MIAMI, April 6 (UPI) -- George W. Bush and Jimmy Carter are being characteristically restrained in their reaction to the former president's absence from the U.S. delegation to Pope John Paul II's funeral.
What else would you expect from President Bush and Carter, well schooled in diplomacy after years and years in the public eye?
But that's not keeping some strident speculation from flowing.
"Bush passed over Carter in Pope Funeral Pick," read a recent Drudge Report headline.
"Carter left off delegation for funeral. Speculation of snub by Bush persists," read a headline in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The U.S. delegation will be headed by President Bush; former President George H.W. Bush, the president's father; former President Bill Clinton; and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Former President Gerald Ford, 91, has been advised to limit his travel because of his health.
The administration was consistent in its treatment of the trip. It said the U.S. delegation had to be kept small because of the large official delegations from numerous nations.
For that reason it also denied requests from many Catholic politicians and members of the administration.
The White House denied claims that Carter had been rejected and said Carter had actually been asked to join the delegation.
"We would have been more than happy to have him," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "We reached out to former President Bush, former President Clinton and former President Carter to be part of the delegation. It was his decision to make."
That doesn't quite jibe with Carter's brief statement about the trip.
"After issuing a public statement of condolences last week, President Carter expressed to the White House a desire to attend the Pope's funeral," the Carter Center said in a brief statement issued in Atlanta Tuesday.
"He was quite willing to withdraw his request when he was subsequently informed that the official delegation would be limited to just five people, and there were also others who were eager to attend," the statement said.
"He and his wife Rosalynn are very pleased with the official delegation," it said.
If Carter was indeed snubbed, many observers believe there are plenty of reasons for it.
One of the problems between the two came in the wake of the 2000 presidential election that Bush won by 537 votes in a recount in Florida.
The Florida dispute took five weeks to resolve, and it was finally ended by a U.S. Supreme Court decision. Many Democrats in Florida still believe Bush stole the election.
Carter lashed out at the vote count in Florida. He said when it came to fairness the state was worse than many Third World countries that the Carter Center had monitored in the past.
The next point of contention was the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Carter said it was an unnecessary war and the decision to invade was the result of "lies and misinterpretations." He said Bush's motivation was to finish the Gulf War waged by his father in the early 1990s.
He also said Bush's chief ally in the 2003 invasion, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, was swayed by Bush.
Another sign of friction between Carter and the president came earlier this year, when Bush's father and Clinton were named to head an effort to raise money for tsunami relief and Carter was not invited to participate.
Pope John Paul II echoed Carter's opposition to the war and had voiced disapproval of bombing raids in 1999 under Clinton, who differed with the pope on such issues as abortion and birth control, Cuba, the death penalty and gay rights.
When President Bush gave the pope the Medal of Freedom in Italy last year, the pope responded with a long statement in opposition to the Iraq war.
Carter probably had as close a relationship with the pope as any of the presidents.
Carter was president when the pope was installed in 1979. The pope made his only visit to the White House when Carter was in office.
Carter, a Baptist, made his feelings about the pope clear in the statement Tuesday after the pontiff's death Saturday.
The statement said the Carters relish the memories of his visit in 1979 and of their visit to the Vatican.
"Once again, they wish to express their admiration and appreciation for the superb ministry of this great Christian leader, and will be honoring him in spirit," the statement said.
In more personal remarks last weekend, Carter said, the pope was shaped by his own experience under Nazi occupation during World War II and dedicated his life to peace throughout the world.
"His was a constant voice for justice, nonviolence, and reconciliation for both individuals and nations," Carter said. "As a spiritual leader, he emphasized the common humanity of people of all faiths. His advocacy for the poor and oppressed will prevail as a source of hope and inspiration for others to follow."
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