Ben Stein Remembers President Ford

Stein, Who Wrote Speeches For The Former President, Talks About His Old Boss

(CBS)  Sunday Morning commentator Ben Stein was a speech writer and lawyer for President Richard Nixon and then for his successor, President Gerald Ford.

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Jerry Ford spent decades in Washington D.C, as a Congressional powerhouse. He spent about two-and-a-half years in The White House as president. He spent the last three decades of his life mostly living by a tony country club near me in Rancho Mirage, Calif.. But his real home, always, was the heart of America's heartland, Grand Rapids, Mich. This is farm country, small-business country, elbow-grease country.

Here, Jerry Ford worked in a paint factory, became an Eagle Scout, a star football player, a top student. Here the character of a rock solid man of unquestioned integrity was molded. The man I knew when I wrote speeches for him, the man the nation and the world knew, was the Grand Rapids boy who worked his way through the University of Michigan washing dishes in the Deke house, worked his way through Yale Law School coaching football, fought and nearly died on an aircraft carrier in the Pacific in World War II. He was molded of Michigan iron.

I first met President Ford when he invited me to sit in on Cabinet meetings where my areas — economics and law — were being discussed. I could scarcely believe his appearance: in a light blue checked, double-knit suit — a total shock after Nixon's hand-tailored dark wool elegance from Saks Fifth Avenue. He was just a small-town guy. No pretence at all. None. But guts. Wow, did he have guts, to pardon Nixon when the liberal media were screaming for his blood, to spare the nation that agony, and to deprive the media of the circus they wanted. Guts to work his heart out — even as his wife suffered with breast cancer. Guts to tell the truth about the Polish people — that they would never be slaves to the Russians.

Defeated for election, Ford went peacefully into elder statesman mode, helped his noble wife dignify the fight against alcoholism and addiction, and stood for decades as a figure of grace and humility. Five miles east of the lovely home that Ford lived and died in in the California desert, there is a simple cottage where men and women go to attend meetings to bring peace and sobriety. On one wall there is a list of the people who have been coming frequently, just by first name and last initial. Two of those names are "Gerald and Betty F." Not President. Not Minority Leader. Just "Gerald and Betty F." Just two people trying to spread oil on the troubled waters of human existence. A Ford, not a Lincoln, but what a glorious Michigan-made vehicle of the human spirit.

[bluestardad]

Who cares?

Stein, Who Wrote Speeches For The Former President......

Wouldn't be nice to elect a man (woman) to office/president that can write (think) on his own?

The one we have now only has a B.S degree in arts, can't write and can barely read what is given to him as he is dyslexic (as he stated in a press release some time back...

I guess when you have money and someone backing you, you can do almost anything. Like destroying the world

[mgpm-2009]

What Nixon did was small potatoes. What Clinton did was small potatoes. What Bush has done is HUGE. The presidency was damaged by the scandals of Nixon and Clinton eras, but the WORLD has been damaged horribly.

[lucasnico]

thanks for the news flash......I'll end by wishing you a happy new year.....hope your resolution is to become a better informed American....and pray that this mess in Iraq ends very soon so our men and women can come home.... because it is a hopeless situation.

[newday7-2009]

Saddam wasn't at the controls of the airliners that crashed into the Twin Towers, but he was involved.

[lucasnico]

the only accurate thing you've said is the Iraq war is not over yet........and thanks to Bush, it won't be for a very long time.

[lucasnico]

That was Afghanistan, not Iraq.....nice try

[newday7-2009]

Paying attention to what?

The U.S. was attacked. 2,800 U.S. civilians were killed in an attack on New York City. Another 100 Americans were killed at the Pentagon. Wake up.

[lucasnico]

people like you scare me......good reasons for the war in Iraq?? You obviously have not been paying attention........not one good reason for this war......not one.

[newday7-2009]

The Iraq War is not over yet.

Whether it was a good decision or not is yet to be seen. There were definately many good reasons for it.

I think the war's management, execution, and strategy after the initial invasion could have been better. Bush has a lot of resources to tap and possible new strategies. Whether he taps them and does the right thing is yet to be seen.

[lucasnico]

Pardoning Nixon ranks right up there with Bush invading Iraq......two of the most idiotic presidential moves in the last 40 years.

[newday7-2009]

I think Ford was right to pardon Nixon.

Most Americans still don't understand the circumstances surrounding Nixon's presidency. A lot of information still isn't public knowledge. The recent revelation of Mark Felt's identity and role as "Deep Throat" is one case in point. A lot still hasn't been revealed about Mark Felt or his other accomplices. It's absurd some people would actually consider him a hero. The history of this period of America will probably yet to be rewritten.

Pardoning Nixon was the unpopular, but right and tough decision to make.

[jimfinster]

Why do people keep arguing that "it was good for the country" to pardon Nixon?

Personally, I think it was BAD for the country. It demonstrated that you could corrupt the system, commit crimes, and walk away free if you have powerful friends.

[toshi43]

Ford served his country honorably and bravely during WW2 and for that he deserves the accolades rightly given to all Veterans. He may have been an honest and honorable President, as far as those terms have any meaning in the America of today. But the one thing I remember him for was the fact he let the criminal Nixon walk, and for that I will NEVER forgive him.

[comfieslipp]

%u2026.sorry Ben, but the %u201Cliberal press%u201D wasn%u2019t calling for Nixon head, the majority of the American people were.

Ford may have been a %u201Cnice guy%u201D, but he let a criminal walk-this one act, while still early in his administration, sealed his status to the majority of the electorate, a shill for his party.

Now do us all a favor and go away.

[lieberman18]

Sorry, Ben, that while I agree with you probably 99% of the time, this was the guy who allowed Cambodia and South Vietnam to be destroyed while he and Kissinger delivered sermons to the Israelis. He DIDN'T have the guts to tell the Poles that they would never be slaves to Russia, he told them - thanks to the asinine and gutless Brent Scowcroft that they were not dominated by the Soviets. They were back then, and would continue to be for almost 15 more years.

Someone said Ford was the last of the "Chamber of Commerce" Republican Presidents. I would disagree as his protege George Bush Sr. was also one - both hostile to Israel, both moddycuddyling dictatorships, both lacking the will to complete a mission. But like Bush Sr., Ford was a typical Country Club Republican. Catering to his WASPY special interest buds and abandoning allies. Thank Goodness both Ronald Reagan and G.W. took us out of that mode, although to give him credit, your original boss, Richard Nixon started that - even with all of his views.

To this day, I don't believe Nixon was that prejudiced - I'm afraid I can't say the same about Ford.