Gerald Ford

[John Simkin]

Thought we should have a thread on Gerald Ford. As a bit of a laugh I thought we would start with this article:

Gerald Ford: One of Our Greatest Presidents and a Real Statesman:

Martha Zoller

It was April 1975 and I was in Washington DC with a Close Up student trip for government studies. It was less than one year after Watergate had forced the resignation of President Richard Nixon. At that time my name was Martha Mitchell, which was a name that was shared with the outspoken wife of the one of the big players in Watergate, John Mitchell. That Martha Mitchell’s story is one for another day, but in 1975, she was a bit of a joke in Washington and around the country. Most people who met me at that time would say, “Where’s John?” As if they were the first person to notice that I had the same name as Mrs. John Mitchell. Over time, I learned that it was a great ice breaker and there was always something to say after you said, “Hello, my name is Martha Mitchell.”

During that Close Up week, the group from Grand Rapids, Michigan, which was President Ford’s home town, was there also. So about midweek we were told that we would be meeting the President in the White House. Close Up didn’t think it was fair to just send the Grand Rapids group, so the Atlanta group got to go, too. In today’s post-9/11 world, it would be hard to imagine a last minute change like that one.

When we arrived at the White House, we were given the tour of the public areas as well as the West Wing. We arrived outside the Oval Office and were told to state our name and home town when we shook the hand of the president and then exit to The Rose Garden for some remarks by President Ford.

I had been kidded all week about my name and I worried that he would think I was a practical joker and thought for a split second about giving another name. I decided against that and as I approached the President standing next to his desk in the Oval Office, I said, “I’m Martha Mitchell and I am from Decatur, Georgia.” I will never know if he thought I was joking but he stopped in mid-handshake, looked at me and then finished the handshake and sent me out to The Rose Garden for his remarks.

I don’t have a picture of that day, but there is one at The Ford Presidential Library—on micro film in the basement somewhere.

Gerald Ford was president for 29 months. He took office on August 8, 1974 and had only been Vice President since the year before. He had a long history in the House of Representatives. He seemed to have a knack for being able to see to the future on what America needed at tough times. He was on the Warren Commission after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and helped to calm the nation in that capacity.

On September 8, 1974, Gerald Ford told the American people that he was pardoning Richard Nixon. It was not the popular decision. At that time, many Americans wanted their pound of flesh from Richard Nixon. It was the right decision and I believe that it saved our country and set the stage for Ronald Reagan and the new conservatism that began with Reagan’s inauguration 25 years ago.

Here’s what President Ford said on that day:

Ladies and gentlemen:

I have come to a decision which I felt I should tell you and all of my fellow American citizens, as soon as I was certain in my own mind and in my own conscience that it is the right thing to do.

I have learned already in this office that the difficult decisions always come to this desk. I must admit that many of them do not look at all the same as the hypothetical questions that I have answered freely and perhaps too fast on previous occasions.

My customary policy is to try and get all the facts and to consider the opinions of my countrymen and to take counsel with my most valued friends. But these seldom agree, and in the end, the decision is mine. To procrastinate, to agonize, and to wait for a more favorable turn of events that may never come or more compelling external pressures that may as well be wrong as right, is itself a decision of sorts and a weak and potentially dangerous course for a President to follow.

I have promised to uphold the Constitution, to do what is right as God gives me to see the right, and to do the very best that I can for America.

I have asked your help and your prayers, not only when I became President but many times since. The Constitution is the supreme law of our land and it governs our actions as citizens. Only the laws of God, which govern our consciences, are superior to it.

http://www.accessnorthga.com/articles/aful...y.asp?ID=100822

[Thomas H. Purvis]

Thought we should have a thread on Gerald Ford. As a bit of a laugh I thought we would start with this article:

Gerald Ford: One of Our Greatest Presidents and a Real Statesman:

Martha Zoller

It was April 1975 and I was in Washington DC with a Close Up student trip for government studies. It was less than one year after Watergate had forced the resignation of President Richard Nixon. At that time my name was Martha Mitchell, which was a name that was shared with the outspoken wife of the one of the big players in Watergate, John Mitchell. That Martha Mitchell’s story is one for another day, but in 1975, she was a bit of a joke in Washington and around the country. Most people who met me at that time would say, “Where’s John?” As if they were the first person to notice that I had the same name as Mrs. John Mitchell. Over time, I learned that it was a great ice breaker and there was always something to say after you said, “Hello, my name is Martha Mitchell.”

During that Close Up week, the group from Grand Rapids, Michigan, which was President Ford’s home town, was there also. So about midweek we were told that we would be meeting the President in the White House. Close Up didn’t think it was fair to just send the Grand Rapids group, so the Atlanta group got to go, too. In today’s post-9/11 world, it would be hard to imagine a last minute change like that one.

When we arrived at the White House, we were given the tour of the public areas as well as the West Wing. We arrived outside the Oval Office and were told to state our name and home town when we shook the hand of the president and then exit to The Rose Garden for some remarks by President Ford.

I had been kidded all week about my name and I worried that he would think I was a practical joker and thought for a split second about giving another name. I decided against that and as I approached the President standing next to his desk in the Oval Office, I said, “I’m Martha Mitchell and I am from Decatur, Georgia.” I will never know if he thought I was joking but he stopped in mid-handshake, looked at me and then finished the handshake and sent me out to The Rose Garden for his remarks.

I don’t have a picture of that day, but there is one at The Ford Presidential Library—on micro film in the basement somewhere.

Gerald Ford was president for 29 months. He took office on August 8, 1974 and had only been Vice President since the year before. He had a long history in the House of Representatives. He seemed to have a knack for being able to see to the future on what America needed at tough times. He was on the Warren Commission after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and helped to calm the nation in that capacity.

On September 8, 1974, Gerald Ford told the American people that he was pardoning Richard Nixon. It was not the popular decision. At that time, many Americans wanted their pound of flesh from Richard Nixon. It was the right decision and I believe that it saved our country and set the stage for Ronald Reagan and the new conservatism that began with Reagan’s inauguration 25 years ago.

Here’s what President Ford said on that day:

Ladies and gentlemen:

I have come to a decision which I felt I should tell you and all of my fellow American citizens, as soon as I was certain in my own mind and in my own conscience that it is the right thing to do.

I have learned already in this office that the difficult decisions always come to this desk. I must admit that many of them do not look at all the same as the hypothetical questions that I have answered freely and perhaps too fast on previous occasions.

My customary policy is to try and get all the facts and to consider the opinions of my countrymen and to take counsel with my most valued friends. But these seldom agree, and in the end, the decision is mine. To procrastinate, to agonize, and to wait for a more favorable turn of events that may never come or more compelling external pressures that may as well be wrong as right, is itself a decision of sorts and a weak and potentially dangerous course for a President to follow.

I have promised to uphold the Constitution, to do what is right as God gives me to see the right, and to do the very best that I can for America.

I have asked your help and your prayers, not only when I became President but many times since. The Constitution is the supreme law of our land and it governs our actions as citizens. Only the laws of God, which govern our consciences, are superior to it.

http://www.accessnorthga.com/articles/aful...y.asp?ID=100822

I would suppose that some things need to be repeated.

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http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.ph...topic=5128&st=0

Papers of Gerald Ford:

http://www.ibiblio.org/lia/president/FordL...d_vp_files_c023

Title: 1970-Campaign Finance-Pawley, William D. Congressional Elections, Campaign Funds, Grand Rapids, Sugar

Gulf & Western Corporation-----Issued in 1959 to Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner* and Smith, Inc.

Grand Rapids, Michigan

http://www.scripophily.net/guwecobepapi.html

Gulf & Western: Owner of South Puerto Rico Sugar (formerly South Porto Rico Sugar)

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And of course, Pawley indirectly continues to provide benefit to the Grand Rapids area.

http://www.flyingtigersavg.com/tiger6.htm

AVG 2005 REUNION

June 9-12, 2005- AVG reunion in Gtrand Rapies, MI

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http://www.flyingtigersavg.com/

Letter from Gerald Ford to John Rossi of the AVG.

[Thomas H. Purvis]

For those who may not be fully aware of Gerald Ford's past.

1. He was one of the original "America First" er's

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Ford

While at the Yale Law School, Ford joined a group of students led by R. Douglas Stuart, Jr. as they signed a petition to enforce the 1939 Neutrality Act. This petition was circulated nationally and was the inspiration for America First, a group determined to keep America out of World War II.

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2. Ford failed to win the election in 1976

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3. As previously indicated, Joel Dolkart was the "Secretary" for the Gulf & Western Corporation out of Grand Rapids, MI.

In 1976, Mr. Dolkart was convicted of forging a check in the amount of $250,000.00 against the Gulf Western Account. No comments as to what was done with the funds.

http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0...7,912566,00.htm

Not to mention the charges brought against Gulf & Western for other violations, which also included the "transfer" of monies in and out of the Dominican Republic.------Home stomping ground of one William D. Pawley.

[Thomas H. Purvis]

As a member of the newly appointed "Abbot & Costello team presentation of "WHO'S ON FIRST"/aka the Warren Commission, Gerry Ford should have kept his mouth shut.

Not unlike the remainder of us, Mr. Ford is a creature of habit. As such, he made numerous mistakes during the WC questioning of witnesses.

Many of these mistakes point directly to knowledge of events, which have yet to be fully examined and revealed.

Others, point directly to the means and methods of the WC in obfuscation of the facts and evidence.

And although Mr. Ford no doubt is of the opinion that he was "really slick" in his actions, they actually rate right up there with the Pink Elephant in the Wal-Mart parking lot in lack of being obvioius.

And in that regard, one can be assured that there is a very close connection between Gerald Ford's actions in the WC, and his later actions in giving a pardon to RMN.

One could state that RMN played his "hole" card on that one.

Or perhaps one should call it a "mole" card!

[Terry Adams]

As a member of the newly appointed "Abbot & Costello team presentation of "WHO'S ON FIRST"/aka the Warren Commission, Gerry Ford should have kept his mouth shut.

Not unlike the remainder of us, Mr. Ford is a creature of habit. As such, he made numerous mistakes during the WC questioning of witnesses.

Many of these mistakes point directly to knowledge of events, which have yet to be fully examined and revealed.

Others, point directly to the means and methods of the WC in obfuscation of the facts and evidence.

And although Mr. Ford no doubt is of the opinion that he was "really slick" in his actions, they actually rate right up there with the Pink Elephant in the Wal-Mart parking lot in lack of being obvioius.

And in that regard, one can be assured that there is a very close connection between Gerald Ford's actions in the WC, and his later actions in giving a pardon to RMN.

One could state that RMN played his "hole" card on that one.

Or perhaps one should call it a "mole" card!

Thomas, How about President Ford's statement about moving the back wound location on the autopsy sheet upwards 4-5 inches to merely correct an error (on who's part). Speaking of pink elephants!

Terry

[Guest Robert Morrow]

_{This is the audio of Lyndon Johnson calling Gerald Ford to be on the Warren Commission. Phone call probably occurred on 11/29/63. Notice how LBJ associates Ford with the "Appropriations CIA angle."}

_{Video link:}

_{http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RCczaSKs9Y#t=45}

Edited September 21, 2013 by Robert Morrow

[Guest Robert Morrow]

_{Gerald Ford went on to be the FBIs' informer on the Warren Commission. In 1970 Newsweek magazine called Ford the CIA's man in Congress. Bobby Baker, of course, was extremely close to Lyndon Johnson who in turn was very close to Hoover of the FBI.}

_{FBI was bugging Fred Black’s hotel suite; Gerald Ford was sometimes a visitor there}

_{“I knew from his wiretapping, electronic buggings, and the pressure he’d applied to potential witnesses that Bittman would play hardball all the way (I learned that when the FBI bugged Fred Black’s Sheraton-Carlton Suite for six months, one of the periodic visitors there was a congressman named Jerry Ford. He was friendly with Black, but I don’t know what he used the suite for.)”}

_{[bobby Baker, Wheeling and Dealing: Confessions of a Capitol Hill Operator, p. 209)}

Edited September 21, 2013 by Robert Morrow