WASHINGTON - Former presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, as well as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, will join US President George W. Bush at Pope John Paul II's funeral, the White House announced Tuesday.
Spokesman Scott McClellan also confirmed that the White House had reached out to former president Jimmy Carter, but declined to say why Carter was not coming along when Bush leaves for the Vatican early Wednesday.
During a brief stop in West Virginia to promote his domestic agenda, Bush said he and First Lady Laura Bush "will be taking off tomorrow morning to pay our country's respects to a great world leader in His Holiness."
"He shows that one man can make an enormous difference. And I look forward to honoring the memory of Pope John Paul II," said the president, who was expected to have meetings with other world leaders in Rome on Thursday.
Bush was to leave Washington early Wednesday, attend the funeral on Friday, then leave Italy bound for his ranch in Crawford, Texas, where he welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon on Monday.
04/05/2005 17:47 GMT