The Last Word

The last word on former President Gerald Ford comes from a New York Times article.

[Mr. Nessen and others said they particularly enjoyed swapping memories of how Mr. Ford had treated people, regardless of their station in life, with dignity and respect, and how he had never taken on airs.

He described the day when Mr. Ford’s dog, Liberty, made a mess on the carpet in the Oval Office and a Navy steward had scrambled to clean it. The president stopped him.

“ ‘I’ll do that,’ ” Mr. Nessen recalled Mr. Ford saying. “ ‘No man should have to clean up after another man’s dog.’ ”

Mr. Ford’s energy secretary, Frank G. Zarb, remembered the time when Mr. Ford had been ready to make an announcement to the White House press corps but then realized he did not have any cufflinks handy.

“He got two paperclips,” Mr. Zarb recalled. “And he said, ‘Let’s go. We have more important things to do.’ ”]

Betty and the kids say goodbye...

The Healers

It’s unfair to poke fun at former President Gerald Ford. I’ve been reading up on him, and this was a great guy. There’s a lot to be said about him, in spite of history textbook publishers trying to edit him out.

First, can you name a president who inherited a bigger pile of crap to deal with? The end of our involvement in Viet Nam and the fall of South Viet Nam, a sick economy with staggering inflation, and widespread disappointment and disillusionment in our government, thanks to Nixon and Watergate.

You know how we gripe and curse our politicians today, or merely shrug when we hear the president was caught in a bald-faced lie and cover up? It wasn’t like that before Nixon…well, and I guess, during, huh.

(Actually I can think of a poor schmuck who inherited a bigger pile of crap…Lincoln, but I’m digressing…) We just “lost” a war, the economy was in the toilet, and the president was impeached. Here you go, all yours.

He did try to do something for the economy, called Whip Inflation Now – WIN – get it? It didn’t work despite that catchy name. Can you blame a man for trying? (Well, actually I can, if he runs up a trillion dollar debt in deficit spending in the attempt because that is just crazeee.)

So, he mostly just tried to stay the course. And, Nixon did pick the right man to succeed him. Many are quoted as saying in his 25 years in the legislature, he never spoke an untruth or spoke ill of another. I don’t think I could do that. I would have to speak ill of my co-workers! Only 3 in the Senate did not vote for him to become vice president. This was, by all accounts an honest, nice man. He’s the only president who was an Eagle Scout. He was captain of his football team. He washed dishes at his fraternity house in college to pay for it.

Another great accomplishment, in my opinion, was marrying Betty, despite the general opinion that a divorcee-ex-dancer would ruin his political career. Who does not love this woman? She’s breaking taboos, sharing her mastectomy with the world, marching for ERA, talking about her sex life with the prez in women’s magazines, yakking on the CB radio as “First Mama.” Buttons were made for his re-election that said “Vote for Betty’s Husband.” She often made sandwiches and coffee for the secret service detail, delivered by Gerry. Her approval rating was 75%! And the last thing to say about her is consider the lives she has healed with her Betty Ford Center for addictions and the lives she saved with breast cancer awareness. She gives Eleanor a hard run for Best First Lady we’ve ever had, only in the job three years.

While Gerry was busy healing a nation, she was busy healing a nation of individuals.

His stance on gay rights: gay and lesbian couples “ought to be treated equally. Period.” He was part of a group working inside the R-party to make sexual orientation a NON-ISSUE. Thank you. The Equal Rights Amendment: Outspoken supporter, urged ratification.

After he was sworn in, he immediately addressed the country. “I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your president by your ballots, and so I ask you to confirm me as your president with your prayers.”

How could we have skipped over these wonderful people?

For his funeral, he requested his college fight song play instead of “Hail to the Chief” and a large role made for the Boy Scouts of America. 400 young men in uniform provided escort; others served as ushers.

Many historians consider his loss to Carter a “sacrifice he made for the nation.” He died of heart failure in 2006, the longest living president.

Despite the image of being a klutz (thank you, media, for your part in creating this false legacy), he played his role in our nation’s history with uncommon grace.

Ah, Yes, the Ford Years

I am gonna drive everyone crazy the next few weeks writing about Cooter’s U.S. History textbook, as we focus on recent history, the events that have shaped the last 40 years of our country and my life.

Cooter commented that Gerald Ford got only three paragraphs, out of the 1000-page text. He asked if I remembered anything about him. I had to laugh because the only thing I remembered was funny montages of his stumbling and fumbling his way from the helicopter on the lawn to the house. His eyebrows went up. “Really? You know he was a football player.”

Well, I think the skimpy coverage does say something about the guy who was the 38th president of our nation and who was NEVER elected as president NOR vice president. How is that possible? Nixon APPOINTED him when his vp Agnew resigned, and so Ford elevated when Nixon resigned.

What the quick treatment says is he did pretty much nothing (except immediately pardon Nixon), he basically kept the seat warm for Carter who was swept in during a very anti-Republican election. Ford barely beat out Ronald Reagan for the presidential party nomination in 1976. Then got stomped by the post-Nixon, anti-Republican sentiment. And so we ended up with Jimmy Carter…who was a very good man, but not as good of a president.

And for that reason alone, yes, Nixon, you were a crook.

I almost feel slimy posting a link to his trippings...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlz0he9rtKw