPlod]

The first RN exchange navigator of USS Winston S. Churchill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Winston_S._Churchill_(DDG-81)) was Lt Angus Essenhigh RN whose father, Admiral Sir Nigel Essenhigh GCB DL (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Essenhigh), was First Sea Lord 2001 - 2002. Angus, now a Cdr, is the Commanding Officer of HMS Daring (http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/The-Fleet/Ships/Destroyers/Type-45-Destroyers/HMS-Daring) currently deployed in the Pacific.

Two immensely talented and well-respected officers.

[500N]

HMS Darling was in Sydney a few weeks ago.

This is obviously a nice posting given to the best ?

[TomJoad]

Well done congress, good story. Of all historical figures I would choose to visit Churchill when I invent my time machine. He really was a remarkable leader and a man for his time.

[Dan Winterland]

Churchill's mother was American.

[Rick777]

This will probably the most useful thing they accomplish this week.

[1771 DELETE]

Probably the ONLY thing they accomplish today more likely.

I had heard that the USS Winston Churchill was the only boat with alcohol on board, not sure if thats true, i could see every USN matelo jumping from their dry ships if true.

[SilsoeSid]

"History will be kind to me for I intend to write it."
Winston Churchill

[Chugalug2]

ORAC:_
Perhaps to balance the one removed from the Oval Office by President Obama? http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/yeees.gif
Perhaps it's the same one? Nil cost win-win, you know it makes sense!

[Warmtoast]

Its removal back in 2009 caused some comment in the American press including this:
Obama removed the bust of former British Prime Minister Churchill shortly after moving into the White House, replacing it with one of former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. The Times of London, England’s largest newspaper, wrote on Jan. 31, 2009, “Mr. Obama shows little evidence of the Anglophilia that led his predecessors to pepper speeches with quotations from Churchill. Instead, there have been suggestions that he has reason to disdain the former Prime Minister. In 1952 Churchill declared the Kenya emergency in the homeland of Mr Obama’s father, sending in troops to crush the Mau Mau rebellion against colonial rule. Among the Kenyans who were detained without trial and allegedly tortured by the British was Hussein Onyango Obama, the President’s grandfather.”

Another contemporary press report at the time says the bust was "On loan from the Government's (UK) art collection:
A bust of the former prime minister once voted the greatest Briton in history, which was loaned to George W Bush from the Government’s art collection after the September 11 attacks, has now been formally handed back. The bronze by Sir Jacob Epstein, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds if it were ever sold on the open market, enjoyed pride of place in the Oval Office during President Bush’s tenure. But when British officials offered to let Mr Obama to hang onto the bust for a further four years, the White House said: “Thanks, but no thanks.”

[500N]

1771

Why would that be ? (The only one with alcohol on board ?)

[Chugalug2]

Seems this one was donated by the Churchill Trust. Soames looking more and more like his Grandfather, especially in profile (Yes, I know, the resemblance stops there). Weird having Roger Daltrey singing a version of "Stand by Me" as part of the ceremony, but of course it was an American ceremony. :E
Video: New Winston Churchill bust unveiled inside US Congress - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10416117/New-Winston-Churchill-bust-unveiled-inside-US-Congress.html)

[1771 DELETE]

500N
I live in Maine close to BIW, where she was built, a friend who works in the shipyard told me the wardroom was styled on a RN boat with drinks because of the British connection, i doubt it myself.

[parabellum]

Why would that be ? (The only one with alcohol on board ?)

The USN is 'dry' below decks, not sure about the wardroom. Felt sorry for the US sailors when they came ashore in Aden, (+30C something and 95% humidity), they had been at sea quite a while and came straight to 4% to 5% beer. Slightest sign of showing the worse for wear and the USN shore patrol were on them in seconds! Just dozing off at a table was enough to be hauled away.

[NutLoose]

He might of ditched the Bust, but he has kept the desk we gave them.

The Presidents Desk (http://thepresidentsdesk.com/history.html)

[SASless]

Perhaps it's the same one? Nil cost win-win, you know it makes sense!


Nothing about Obama and the current SecNav makes sense!

For sure...."Cost" had nothing to do with the decision as this latest occupant of the White House has presided over the greatest expansion of government debt and spending in all of American History.