Some reactions (at the NYT) from (former) politicians / well known people to the death of former U.S. President Gerald Ford.
Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter:
“An outstanding statesman, he wisely chose the path of healing during a deeply divisive time in our nation’s history. He frequently rose above politics by emphasizing the need for bipartisanship and seeking common ground on issues critical to our nation. I will always cherish the personal friendship we shared.”
U.S. President George W. Bush:
“With his quiet integrity, common sense and kind instincts, President Ford helped heal our land and restore public confidence in the presidency. The American people will always admire Gerald Ford’s devotion to duty, his personal character and the honorable conduct of his administration.”
Nancy Reagan:
“His accomplishments and devotion to our country are vast, and even long after he left the presidency he made it a point to speak out on issues important to us all.”
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger:
“He accepted the enormous responsibilities of the Presidency during a dark hour in our history, fully knowing the daunting challenge he faced. No man could have been better suited to the task of healing our nation and restoring faith in our government.”
Alexander Haig, Ford’s former Chief of Staff said that Ford “had to bring [the U.S.] back and make it whole again and he did it with dignity, he did it with great, great skill and sensitivity.”
Be sure to read Joe’s long post on this from earlier today.
Meanwhile, Ed Morrissey wonders whether Ford should have pardoned Nixon or not. A small part of his long and thoughtful answer:
In the long run of history, I have to side with Jeralynn and Jack on this question. Ford had good and understandable reasons for his decision, but it did short-circuit the one quality about America that had always made us different from other nations: our leaders were not above the law. In an era where we started to discover the worst about leaders such as Nixon, LBJ, and even JFK, we lost that sense of ourselves as a nation bound by its dedication to the Constitution and the rule of law. At that time, we needed a way to bind ourselves back to that to restore a national identity in which all could share.
And I would argue that if Ford intended the pardon as a healing gesture, it didn’t work. Our politics have remained poisoned by Watergate, and I believe that the Nixon pardon has contributed to that.
Thoughts on this from any of you?
UPDATE
Remembering Gerald Ford in pictures.
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