Farewell To A President (Pt. II)

Leave it to Vice President Cheney to ruin an otherwise respectful funeral-

Ford's decision to pardon Richard Nixon, so divisive at the time that it probably cost him the 1976 election, was dealt with squarely in his funeral services by his old chief of staff, Vice President Dick Cheney.

"It was this man, Gerald R. Ford, who led our republic safely though a crisis that could have turned to catastrophe," said Cheney, speaking in the Capitol Rotunda where Ford's body rested. "Gerald Ford was almost alone in understanding that there can be no healing without pardon."

Ignoring the disturbing sight of a Vice President whose disdain for the Constitution and separation of powers far outrivals Nixon's (and should hopefully someday be in a need of a pardon his own) pretending to give some sort of neutral opinion on this issue, his words must be acknowledged... they reflect what has now become conventional wisdom about the pardon and how it 'healed' everything. No, the prevailing wisdom says that it was not the actions of Nixon and those around him that caused a 'crisis'- it was the possibility that his accountability for that might not end at resignation that was the danger! Horrors!

How exactly seeing Nixon stand trial (or something like that) would've plunged our nation into "catastrophe" is beyond me. The very fact that they admit the pardon was divisive for Americans contradicts their idea that it 'healed' the nation's wounds. Of course, this attitude comes from the same people who believe today our nation's fabric is so weak that giving detainees legal rights, having open and direct criticism of administration policies, and preserving civil liberties will ensure our defeat by the islamofacists lurking in every shadow. Their lack of faith in the strength of our system is pretty pathetic. And in the end, the real 'catastrophe' that Cheney and his ilk fear is that the system might catch up to them as it did for Nixon.

Finally, David Kurtz looks at the truly silly media dialogue during the funeral coverage.

[PS- Mr. Ford, like many from his time, was sad to see how far to the right his party moved.]