It has just been announced former President Ford has passed away. CBS news confirmed reports from Betty Ford that former President Ford is dead at the age of 93. God be with him and rest in peace.

Wow...yeah they cut in and announced it. Can't say I'm surprised. He had been in and out of the hosptial a few times this year and just didn't look well. He lived a long life though. He made the best of the situation that put him in office. Condolences to his family and now he is at rest.

This is sad news indeed. For all that happened, perhaps history will remember him more favorably with the passage of time.

Since the Fords live about 5 miles from me, it's all over the local TV here. They read a statement from Nancy Reagan where she gets a dig in at Bush even in the press release following Ford's death. It was something like, "He was a great man who was one of the first to endorse stem cell research."

I know all my friends who are Federal workers are really loving the timing. It means they likely now get January 2nd off with pay.

More about Gerald Ford.

In my opinion,only our current president should be remembered in a non-favorable way.

Thanks for the link. Interesting story about Sipple. I never knew that.

Ya know that really is something to think about. George Bush is probably one of the most unpopular presidents in history. Both elections came down to 50-50 and this second term has been marked with nothing but bad decisions and continued division over the war in Iraq. It will be interesting to see what historians write about him and how he will be eulogized when he dies.

Probably something like "he was a decent man who stood by his convictions and did what he thought was best for the country, even if it was not the popular decision" Something about his "upstanding morals" will be thrown in there too. This man's legacy is not one that will be viewed positively. His presidential library can't ignore the Iraq War and whatever wing of the library its in will have to acknowledge how it divided the country and caused his political party such great divison.

President Ford was a good man, and served an important role in a difficult time for the USA, but his wife, Betty, was simply incredible. She is one of the greatest first ladies in American history, going public with her breast cancer and alchohol/drug dependency at a time when it just wasn't done. Absolutely astonishing courage and role modeling from this great lady. She also set out her own, distinctive (from her husband) positions on issues, something else hardly ever done, even now. Can you imagine Laura Bush saying anything contrary to her husband's opinions on anything? ...So, imho, Gerry Ford's presidency was as much about Betty as it was about him, but that makes Ford's presidency even more historically important than it might otherwise have been....Rest in Peace, Mr President.

Just some comments on the state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral today...a beautiful structure. I've been there a few times and its a remarkable cathedral. Some have criticized the pomp and circumstance surrounding state funerals for presidents but I am fascinated with them. I am one who loves tradition and history and I love the customs that go along with state funerals (i.e. lying in repose in Congress, the military component, "Air Force One" being lent to the family to fly the remains, etc. Its all very formal. One of the things I really like is watching the guards change when the body is lying in repose. I tell you...those men don't move an inch while they are standing there. I can barely sit still for 5 minutes so kudos to them for holding that position as long as they do. Was nice to see Nancy Reagan travel to Washington to pay her respects. Loved her rockin the shades inside the cathedral. She's looking very frail these days as is Betty Ford.

Its also an interesting gathering of some of the world's most powerful political leaders. Congressional leaders, foreign dignitaries, current and former secretaries of state, former presidents, etc. It was also nice to see the Ford family so open and personable by greeting some of the people who came to see Ford's body lying in repose in the Capitol. Poor Betty though...remind me of Nancy when Ronald Reagan died. I can't imagine having to say goodbye to my lover, my husband, my best friend who I have been married to for almost 6 decades. I remember Nancy just sobbing at the Reagan library at the end of his services and I was crying right along with her. It was so sad. You wonder how much of a toll all of this has taken as Betty isn't in the best health herself.

One bright note in the life of Pres. and Mrs. Ford is the relationship they developed with the gay couple who purchased and restored his childhood home. Posted originally on the Wall Street Journal, I found the article at Towleroad. It shows the personal side of the Ford's and their friendship with what seems a wonderful gay couple.

Ford was actually one of the first major Republicans to come out for equal treatment for lesbians and gays. He was overall a decent man, who would sometimes go along with--or advance--right-wing views and policies, especially economic ones, and as president he was middling, but far from the worst, which we're witnessing now. The media keep rushing to rewrite history, but people who lived during his brief presidency will remember the tumult. It was a rough period in economic terms especially, rougher than the four years under Carter or the fisrt part of Nixon's presidency.

I'm not that into state funerals and so forth, but I do wonder, will Jimmy Carter, who's been an extraordinary humanitarian, receive the same treatment? Did Lyndon Johnson or Harry Truman? I vaguely remember when both Johnson and Truman passed away, and how sad my grandfather was about Truman's death, because he thought of him as a very decent, plainspoken man who took the huge steps of dropping the nuclear bombs that forced Japan's surrender in World War II, and of integrating the Armed Forces. I don't remember hearing anything about Eisenhower's death, though I know that while in office he was one of the most popular presidents of the 20th century.

With Reagan, I couldn't separate his death from what I remembered of his presidency, which occurred during my high school and college years. From his campaign launch in Philadelphia, Mississippi through the period when he handed over the office to George H. W. Bush, I had a very low opinion of the man. I know he is beloved by people on the right of the political spectrum, but as with Nixon, I say God bless him and leave it at that.

I love the pageantry of official state events, and this one was fascinating to watch. The Ford children were magnificient, first shaking hands with the public at the Capitol, and today with their quiet dignity and emotion. I got a lump in my throat today when one of the sons (was it Steven?) started crying during "Hail to the Chief" and Susan started patting him on the shoulder and handed him a tissue. Then two of the children consoling Betty when she started weeping - it was tremendously moving.

On the trivia front, it was President Ford who approved the use of ATMs by banks and the offering of variable rate mortgages that have become standard today.

Rest In Peace, Mr. President.

Here is a wonderfully well written piece from Chevy Chase written about Gerald Ford in the New York Times.

The Nixon pardon came when I was in grade school, and made me realize justice didn't apply to the powerful in America. I stopped saying the Pledge of Allegiance the next day.

While (arguably) less harmful than his successors, Ford backed the Indonesian slaughter of the East Timorese. As all US presidents must be, he was a bloody SOB. And gave Rumsfeld and Cheney their first high-profile executive jobs. What we've been seeing from the media is mostly sentimental horseshit.

Betty was likely the best First Lady since Eleanor Roosevelt, though.

Just happened to come across this today. In no way am I disrespecting the dead because at the time he was still alive but this was just hilarious at the time. So, hope I don't offend anyone with this. If I do...I apologize.

Dana Carvey as Tom Brokaw announcing death of Gerald Ford

"Gerald Ford shot dead today at the senseless age of 83"

"Tragedy today as former President Gerald Ford was eaten by wolves. He was delicious"

"Stunning news from Yorba Linda today as Richard Nixon's corpse climbed out of its grave and strangled Gerald Ford to death"

LMAO...This is when SNL was really hilarious.

You know, Gerald Ford was a great president and very underrated, no question. And he did support gay rights at a time when few did, and all that. But all the admirable things he did can't obscure one important fact:

He was the hottest president in American history.

What the...??? Really??? You need to check out portraits of Martin Van Buren and Millard Fillmore!

Ford may have been the hottest President but it's not as if the bar has been set all that high.

Some great comedy here. In terms of attractive presidents, there's John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and maybe, must maybe a young Jimmy Carter, and the drop-off is VERRRRRY steep after that.

Did you ever see Zachary Taylor? He makes me moist

Yall are a mess.

Dude.

Clinton may have been semi-attractive during the campaign, but that was way before the Dark Oval Office I-Admit-It Speech of August 17, 1998, where he blew my impression of him (no pun intended).

Kennedy was always kind of sleazy to me. Carter frightened me with that toothy smile.

But Ford, now THAT was a man, let me tell you. He was a tall, bracing, college football playing hunk of a man with a cornfed Midwestern background. He was a total fratboy jock who got offers to play for the NFL and turned them down to go to Yale (try that, Jimmy Carter!). Oh yeah, he survived TWO assassination attempts in like the same month.

Y'all are just hatin'.

And he was a total klutz. He was forever tripping over his own feet.

Which only made him more lovable in a cuddly, nerdy sort of way. It showed his human side, that a man who was 6'3" 265 pounds of pure football hunk could also be warm and sensitive, that he was just like the rest of us. That might even be more attractive than his strong profile and rugged, Midwestern good looks.

By comparison, the only thing Clinton showed that was "just like the rest of us" is that he liked to get a blow job and cheat on his spouse. Not as classy, if you ask me.