An insightful look into why Gerald Ford served as President for 895 days.

[sandensea]

2. I agree.

I always suspected the party forced him to pardon Nixon - and for all crimes he "may have committed," no less.

Nor do I blame him for naming Bush as head of the CIA - touching off a massive wave of coups, assassinations, and other illegalities that quickly ruined the agency's reputation for years to come.

He, like Carter, was in over his head and simply couldn't fathom the mafias in Washington.

On a more personal note, a relative of mine was a nurse for many years at the Eisenhower Medical Center, where Ford spent his last few weeks. From what she told me, what you saw was really what you got with Ford: a real gentleman of the old school.

It's no wonder he and Carter were such good friends.