Though many politicians will be attending Congressman C.W. "Bill" Young's memorial service this Thursday, one in particular was told to stay away. Young's widow, Beverly, sent an e-mail to former Florida Governor Charlie Crist, telling him he is not welcome at the service.
Dr. Susan MacManus, political scientist at the University of South Florida, says her guess is Mrs. Young didn't want a spectacle that turned into a political event...
"...which seemed counter to the people who were speaking at the funeral, which represent both sides of the aisle," MacManus said. "So, it's certainly her right to do so. Some people will question it. But I'm sure that the last thing she wants is any kind of portrayal of him as being highly partisan, when in fact, Congressman Young was known more as being able to work across the aisle."
The Tampa Bay Times reports that Young's widow sent similar e-mails to Democrats Charlie Justice and Jessica Ehrlich.
