Heston Laid Down The Law
No Walk-ons! 
Steve Clemons provides a Richard Nixon footnote to the nation’s tearful remembrance of the gun-bearer’s Moses, Charlton Heston.
Clemons was handling some of the Nixon funeral logistics, and called Heston to inquire if the great man would visit the sacred ground in Yorba Linda.
“When I asked Mr. Heston if he would like to attend President Nixon’s funeral, his response was: “In what capacity?”
I wasn’t sure what he meant, so I repeated the question of whether he’d like to attend and whether he would need a limo/town car pass — and told him that I’d make arrangements for him in the family section.
He said, “I thank you for all that — but will I have a role?”
I said I couldn’t really arrange that. After all, we already had a program that featured Billy Graham, Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, Henry Kissinger, California Governor Pete Wilson, and others*.
And then he said, “No, I can’t attend. Thank you for the offer.”
”
My Way 
*Here Clemons carries on a Nixon Library tradition. Bill Clinton also spoke at the funeral, but a mid-90s Library photo exhibit on the service managed to exclude any image showing Clinton.
