Brent Budowsky: Gerald Ford, R.I.P. Reflections
A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
by Brent Budowsky
It is easy to forget, especially for those who are younger, that American politics in 2006 is not the way it has been, and not the way it should be.
The passing of Gerald Ford is a reminder not only of an age when Washington had leaders in both parties with mutual respect, but a reminder of how far the Presidency of George Bush has gone from what has been normal throughout American history.
Gerald Ford was a partisan Republican who was a close personal friend of Tip O'Neill. He was a President who had many friends among the press corps, and would never think of calling them traitors. He was a Congressional leader when friendships crossed the aisles, when disagreements were stated in intelligent and respectful debate.
After he was defeated for reelection in 1976, he went through a short period of bitterness, but then became a close personal friend of the man who defeated him, Jimmy Carter. Together they collaborated on countless bipartisan missions when they were both former Presidents.
Gerald Ford was a Republican in the days when Republicans could select a liberal such as Nelson Rockefeller to be Vice President.
It will be interesting to watch how many of the pundits in the mainstream media, will point out in the coming days how far the Republican Party has come from the days of Gerald Ford as President.
While conservatism has long had a central place in the Republican Party, what happened especially during the Bill Clinton years and now into the Bush years, is the dominance in the Republican Party of the forces of hyper-hate and hyper-partisanship.
This attitude that opponents are enemies; that dissent should be demonized; that character assassination should be the tool for seeking total partisan power was never the world of Gerald Ford.
Gerald Ford embodied goodwill and decency, bipartisanship that meant honest and honorable reaching out with respect. Gerald Ford knew it was important to negotiate with our enemies as well as our friends, so he negotiated with the Soviets during some of their worst days. Gerald Ford knew that America should truly be the leader of the free world, so he respected our allies.
Gerald Ford knew that with the Cold War, and during any time of war, there needs to be national unity at home. President Ford would never have thought of using war as a partisan weapon, or questioning the patriotism of political opponents.
I have been suggesting for many months that the agony, divisions and failures of the Bush years could well be followed by a new era of patriotic reform reminscent of the eras of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy.
As the nation honors Gerald Ford in the coming days, its important to remember that President Ford followed the divisions, partisanships and crimes of Richard Milhous Nixon. When he said "our national nightmare is over," referring to Nixon, he was expressing the sentiments that many Americans will feel when the post-Bush-era, which has already begun, is made formal by the election of a new President.
The pages of history turn. We should always remember that, because it is easy to forget during the harder times.
The abuses of Richard Nixon led to Gerald Ford becoming President, led to the election of a reform Democratic Congress in 1974, and led to the election of a new Democratic President in 1976.
We should pay our respects to Gerald Ford, a good man, a President who respected the higher ideal of the Presidency, who came into office following a President of scandal and division. After the crimes of President Nixon, President Ford sought to create a spirit of healing for the Nation.
We should pay our respects to Gerald Ford, a good man, and remember that in America, the pages of history turn. When things go wrong, the lesson of America is this: it does not have to be this way, we can make things better.
Gerald Ford, R.I.P,
Brent Budowsky
A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
Brent Budowsky served as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, responsible for commerce and intelligence matters, including one of the core drafters of the CIA Identities Law. Served as Legislative Director to Congressman Bill Alexander, then Chief Deputy Whip, House of Representatives. Currently a member of the International Advisory Council of the Intelligence Summit. Left goverment in 1990 for marketing and public affairs business including major corporate entertainment and talent management. He can be reached at brentbbi@webtv.net.
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Did'nt He Served on Warren Commission ?
Lets not forget all the work that it took
to figure out the path of that pesky bullet.
Ford also made sure to do a little editing of report so as to "clarify the entry of bullet".
Who are you kidding, Budowski??
What planet were you on? Ford was nothing but a mediocre shoe-licker --- and his 'after death' confessions prove he was also a COWARD!
Like LBJ, he polished only his own apples.
Too whipped to give an honest opinion. Probably never even HAD one of his own.
Always amazes me how "good" a man gets as soon as he's DEAD.
I hope the entire BushCo turns good soon!
Civilize the USA ~ impeach bush/cheney/rice
No Respect From Me
So we're suppose to accept that ford is some kind of a "decent" man? MY ASS!!!
ford was more than partially responsible for bringing the core of the neo-cons who have screwed-up everything so royally into the positions they hold today.
And if he wanted to really make an impact he could very well have said he was against this war BEFORE we invaded.
No - screw the bastard - may he root in Hell.
Nixon pardon was a mistake
At dinner last night, after a toast to our greatest non-elected president, my friend and I agreed that Gerald Ford's greatest blunter was the pardon of Richard Nixon.
Nixon deserved his day in court, to prove his guilt or innocence once and for all. And the American people needed reassurance that under our constitutional system of government no one, not even a president, is above the law.
By pardoning Nixon, who had not at the time been formally indicted, when he did, Ford short-circuited the system; in effect signaling that there are, indeed, two systems of justice in this country, one for the wealthy, politically powerful and well-connected and another for the rest of us. Ford's pardon of Nixon did not "heal" the country, it merely swept "Watergate" under the nation's carpet.
Had Ford not pardoned Nixon would Ronald Reagan been so bold as to so clearly abuse power in the Iran-Contra scandal? And perhaps our current president, before risking the nation's treasure, youth and prestige in a senseless war of aggression and occupation, would be under firmer Constitutional restraint if Gerald Ford had not pardoned Richard Nixon.
A Dying Breed: a Decent Republican
Last night I listened to former President Ford and Cokie Roberts discussing difficult Constitutional issues, and later tried to imagine the current Resident even listening to such talk, let alone participating in anything remotely similar...
No, it's just too depressing, remembering the disdain we felt toward Ford (SNL etc?) and realizing how far and in so many ways the man outclassed the piece of lying, stealing, vile, hypocritical, evil shit the Repubs have installed 'to lead us' for eight horrible years.
("Where are we going? And why are we in this handbasket!?")
"I have been suggesting for many months that the agony, divisions and failures of the Bush years could well be followed by a new era of patriotic reform..." - Brent Budowsky
God Almighty, I hope so. But I have been fearing that since all the dogs of partisan war have been loosed, that maybe we're now past a tipping point of poisoning the national dialog, where Orwellian lies are just par for the evening news. A new era of lockstep Rovian distortion where they control the media, hypocrisy is governance, and the Truth will get you ousted and your character assassinated.
(Hmm, why does the Soviet Kremlin come to mind? Remember when they were the Evil Empire?)
How close are we to the Repubs' dirty tricks (criminal meddling in South American governments, for example) coming home to roost? How low will they go to hold on to their stolen power, cornered like rats, with Congressional investigations getting ever closer to the White House? The stakes have never been higher - the sole superpower - and we know what power does.
How do you come back from Orwell's 1984?
Farewell to Gerald Ford, a decent man, who cared about America, and struggled to do the right thing. I'd take back everything bad I ever said about him, every laugh at his stumbling, even forgive his pardon of Nixon; to have such a man, such a Republican! in the White House today.
.
.
Gerald Ford
I was just telling my mother yesterday that with Ford's passing the last living Republican who also happened to be a decent human being was gone. I disagree with his pardon of Nixon, but I guess he did feel it was for the best. Ford was almost selected as Vice President on Reagan's ticket. Boy, do I wish that had come to pass.
The Lesson of America Is That We Can MakeThings Better
The only way we can make things better is by bringing the TROOPS OUT NOW and reversing global warming. Otherwise, no matter who's our president, things can only get worse.
Wow
I have nothing to add, except thank you and well said.
tseving
-Surviving Bush one day at a time
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