Brent Budowsky: Gerald Ford, R.I.P. Reflections
A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
by Brent Budowsky
It is easy to forget, especially for those who are younger, that American politics in 2006 is not the way it has been, and not the way it should be.
The passing of Gerald Ford is a reminder not only of an age when Washington had leaders in both parties with mutual respect, but a reminder of how far the Presidency of George Bush has gone from what has been normal throughout American history.
Gerald Ford was a partisan Republican who was a close personal friend of Tip O'Neill. He was a President who had many friends among the press corps, and would never think of calling them traitors. He was a Congressional leader when friendships crossed the aisles, when disagreements were stated in intelligent and respectful debate.
After he was defeated for reelection in 1976, he went through a short period of bitterness, but then became a close personal friend of the man who defeated him, Jimmy Carter. Together they collaborated on countless bipartisan missions when they were both former Presidents.
Gerald Ford was a Republican in the days when Republicans could select a liberal such as Nelson Rockefeller to be Vice President.
It will be interesting to watch how many of the pundits in the mainstream media, will point out in the coming days how far the Republican Party has come from the days of Gerald Ford as President.
While conservatism has long had a central place in the Republican Party, what happened especially during the Bill Clinton years and now into the Bush years, is the dominance in the Republican Party of the forces of hyper-hate and hyper-partisanship.
This attitude that opponents are enemies; that dissent should be demonized; that character assassination should be the tool for seeking total partisan power was never the world of Gerald Ford.
Gerald Ford embodied goodwill and decency, bipartisanship that meant honest and honorable reaching out with respect. Gerald Ford knew it was important to negotiate with our enemies as well as our friends, so he negotiated with the Soviets during some of their worst days. Gerald Ford knew that America should truly be the leader of the free world, so he respected our allies.
Gerald Ford knew that with the Cold War, and during any time of war, there needs to be national unity at home. President Ford would never have thought of using war as a partisan weapon, or questioning the patriotism of political opponents.
I have been suggesting for many months that the agony, divisions and failures of the Bush years could well be followed by a new era of patriotic reform reminscent of the eras of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt and John Kennedy.
As the nation honors Gerald Ford in the coming days, its important to remember that President Ford followed the divisions, partisanships and crimes of Richard Milhous Nixon. When he said "our national nightmare is over," referring to Nixon, he was expressing the sentiments that many Americans will feel when the post-Bush-era, which has already begun, is made formal by the election of a new President.
The pages of history turn. We should always remember that, because it is easy to forget during the harder times.
The abuses of Richard Nixon led to Gerald Ford becoming President, led to the election of a reform Democratic Congress in 1974, and led to the election of a new Democratic President in 1976.
We should pay our respects to Gerald Ford, a good man, a President who respected the higher ideal of the Presidency, who came into office following a President of scandal and division. After the crimes of President Nixon, President Ford sought to create a spirit of healing for the Nation.
We should pay our respects to Gerald Ford, a good man, and remember that in America, the pages of history turn. When things go wrong, the lesson of America is this: it does not have to be this way, we can make things better.
Gerald Ford, R.I.P,
Brent Budowsky
A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
Brent Budowsky served as Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, responsible for commerce and intelligence matters, including one of the core drafters of the CIA Identities Law. Served as Legislative Director to Congressman Bill Alexander, then Chief Deputy Whip, House of Representatives. Currently a member of the International Advisory Council of the Intelligence Summit. Left goverment in 1990 for marketing and public affairs business including major corporate entertainment and talent management. He can be reached at brentbbi@webtv.net.
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