Political Punch

Ford also wants to revise the Warren Report from beyond the grave now that he has had to face JFK.

Won't be long now before the Gipper puts in his endorsement from beyond.

Note to Hillary: Call Eleanor!

Well, Mr. Ford also "endorsed" himself in 1976. But Ron Paul was one of the very few Republicans who endorsed Ronald Reagan. And what happened in that election again?

Guess what will happen this time if Republicans nominate Giuliani (or any of the other clones, for that matter). Republicans would do well to remember Mr. Reagan's past campaign endorsements for Ron Paul...

You know what they say about watching sausages or laws being made--both can turn your stomach, but the end result is usually palatable. Politics is a tough life for a decent person. You have to deal with people, policies, and power-plays you abhor, while keeping your integrity intact. One of the few politicians who did that his whole political life, without wavering, was Gerald Ford. The knocks on his intelligence first came from Lyndon Johnson, a legendary political schemer who had, way earlier, crossed over to the 'Dark Side'. The mainstream press of the day, accustomed to cigar smoke and back rooms, joined in. Since Ford didn't roll that way (the Nixon-Johnson 'us vs. them' political school), they assumed he was a dim bulb. He wasn't. He graduated in the top third of his class from Yale Law Sshool. As Vice President and President, he had an insightful understanding of the kind of political openness the country needed after ten years of Johnson and Nixon. However crooked Nixon was, historians agree that his foreign policy direction was very successful. Ford continued that, by retaining the elitist, yet admittedly brilliant Henry Kissinger. I don't think Kissinger was Ford's type of man, but keeping him on was best for the country. Ironically, Ford was regarded as weak on foreign policy, but strong on domestic issues--yet his two major failings were domestic. He pardoned Nixon to save the nation from a painful trial, he thought, yet he let Nixon's aides stand trial and go to prison. He was wrongly accused of political deal-making on that one. And he failed to act on looming inflation. I still have a WIN button somewhere--'whip inflation now'--his ineffective, 'bully pulpit' answer to the problem. Inflation, the Nixon pardon, and Jimmy Carter's outsider status lost Ford the 1976 election--but still, it was very close. Ford almost pulled it off at a time when the GOP was due for a drubbing. I think it was Ford's first loss. Ford's presidency wasn't regarded as one of the country's best. Carter's was less than outstanding, too. Both men, however, have my respect as politicians who kept their decency about them, and were true to their ideals. If Gerald Ford was impressed with Rudy Giuliani, it is saying something indeed. The posters here who easily dismiss Ford or Giuliani may have played too much football without a helmet, to quote Lyndon Johson.

Ford endorses Rudy. Wow. That's about as great as Mondale endorsing Mrs. Clinton.

Kinda reminds me of FEMA's recent press conference.

Ford fell into the job after Nixons mess caught-up with Nixon. When he was running, Ford vowed to continue Nixons work. No wonder he lost the election.

Umm so much to comment on and too little time.

SilentBob - First Jake is reporting not giving his opinion! Good Work Jake, now for your comment so as a lib you belive when a subordiante breaks a law and its a Republican leader that leader needs to be punished, but when that subordinate does something good at the orders of the Republican leader then the Republican does not get credit. But if its a Lib they get honored either way even if they are the corrupt one.

Rudy showed great leadershp and shows that he will pick the best people to get jobs done, as proven by your comments.

As far as Ford, well he was never elected, and I doubt he would of won an election, comeon he lost to Carter who was the worst president in American History!

tumbleweedin and 'm' - well a Dem is only a Dem/lib if he follows what Soro's tells him. (Proven by Lieberman the last true Democrat of the old Democrat party)

'm' You need to check your stats again!

Now for the facts History has shown that no Republican has won that supported Abortion for the truth is there is far more conservatives out there then libs but unfortunately there are a lot of one issue voters, and the dems know it so why do you think the Hilary/lib media is pushing Rudy's pro-abortion stance, they want to quiet the conservative vote.

I read in the same source that when several ex-Presidents were on their way to the assassinated Anwar Sadat's funeral in Egypt Gerald Ford felt that Richard Nixon was so intent on sowing dissension among them that Ford wished, at least for a moment, he had not pardoned the man. Unofficial history always has its surprises.

Anyone - including Jake Tapper - who doesn't understand that Rudolph Giuliani is a classic authoritarian conservative hasn't been paying attention.

Giuliani's dubious opinions on abortion, guns, and gay rights are much less important than his I-am-the-boss mentality. They are also much less important than his actual incompetence in running New York.

Giuliani's record of cleaning up crime actually belongs to Bill Bratton, his police commissioner, and architect of the city's strategy to crack down on "broken window" crimes. When the press started giving Bratton the credit he deserved, Giuliani forced him out.

Giuliani's record as a divider, not a uniter, and as a panderer to racism, during his entire tenure as mayor, is well-known throughout the New York area.

Finally, Giuliani's record before, during, and after 9/11 shows him to have contributed to the mass deaths of police and firefighters, the real heroes of Ground Zero, the ones who needed the radios, the masks, and the warnings that he made sure they never got.

He's a fraud, and it is time that Jake Tapper woke up to that.

Ford was not the brightest bulb on the tree either. He went to his grave declaring everything in the Warren Report was truthful and defended it as scipture all these years. He was another politician bought & sold.

Mitt Rommney is a flip flopping loser. He'll never win the presidency. More than 70% of Americans are against the war-and he is. Even if he GOT the nomination, noone will vote in a mormon conservative. NO Democrat would vote for him. He's finished. OVer. Lost a few million in the process. Oh well.

Well I'm SURE if Gerald Ford knew that fellow Michigan native son Mitt Romney was running he would have picked Mitt.

Clean, experienced, and ready for the job.

tumbleweedin: Your right: Republicans are now only considered "real" if they follow the ultra conservative point of view-which is bible thumping lunacy.

All one needs to do is take a good long look at what Rudy Giuliani stands for to figure out this guy is not a REAL republican at all.
Pro open borders.
Pro abortion.
Pro gay rights.
Anti gun.
And he is all for the National ID card.
And they say Ron Paul may be running in the wrong party because he wants to pull out of Iraq?
Give me a break!

Ford can't even get elected and he pardoned Nixon. Rudy Giuliani doesn't even deserve to run!

i liked Guiliani until the debate where he said that he couldn't figure out a reason for anyone in the Middle East to ever hate America! What an idiot !

this kind of bad judgment of character is precisely what made Ford such a sub-standard president.