Longest living president - Ford - Died at 93

greg334 · Dec 29, 2006

Well another one gone leaving Carter, Bush Sr and Clinton.

I guess when you read about them, it is no big deal when they go but when you meet them, it puts a personal spin on the entire thing. I am surprised that he lasted this long, he was villified for his pardon, shot at by Lynette Fromm and beaten by Carter - what a horrible thing that was!

I met him at a presentation my team and I did for a company at the WTC; he came in unannounced, in golf shorts and a golf shirt as he was going to go out to play and look like he wanted to put his feet up on the table when the other team did their presentation. He was really nice to talk to and took the time to talk to a few of us for a couple hours.

Dreamer · Dec 29, 2006

He's the first President I really remember. Guess the falling thing always kinda stuck in my head..LOL.

I always liked him. Shot his career in the foot when he pardoned Nixon tho.

Dreamer
Forums Administrator

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tallcal101 · Dec 29, 2006

The only Republican President that left office with honor in the last 30 years.He left no stench such as Iran Contra/Watergate/unfinished business in Iraq/and ofcourse,the pile for W, which is to high,and growing,to measure yet.
True,no girlfriends,which for some is the true legacy of a President.But we all know the 90's were the best of times for most American.Lets see:
Iran Contra/Watergate/botched Iraq 1/Monica.
I think historians will decide the weight of these matters,far be it for simple working men such as us to decide.

Tennesseahawk · Dec 29, 2006

You forgot Carter with double digit inflation and kissing OPEC's arse.

"If I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know." - Kansas

RichM · Dec 29, 2006

I do believe President Carter allowed a bunch of Iranians to hold a bunch of Americans hostages for 439 days. Do you think the Russian government would go along with that,they would have had planes bombing Terhan the next day.

Also I remember a neighbor getting a very nice 12% mortgage when Mr JC was President.

Having said that I voted for him the first time around,only time in my life I voted Democrat,I actually thought he would bring some fresh air to the Executive Branch,but it didn"t happen. We did get Billy Beer,Ham Jordan etc.

greg334 · Dec 29, 2006

"Also I remember a neighbor getting a very nice 12% mortgage when Mr JC was President."

H*ll I remember my parents complaining my uncle financed at 18% because that was the best deal he could find. Remember inflation - wasn't that around 12% in 78?

copdsux · Dec 30, 2006

I thought this thread was about the passing of Gerald R. Ford?

tallcal101 · Dec 30, 2006

Why does every post about anything on this paticular forum have to be prceeded by comments about Carter and Clinton?I agree that this thread is about the pssing of Ford,but please rfer to the original comments.
It's never just about anything with a snipe.

highway star · Dec 30, 2006

It's not my call since I don't moderate this forum, but I see no problem with the direction of this thread. I suppose, if you're a Democrat and Carter and Clinton being the only Democratic Presidents in nearly 40 years, that's GOT to be frustrating. Remember, Monica=lying to a Grand Jury.

greg334 · Dec 30, 2006

~~Remember, Monica=lying to a Grand Jury.~~

Remember, Iran=Selling our country out.

I don't fault Clinton as much as I hate to see Carter open his mouth abot anything, he has sold us all out. But the intent for me was to put forth that we made a BIG mistake by electing carter instead of electing Ford.

cheri1122 · Dec 30, 2006

I always respected Gerald Ford, too - he seemed to be a nice man, who really wanted to do the best he could for every American. He didn't give the impression of being hungry for power or glory, and I wish there were more like him.
Highway Star: many US presidents before Clinton were known to have violated the marriage vows, but it was considered no one else's affair, so to speak, until the enemies of Bill Clinton decided to make it a public affair. In my opinion, extramarital activity is no one's business beyond the husband and wife involved, assuming it doesn't affect the ability to conduct the public's business. I'm not condoning what Clinton did, I'm saying it should have been left to Mrs Clinton to handle, however she chose, as it is for every other marriage.

Tennesseahawk · Dec 30, 2006

Tallcal... reread your first post, and you'll answer your own question. You're the one who brought up other Republican presidents and Clinton.

"If I claim to be a wise man, it surely means that I don't know." - Kansas

highway star · Dec 30, 2006

We, as taxpayers, are the presidents boss. We pay his salary and provide him with the tools he needs to do his job. It's been documented that the behavior in question took place in his office, and in some cases, while he was engaged in doing the business of the people. That makes it our business. And, if the cigar was a Cuban...

cheri1122 · Dec 30, 2006

I still don't see where any of that makes any difference - a public official's private life should remain private - until it impacts his public duties. If the President were in the habit of picking his nose while working, or sending text msgs to a love interest, do we really have the right to know that? With the hypocrisy that is rampant in politics, nobody cared, until someone needed to discredit Bill Clinton. (Probably cause they were afraid to go up against Hillary)

greg334 · Dec 30, 2006

Cheri
The problem is that the office of the president is not a private office, it is a public office of the highest position this country has. There is a strict need to have respect for the office, a need to maintain integrity and a very important need not to get involved with someone or something that can compromise the effectiveness of the office and the power the person holds.

Think of it this way, there is trust that is given from the people to the president, we depend on that trust and if he fails to maintain the trust, we have recourse â€“ impeachment. The issue at hand is not that he had sex on our time, which he did but rather lying under oath, which is wrong. It is like having a banker who takes your money and embezzles it, you trusted him to keep your money and have it there for you when you needed it, not take it and spend it. After all is said and done, what is the likeliness of you trusting that banker again with your money?

Now the other issue that TallCal pointed out is Watergate, which by all accounts is mild in comparison to Clinton and his administrationâ€™s doings. The list for Nixon is short compared to Clintonâ€™s list and I still donâ€™t get why he is so hated, he did more for Civil Rights and Womenâ€™s rights than any other president.

cheri1122 · Dec 30, 2006

If the issue was not that he had sex on "our time", (which in the case of the President, is 24/7/365), but that he lied under oath, why was he under oath to begin with?

nightcreacher · Dec 31, 2006

my lawyer has always said,if you get cought in bed,by your loved one,lie lie lie
so clinton lied,monica too

greg334 · Dec 31, 2006

> If the issue was not that he had sex on "our time", (which
>in the case of the President, is 24/7/365), but that he lied
>under oath, why was he under oath to begin with?
>

I really don't get your question. He was under oath as; part of the office, as part of the investigation and as part of a grand jury.

tallcal101 · Jan 3, 2007

I guess I owe my friend Greg an apology.He was only pointing out who was left after Ford passed.He made no comments in his post of a political nature.In other words,it was a neutral statement about Fords passing.I guess I'm itching for a fight again,I have to relax.There will be plenty of action ahead.Hawk caught it and called me on it,I was hoping it would go unnoticed.