OT: President Gerald Ford Passed Away
Jonathan Neal
wrote on 12/27/2006, 1:43 AM
Comments
MH_Stevens
wrote on 12/27/2006, 5:38 AM
Jerry Ford lived less than two miles from me and I was thinking how close Spiro Agnew came to being President. Ford was dearly loved here in the Coachella valley (he had a private suite at the McCallum theater where I usher) and was regarded as one of our most open an honest Presidents, which I put largely down to the fact that he was not elected.
Michael
Michael
craftech
wrote on 12/27/2006, 7:24 AM
It's so wierd. Last night I watched about 4 episodes of "SNL The Complete First Season" which I received as a gift from one of my kids. In every episode Chevy Chase played Gerald Ford tripping over things and getting confused which was the joke of the day back then. I had forgotten how much fun Ford was and how good natured he was as a President. It is unfortunate that he pardoned Nixon or he might have stood a chance to beat Carter in the following election. He did have a sincere personality - something I think we all miss these days.
John
John
jaydeeee
wrote on 12/27/2006, 11:16 AM
The loss of James Brown hits a bit harder, but RIP Gerald Ford.
The man had more soul (but def not presidential material ;)P
RIP James (now meet up and make Ford plug into your i-funk and show him some fun).
The man had more soul (but def not presidential material ;)P
RIP James (now meet up and make Ford plug into your i-funk and show him some fun).
ScottyLacy
wrote on 12/27/2006, 2:09 PM
Gerald Ford was a good man. I hope we will see his kind in the White House again.
His pardon of Nixon was a gift to the nation and certainly cost him a second term. The last thing our ailing country needed at that time was a long, depressing Nixon trial, followed by endless appeals, all chronicled in daily increments by the media. The whole ordeal would've weighed down the nation for half a decade, if not more.
Bless him for sparing us all that, and at his own expense. Nixon was punished severely anyway, slinking away in eternal shame--arguably the ultimate sanction for any president who cares about his place in history.
Rest in peace, President Ford.
His pardon of Nixon was a gift to the nation and certainly cost him a second term. The last thing our ailing country needed at that time was a long, depressing Nixon trial, followed by endless appeals, all chronicled in daily increments by the media. The whole ordeal would've weighed down the nation for half a decade, if not more.
Bless him for sparing us all that, and at his own expense. Nixon was punished severely anyway, slinking away in eternal shame--arguably the ultimate sanction for any president who cares about his place in history.
Rest in peace, President Ford.
busterkeaton
wrote on 12/27/2006, 5:24 PM
I just heard on the radio that Nixon never thanked Ford for the pardon, he never even mentioned it.
Ford definitely seems to be someone like Truman whose reputation had grown after his presidency. Paul O'Neill who served under Ford and G.W. Bush, said Ford's policy-making process was non ideological. Ford wanted to gather all the facts possible, then he wanted to hear different opinions and different sides argue out the policy openly. Then you made the policy based on the evidence. This kept the politics out of the policy process and tended to end up with the best policy.
Ford definitely seems to be someone like Truman whose reputation had grown after his presidency. Paul O'Neill who served under Ford and G.W. Bush, said Ford's policy-making process was non ideological. Ford wanted to gather all the facts possible, then he wanted to hear different opinions and different sides argue out the policy openly. Then you made the policy based on the evidence. This kept the politics out of the policy process and tended to end up with the best policy.
craftech
wrote on 12/27/2006, 7:53 PM
I just heard on the radio that Nixon never thanked Ford for the pardon, he never even mentioned it.
Ford definitely seems to be someone like Truman whose reputation had grown after his presidency. Paul O'Neill who served under Ford and G.W. Bush, said Ford's policy-making process was non ideological. Ford wanted to gather all the facts possible, then he wanted to hear different opinions and different sides argue out the policy openly. Then you made the policy based on the evidence. This kept the politics out of the policy process and tended to end up with the best policy.
==============
Most of that is true except that the news media once again insists on twisting history to their own liking. So far today I have heard the following lies about Gerald Ford from the right wing news media (CNN, MSNBC, ABC, Fox, etc):
1. Ford united a country DEEPLY DIVIDED over Watergate and Viet Nam.
The country was NOT deeply divided over either one. With the amount of evidence against him at the time even the politically comatose weren't defending Nixon or his criminal aides that now charade as "experts" on Watergate in today's news media. The country was angry at Nixon and the entire bunch behind the criminal acts they perpetrated and UNITED in that anger.
The country was also NOT divided over Viet Nam. Nixon was elected because he promised to get us out of Viet Nam - which he did not. The country was largely UNITED in their disgust with the war and how it was going and wanted us out.
The difference between now and then - The news media back then found the flaws in the war and presented them to the public. They questioned the war. The news media back then COVERED antiwar protests. They didn't avoid them on purpose or if the protest was too large to ignore ZOOM IN on the relatively FEW freaky looking protesters and suggest that only "losers" were against the war.
Today's news media SOLD the war to the public without questioning it and defended it to cover up for those they helped get elected. The news media back then was instrumental in EXPOSING the criminal actions of Nixon and his cohorts. Today the whole thing would have been covered up BY THE MEDIA.
2. This is a good one: Chevy Chase owes his career to Gerald Ford. Without Gerald Ford to make fun of on SNL - Chevy Chase would NOT have been a successful comedian. Also - Gerald Ford secretly hated the jokes about him on SNL.
The truth: Gerald Ford had a GREAT sense of humor.
3. Ford pardoned Nixon out of the goodness of his heart because he knew the country couldn't take any more turmoil and division and wanted to end it.
The Truth:
Ford was a really good guy and everyone liked him, but the pardon was orchestrated by Nixon himself before he left office. Nixon was surely facing criminal charges especially with audio taped evidence to support the indictments that would have followed shortly. "The principle of equal justice under the law requires that every person, no matter what his past position or office, answer to the criminal justice system for his past offenses." NIxon was facing the federal penitentary if convicted. Once the tapes contents were revealed the entire Republican party would have turned against him. That would have meant his losing his pensions from his Congressional, Vice Presidential, and Presidential terms. Stepping down and receiving a pardon on the other hand protected the pensions, gave him lifetime protection by the Secret Service, and provided an office and staff for him at taxpayer expense. It was Alexander Haig who approached Ford with the Nixon plan to step down and be pardoned by his replacement. 'Nixon could agree to leave in return for an agreement that the new President, Gerald Ford, would pardon him'
In a book by Bob Hartmann Hartmann reported that "after discussing the matter with his wife, the vice president made a post-midnight phone call to Haig, saying: "They should do whatever they decided to do; it was all right with me." (Ford insists Haig initiated the call and claims he told the presidential aide: "We can't get involved in the White House decision-making.")"
The draft pardon and a sample were delivered to Ford by Bob Woodward of the Washington Post. And there have been enough other people who have accounted all of this over the years demonstrating that Nixon orchestrated his own pardon. That is why people called him "Tricky Dicky" back then.
But that doesn't stop the news media from rewriting history.
I liked Gerald Ford very much for keeping an even keel while being bombarded from every direction, being non-partisan, being a good hearted person with a sense of humor, and being a moderate. People really liked him until he pardoned Nixon. Then his approval rating dropped like a lead sinker because the public WANTED the criminal investigations so that it never happened again and because they were lied to. The same way the public wants investigations of pre-Iraq lies.....so it never happens again.
Now all I keep hearing about from the news media is daily fretting and obsession over poor George Bush's "legacy".
Not to worry George. If the news media has anything to do with writing (or re-writing) history - you'll be just fine.
John
Ford definitely seems to be someone like Truman whose reputation had grown after his presidency. Paul O'Neill who served under Ford and G.W. Bush, said Ford's policy-making process was non ideological. Ford wanted to gather all the facts possible, then he wanted to hear different opinions and different sides argue out the policy openly. Then you made the policy based on the evidence. This kept the politics out of the policy process and tended to end up with the best policy.
==============
Most of that is true except that the news media once again insists on twisting history to their own liking. So far today I have heard the following lies about Gerald Ford from the right wing news media (CNN, MSNBC, ABC, Fox, etc):
1. Ford united a country DEEPLY DIVIDED over Watergate and Viet Nam.
The country was NOT deeply divided over either one. With the amount of evidence against him at the time even the politically comatose weren't defending Nixon or his criminal aides that now charade as "experts" on Watergate in today's news media. The country was angry at Nixon and the entire bunch behind the criminal acts they perpetrated and UNITED in that anger.
The country was also NOT divided over Viet Nam. Nixon was elected because he promised to get us out of Viet Nam - which he did not. The country was largely UNITED in their disgust with the war and how it was going and wanted us out.
The difference between now and then - The news media back then found the flaws in the war and presented them to the public. They questioned the war. The news media back then COVERED antiwar protests. They didn't avoid them on purpose or if the protest was too large to ignore ZOOM IN on the relatively FEW freaky looking protesters and suggest that only "losers" were against the war.
Today's news media SOLD the war to the public without questioning it and defended it to cover up for those they helped get elected. The news media back then was instrumental in EXPOSING the criminal actions of Nixon and his cohorts. Today the whole thing would have been covered up BY THE MEDIA.
2. This is a good one: Chevy Chase owes his career to Gerald Ford. Without Gerald Ford to make fun of on SNL - Chevy Chase would NOT have been a successful comedian. Also - Gerald Ford secretly hated the jokes about him on SNL.
The truth: Gerald Ford had a GREAT sense of humor.
3. Ford pardoned Nixon out of the goodness of his heart because he knew the country couldn't take any more turmoil and division and wanted to end it.
The Truth:
Ford was a really good guy and everyone liked him, but the pardon was orchestrated by Nixon himself before he left office. Nixon was surely facing criminal charges especially with audio taped evidence to support the indictments that would have followed shortly. "The principle of equal justice under the law requires that every person, no matter what his past position or office, answer to the criminal justice system for his past offenses." NIxon was facing the federal penitentary if convicted. Once the tapes contents were revealed the entire Republican party would have turned against him. That would have meant his losing his pensions from his Congressional, Vice Presidential, and Presidential terms. Stepping down and receiving a pardon on the other hand protected the pensions, gave him lifetime protection by the Secret Service, and provided an office and staff for him at taxpayer expense. It was Alexander Haig who approached Ford with the Nixon plan to step down and be pardoned by his replacement. 'Nixon could agree to leave in return for an agreement that the new President, Gerald Ford, would pardon him'
In a book by Bob Hartmann Hartmann reported that "after discussing the matter with his wife, the vice president made a post-midnight phone call to Haig, saying: "They should do whatever they decided to do; it was all right with me." (Ford insists Haig initiated the call and claims he told the presidential aide: "We can't get involved in the White House decision-making.")"
The draft pardon and a sample were delivered to Ford by Bob Woodward of the Washington Post. And there have been enough other people who have accounted all of this over the years demonstrating that Nixon orchestrated his own pardon. That is why people called him "Tricky Dicky" back then.
But that doesn't stop the news media from rewriting history.
I liked Gerald Ford very much for keeping an even keel while being bombarded from every direction, being non-partisan, being a good hearted person with a sense of humor, and being a moderate. People really liked him until he pardoned Nixon. Then his approval rating dropped like a lead sinker because the public WANTED the criminal investigations so that it never happened again and because they were lied to. The same way the public wants investigations of pre-Iraq lies.....so it never happens again.
Now all I keep hearing about from the news media is daily fretting and obsession over poor George Bush's "legacy".
Not to worry George. If the news media has anything to do with writing (or re-writing) history - you'll be just fine.
John
MH_Stevens
wrote on 12/28/2006, 8:44 AM
I saw a talk by Ford's son who said that giving Nixon a pardon was the only way to get him to admit his crime. He said Presidents can only pardon a person who has been convicted or confesses, hence he said his father got the only result that shows Nixon guilty because a criminal prosecution just was not on.
craftech
wrote on 12/28/2006, 12:55 PM
I saw a talk by Ford's son who said that giving Nixon a pardon was the only way to get him to admit his crime. He said Presidents can only pardon a person who has been convicted or confesses, hence he said his father got the only result that shows Nixon guilty because a criminal prosecution just was not on.
=============
I don't know what you watched but Nixon never admitted his crime(s). The 1915 Supreme Court decision in Burdick v. United States that found that accepting a pardon is tantamount to confession of guilt was the so-called confession. The nation was outraged by the pardon and so was the news media of the day (unlike today's pandering news media that delights in dumbing down the public). The account I related above is what happened.
John
=============
I don't know what you watched but Nixon never admitted his crime(s). The 1915 Supreme Court decision in Burdick v. United States that found that accepting a pardon is tantamount to confession of guilt was the so-called confession. The nation was outraged by the pardon and so was the news media of the day (unlike today's pandering news media that delights in dumbing down the public). The account I related above is what happened.
John