Gerald Ford has passed.....12.26.06

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He died on the day after Christmas, he was 93, and had been the oldest living President after Reagon died. He was our Accidental President, sworn in August 9th, 1974. He was our Accidental President, chosen by Fate and Nixon's misfortunes. He was a good man, a Father , a Husband, and an Eagle Scout, and he also was a lawyer and served his Country in the Navy during World War II. He also was almost recruited by two professional Football teams, that is pretty amazing that it was not more publicized. The White House Kids page doesn't even mention it , or that he was in the Navy. ( the White House Gov Bio Pages have undergone alot of revison aka editing these past 6 years really odd).

He was a Congressman's Congressman for over 20 years serving the state of Michigian, respected and loved in DC , before he was appointed VP. He was appointed VP because Spiro Agnew made Mistakes, and got caught and had to resign. Then monthes later Ford became president, again appointed, by Nixon. He was sworn in on August 9th, 1974. And a month later he Pardoned Nixon quietly on a Sunday Morning. He also made a less than glamorous run at being elected Presidency, which culminated in losing to a Peanut Farmer named Carter in 1976. His wife battled breast cancer while he was president, and then later alcoholism and an addiction to prescription pills. It was quite a big deal that they were forthcoming and brave about these battles, and that without the Fords Rehab programs would not be where they are today. Their family helped make it acceptable to admit addiction and ask for help, that is quite an accomplishment.

He was one of the more loved Republican Presidents, even though he dealt with the wind-down of Vietnam ( again missing from the WH Website), and also with oil/gas shortage issues, as well as Inflation/Recession issues, and other economic factors.Most of these issues including Watergate and Vietnam are not really covered on the Whitehouse site anymore. Ford was a true Conservative, he would never have voted for tax cuts for the Rich.There was none of this Religous NeoCon Let's Do it For God crap that we have suffered for 5 years. He also used his veto to attempt to protect The Deficit from worsening, during a time that it could have spiraled. He also did make diplomatic efforts and outreach to countries of concern ( ie China and Russia). He was not a great president, he was a good president....and I still believe that he was better than Nixon. He did do his best to Serve, and Protect the Constitution. I don't think we can say that about this Current Nightmare of a President.


***** Enigma Foot Note *****
So tonight Keith Olbermann came on tonight and announced Ford was gone, My first thought was oh, Good, that will ruin Bush' s Drinking oh, I mean "Working"( ahem )"Vacation" in Crawford....and then I set my cynicism aside. Or atleast I tried to.

Now I have to say, because I came of age during this Era, the Watergate Era, I was very hard on President Ford. I felt sorry for him in many ways, he stumbled into office, first VP , and then being appointed President. And yet I also cried bitterly when he was sworn in. For me after a year of collecting newpaper clippings and watching ALL of the Hearings , I was devastated that Nixon resigned.( Nixon resigned and his poll numbers were still above 35% BTW. So back then , not everyone thought he would.) I knew when Ford was sworn in that Nixon would go off scott free...and not face any charges or penalties.It was August 9th, 1974. An anniversary of a Nuclear Horror from WWII. And then yes, Ford did pardon Nixon, and that was indeed a dark day.Ford even later won a Profile in Courage Award for the Pardon. And yes, in many ways it hung over Ford like a black cloud. He was encumbered by what he did, even though he thought he did it for the Right Reasons. He thought the Country needed to move forward. But sadly it just added to the Aura of Conspiracy that already plagued the Country. And yes, I never forgot that....or perhaps Forgave him.

Even later when he ran for Presidency he made some gaffs and some small mistakes, and it was odd back then the reporters had balls, and asked questions like "Are you intelligent enough" ( What a hoot- can you imagine Some, Hell, Any reporter asking George Bush that???). ( Yes, it was Brokaw that asked that question).

And today he died, and all I could think was how ironic that he died on Festivus, the fake Holiday that was created on Sienfeld, the day of Airing Grievances.....and I was struck by the irony...his entire Presidency , 3 years was plagued with people carrying the greivance that Nixon Got Off, and it was his fault. And the House and the Senate never quite respected him....It hung like a Shadow over the White House in the 1970's....

Yet I know that he would not have Bombed a Country , he would not ever have supported a Orchestrated Manuver like Shock and Awe, or hung a banner that said Mission Accomplished, and certainly not pranced on a Flight Deck in a uniform he should not have worn. He was a Republican from a Bygone Era, not this era. He actually had Integrity.