yoursed to you support the casket of abe lincoln in 1865 when his body lay in state. it was used for president bush's flag draped coffin as well. it's the base of that that the coffin is sitting on that is draped in a black drape. steve: kept historically in the basement of the capitol it is a simple pine frame it is covered with a black khat. the guidelines for state funeral date back to the mid 1800s, on that cataflack that you were talking about that was john f. kennedy's casket posed. george herbert walker bush is the 12th president in history to lie in state in u.s. capitol. brian: with president bush, former canadian prime minister. simpson, john meacham. president bush had to know about the speech eulogies.