In between rounds of golf while on his vacation in Hawaii, President Obama dispatched Vice President Joe Biden to represent him at the funeral of assasinated police officer Rafael Ramos.

“The President has asked Vice President Biden to attend the service for Officer Rafael Ramos and is grateful that the Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden will be traveling to New York City to attend the service on Saturday,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz told the press pool while they were waiting for the president as he played golf. “Additional details will be forthcoming from the Vice President’s office.”

New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said visitation for Ramos would be Friday from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Christ Tabernacle Church in Glendale, N.Y.

Ramos’ funeral will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday at the same location.

Services for Officer Wenjian Liu are pending as officials arrange visas for his family to come over from China for the funeral.

Liu was married just two months ago. Ramos leaves behind a wife and two teenagers.

“They are in tremendous pain. And they are worried deeply in the Ramos family’s case, two teenagers, who remind me now of my own children who now don’t have a father,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters yesterday.

“The family is extraordinary, the Ramos family, they are close-knit, warm, large family, a family that really believes — they have strong Christian faith, they have a strong sense of family, they strongly belief in public service,” de Blasio continued. “Officer Ramos was extraordinarily proud to be a member of the NYPD. And all of that is giving the Ramos family some ability to find strength in the middle of this pain. But still you have two teenaged young men, good young men who no longer have a father because of an assassin.”

The president wasted an extraordinary opportunity to unite the country by failing to honor the slain policemen and attend their funerals. True, it would have been a gesture, but a profound one. It would have isolated the cop haters while showing his solidarity with law enforcement, currently under tremendous pressure partly due to his rhetoric.

But for Obama, it would be a step away from his supporters - even if that step would have been useful. He just doesn't have it in him to lead.