Where Have We Heard of 'Heaven's Grief' Before?

Tom Blumer recorded today's New York Times coverage of the Kim Jong-Il funeral, including the communist regime's claim that the heavy snowfall surrounding the funeral showed "heaven's grief" over the dictator's death.

San Diego radio host Mark Larson (from KCBQ/KPRZ) reminded me of the American version of this, from NBC's Andrea Mitchell praising a Democratic icon when rain soaked his funeral in 2009: "The heavens were weeping for Teddy Kennedy today."

As Rich Noyes remarked at the time,

After the tributes, NBC's Tom Brokaw declared the public now had a better understanding of Kennedy. Wrapping up his coverage Saturday, Brokaw proclaimed: "In the last 48 hours, the American people have had a more intimate look at Senator Edward Kennedy who, for so many years, was a kind of a caricature for so many people. But they've learned about his generosity, about his passion for public life."

But in many ways, the media caricatured themselves last week. Kennedy's passing should have sparked a serious debate about his controversial liberal legacy. But star-struck reporters sought only to praise it.