Mr. Ford Gets the Last Laugh - By CHEVY CHASE

[kpete]

Op-Ed Contributor
Mr. Ford Gets the Last Laugh
By CHEVY CHASE
Published: January 6, 2007

IN recent days, I’ve been bombarded by requests to comment on my relationship with President Gerald Ford. Until now, I’ve tried to say nothing — any remarks from me during the Ford family’s private time of grief would have been inappropriate.

........................

Seated at a small table set for four in a simple dining room also containing a somewhat complicated videotape recorder and TV set were the former commander in chief and I making friendly small talk before lunch was brought in. And on all fours, literally on their hands and knees in front of the bulky and confusing tape machine, were Mrs. Ford and Jayni trying their best to figure out the wiring of the playback machine and the way the whole system worked, so we could watch the screen tests. Noting the effort the ladies were putting into getting the VCR to work, I suggested to Mr. Ford that perhaps we might help them out.

As I began to stand up from my chair, he took gentle hold of my arm, sat me back down and said: “No, no, Chevy. Don’t even think about it. I’ll probably get electrocuted, and you’ll be picked up and arrested for murder.”

We both laughed.

I’ll never forget that moment. My laughter was hearty and genuine.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/06/opinion/06chase.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[angstlessk]

1. That was surprising and refreshing..thanks for posting this.

I haven't really been keeping up with the Ford funeral, but this is quite a touching tribute to him by Chase, whom I really enjoyed for many years.

[Maccagirl]

2. Lovely story

thanks, Chevy.

[Jeanette in FL]

3. That was very nice

and humble. Thank you Kpete for posting.

[Gabi Hayes]

4. here's another lovely, charming story about Ford

http://www.jfklancer.com/Ford-Rankin.html

[rsmith6621]

5. Most Inapropriate

Post to this this thread....highly uncalled for.

[Gabi Hayes]

6. and that would be why?

is anything in that story inaccurate?

how bout some swell stories about how much Hitler loved his little doggy?

Gerald Ford was one of the worst, if not THE worst (considering how briefly he served), presidents in history, and his legacy is extremely malignant. the myriad threads which recount in DETAIL the things the MSM have ignored are testament

so you all can spare me the smarmy little stories about what a wonderful, charming guy he was

are you going to lather yourself up with wonderful little tales about the charming GW Bush's folksy moments when his time comes, as well?

knock yourself out, but please join the reality based community in the meantime

[Scout1071]

7. I'm sorry, but there were worst people out there.

If you hate Gerald Ford so much that you have to come in here and belittle somebody's memory of the dead, then why don't you just avoid the thread?

knock yourself out, but please join the reality based community in the meantime

Riiiiiight. Because looking at the graphics in your sig line, I can tell you love "reality."

[Gabi Hayes]

8. who said I hated Ford? you did. all I did was inject some reality into

the love fest. I didn't even make a comment; merely provided a link. you didn't even have to read it, did you?

is there some rule against posting in certain threads?

by that logic, if you hate me, why don't you just avoid looking at my posts?

[Gabi Hayes]

9. one last bit, before I leave this gigantic time-waster of a thread.

from the "one is known by the company he keeps" file:

“It would be hard for me to overstate the admiration and affection I had for Henry,” Ford wrote in his memoirs. “Our personalities meshed. I respected his expertise in foreign policy, and he respected my judgment in domestic politics.”

Henry Aaron?

Henry Waxman?

guess again

[ScreamingMeemie]

12. A "love fest" that was all of 3 posts before you came into it.

Hey, knock yourself out and post another thread with your link and hide this one, why don't you? :hi:

[terrya]

16. LOL

Yeah...every single thread in GD since Gerald Ford died was a love letter to Ford and his place in history. Thank GOD you came in here and "injected some reality". :eyes:

Did you read GD in the past week or so? Or did you stumble into some Bizarro GD where it was one big "lovefest"?

[AngryOldDem]

17. Might be nice to see what kind of thread it is before posting in it

Or, rather, shitting on it.

This was a remembrance/tribute to Gerald Ford. This was not a critical piece, nor an analysis of his many faults and failings both as a human being and as president. I read it in the Times this morning and thought it was a nice heartfelt eulogy. Nothing wrong with that.

Take Chase's comments for what they're worth, but posting just to post more vitriol just makes you look silly. I think it's clear how most people here on DU view Ford, and there are plenty other threads here where your comments will fit right in. This one, however, isn't one of them.

And, obviously, you can post anything you want anywhere. Whether the posting makes sense or not, in the context of what the thread is about, is quite another matter.

Why read and respond to a thread that you knew you weren't going to agree with in the first place? Or, if you just have to add your two cents, also do so within the context of the thread. Meaning, respecfully.

[rsmith6621]

10. There comes a time in...

all of our lives we just need to drop what happened because justice has fled the process which if you want me join the reality based community then I will....Ford was the last surviving member of the Warren commision and now that he is dead proving wrong doing is going to do nothing to Ford now and most peoples opinion wont change regardless .....Most of the elected officials in DC at that time are dead as well so justice has fled those who perhaps were covering up something.......Lee Harvey Oswald would have been of age now to be in the grave and perhaps his justice has already been accomplished.....Jack Ruby got his justice in prison.....Kennedys death is a mystery that wont be solved in our life times and sadly I dont think at this time knowing the TRUTH would do anything to heal this country more then it has already....digging up potential conspirecy theorys only is a set back in the healing process. Just like we have done to Kennedy,Oswald,Ruby,and Ford just bury it and start anew by keeping those we elected in November accountable we just have to start all over again from time to time.....

BTW I had dinner with Jerry Ford twice and spent an afternoon as a press photographer in the 80's at a golf course following and talking to him, he is as decent as a guy as Bill Clinton as we all have our skeletons. Ford did the right thing pardoning Nixon to.

[FredScuttle]

11. "drop what happened"

I'm sure those words are like gold to the current WH resident's ears.

Ford was a useful tool in pardoning Nixon and his explanations revealed him to be either an oblivious tool or a willing conspirator. I will never "drop what happened" because it happens to be pretty fucking important to the republic.

[rsmith6621]

13. Im Sorry but....

Are you Gabbys other screename?????.....if not this was a response to Gabby not Fred....

[Gabi Hayes]

14. WRT your head in the sand response:

what was that quote from Santayana?

[AngryOldDem]

18. PLEASE don't go there

>>Ford did the right thing pardoning Nixon to.>>

People will never get their pound of flesh from Nixon, Ford, Warren, and whoever else. That's why they are so pissed. They just can't let it go.

[A Simple Game]

19. I remember that at the time of Nixon's pardon the Nation

breathed a sigh of relief. Collectively we just didn't want to deal with it. Hind sight is 20/20 and we know better now. But at the time, Ford did do what the American people wanted him to do, get it over with.

Of course as things turned out, it was the wrong thing to do, but to blame Ford for our present problems in this case is indeed wrong.

[tkmorris]

21. No they didn't

Right wingers SAID they did, but it isn't true.

"In September 1974, just after Ford pardoned Richard Nixon for crimes related to the Watergate break-in, a Time magazine poll showed that 58% of the public thought Ford did the wrong thing in pardoning Nixon, and 71% felt that Ford had not told the country the whole truth about the matter."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/27/opinion/polls/main2301584.shtml

I could find ya lots more; this is merely the first one I ran across. Nixon's pardon was anything but a popular move, and people were VERY pissed about it. Ford's approval ratings plummeted and I believe the pardon had a good deal of influence on his loss in 76 to Carter.

[A Simple Game]

23. I stand by my statement

that the nation was glad it was over. Of course most people knew Nixon was guilty of a lot of things. Of course most people thought that Ford should not have pardoned a criminal.

71% thought that Ford had not told the whole truth about the matter, duh, he pardoned a criminal so the truth would never be officially told, that poll should have been near 100%.

I live in an area that was fairly red at the time, much bluer now, but I don’t think that the feelings were much different around the nation. I restate that most people were glad, right or wrong, that it was over.

[crispini]

15. K&R

[Vidar]

20. Tender, Humorous anecdote by Chevy. Thanks.

[NoPasaran]

22. K & R