Comments on: Ford Friendship A Factor In Nixon Pardon

Tells Bob Woodward He Felt Nixon Was A 'Personal Friend,' Wanted To Spare Him The Stigma

[randalds]

Did you see the scene from the movie "The Right Stuff" where John Glenn talks to his wife about the rest of the guys calling him Dudley Do-right? That was Jerry Ford. He was the real life Dudley Do-right.

[randalds]

Of course his friendship with Nixon played a part, but it was still not the main reason he pardoned him. Jerry pardoned Nixon because it was what he thought was best for the country. This is one of the few points I disagree with some of my friends here. Jerry did not have the capability to form the concept to deceive anyone. It just did not exist within him. He not only did not strike a deal with Nixon, the idea simply would never have occurred to him. Jerry Ford is the original Eagle Scout. The original good guy. In many ways he was too innocent to do it.

[jsilver2th]

It's very interesting how all of these biographies and the talking heads fail to mention of Ford's more interesting assignments: The Warren Commission.

[jsilver2th]

In many ways Ford was a good moderate president...

But from Watergate to Dallas the cover-up goes on...

[honest_news]

Those of us who are old enough to remember and who weren't deceiving ourselves with partisan fealty knew that Ford had "pardoned" Nixon as political payback for having handed him the vice presidency. It's a shame that Ford insisted on admitting it posthumously -- the only reason I can think he did that was to personally avoid the queries as to why he had lied about it to the American People. I and most Americans were taken by surprise when Ford made his televised announcement just a month after assuming the presidency. We felt deceived, that justice had been denied -- not for the sake of the country, as Ford pretended, but for his own expediency and that of his crony, Nixon. It was then that I realized that we are not so different from the British Crown we supposedly revolted against -- that our president IS above the law, and that with a stroke of the pen, one president can abolish crime, and another can be made immune from it.

[obiwan234]

"War Crimes" is relation to President Bush. What the Hel1 have you been smoking and how do you stand upright? I am just amazed that you all of that ilk are able ro breathe without the DNC talking points. Such drones, and I'll bet you all think you are "criticle thinkers", what a joke.

[fascistusa]

In a TRUE Democracy, no one is ABOVE THE LAW.

This is just more PROPOGANDA and REWRITTEN HISTORY.

I put together Media in America dealing with FASCISM. See how none of it is mentioned within our History Books or Major Media?

V for Vendetta
Easy Rider
Equilibrium
Star Wars - The (American) Empire
The Matrix
Apocolyse Now - Francis Ford Copolla

System of a Down - "We Don't Live in a FASCIST Nation"
*** Pistols - "God Save the Queen from this FASCIST REGIME"
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Rage Against the Machine
Queensryche - Empire
Genesis/ Disturbed - Land of Confusion
Living Colour - Cult of Personality
The Doors - Jim Morrison
John Lennon - Revolution / Xmas (War is Over)

1984 Orwell
Fahrenheit 451
Brave New World

Batman: Dark Knight Strikes Again by Frank Miller.

prisonplanet.com
whatreallyhappened.com
Project for the New American Century

FASCIST REGIMES IN AMERICA
NIXON
Lyndon B. Johnston
McKinley 1897 - 1901
MCCARTHY

[gwagener]

mwitten2,
When Ford made his gaffe saying Czechoslovakia was NOT under Soviet domination, he was actually right, but no one knew it at the time. The Soviet Union had already lost it's ability to control Eastern Europe when Ford made that statement, but no one realized until years later when Poland separated and Germany reunited and the Soviet Union was unable to stop it.

[bluestardad]

I need to clear something up that has been reported a lot in the media lately. I hear all this talk of Politicians making these %u201CCourageous Calls%u201D against the will of the people during their tenure as public servants. This concept is totally wrong and in all ways smacks directly in the face of American Democracy itself. The American People elect persons to represent them and their views from each area within our nation. When a politician deviates from the will of the people who elected them they are not courageous but are acting outside the social mandate given them by their electorate. These politicians are disloyal to the very democratic system and electorate that elected them and those military personnel who gave their sacrifice on the alter of liberty for this great nation.

[randalds]

This is one of the very few times that I agree with a decision that a republican made and the reason is that I knew of Gerald Ford all of my childhood (since he was our district congressman) and was lucky to have met several times. Knowing that I know that he made the decision to pardon Nixon for no other reason then he thought it was best for the country. That's all Jerry ever thought of before making a policy stand on anything.

As I have said before though this does not translate into supporting a pardon of Bush for his war crimes. Personally I hope he hangs for them.

[mwitten2]

The bottom line is that supposedly in the United States' legal system, nobody (even a President) is ABOVE the law. Now we learn more about Ford's pardon to Nixon was based on "friendship". Ford's pardon of Nixon contributed mightily to his defeat in 1976 and I remember the debate gaffe (or was it a gaffe?) that Czechoslovakia was NOT under Soviet domination! Anyway, I agree with the comment that Nixon is only the second worse President in U.S. history, the current occupant of the White House is already the worse and STILL has two more years to really screw things up even more!

[jn122736]

aardbear wrote:

%u201CThere is a 2000+ year-old saying that speaks of making judgements. Maybe you ought to find it and read it. It might make a more credible person out of you. This same applies to about 85% of the commenters of these forums.%u201D

Reading your total comment, aardbear, suggests that perhaps it would help you to read that %u201Cold saying%u201D again.

[gladys_over]

George Washington was the first honest president, and the last.

[gladys_over]

RE: '"...And I always treasured our relationship. And I had no hesitancy about granting the pardon, because I felt that we had this relationship and that I didn't want to see my real friend have the stigma" of standing trial, Ford told Post reporter Bob Woodward. ...in 1974, Ford had claimed that he issued the pardon to allow the nation to move past Watergate and begin a time of healing, not for personal reasons...'
-----------------------------------
So Gerald Ford was not the "man of complete integrity" that Bush said he was.

But who is ?

Ford was still a cut above the politicians of today.

Rest in peace, Mr. President.

[bluestardad]

aardbear; very clever

[bluestardad]

Yea, he was ask about the pardon prior to being ask to be Vice President. So the Fix for the Pardon was already in. He had already proven he was a team player for the establishment by working with the Warren Commission and supporting its Magic Bullet theory. You remember one bullet that can shoot thru two people one of which in three different directions and come out his head. That Theory. You see as an elected official you are not elected to do your will but the will of those who elected you.

[vancouverboo]

When you are an elected official you naturally want to help your friends.
Rich People know that so they make friends with elected officials, or soon to be elected officials, by making Large contributions to their campaigns, and doing other nice things for them.

So how can anyone criticize elected officials? We have the best government money can buy and The Rich People have bought it fair and square.

[antoniof123]

It is funny how things just keep coming out about the 2nd worst President in history. We now have bestowed that honor on the current President. What a joke this has turned out to be when you set yourslef up then it all comes crashing down on you in after you are dead. It is funny how so many people believe that what they say will not come back to haunt them. Guess it will just keep getting better and better as technology keeps getting better and better. Thats why I love technology it keeps the truth forever the only problem is getting to the information. Now we can do it a lot faster that is the best thing that the human race has on its side.

[educates]

Ford was made of the real stuff. Republican or Democrat, and I am the latter, the Nation had been in turmoil and a nasty Senate trial is the last thing we needed. Bush better think about appointing someone to forgive all his sins, just as George Sr. pardoned all those who ran an illegal war on Iranian money. Remember Iran/Contra. Today we still suffer for that little illegal war, while the criminals sit on their fat wallets. Ford's sin was insignificant.
ed u cates

[bildooreilly]

pffttt rharrin, both parties are the same thing and they ALL PROTECT EACH OTHER FROM PROSECUTION... The only place your two phony political parties actually oppose each other is in the deluded minds of their deceived supporters.