Posted on 01/01/2007 1:09:14 PM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - President Bush and first lady Laura Bush briefly paid their respects Monday to Gerald R. Ford, joining thousands of ordinary Americans in saying goodbye to the former president.
At midafternoon on a rainy, overcast day, the first couple stood at Ford's flag-draped casket and bowed their heads. Their stay at the U.S. Capitol lasted just a few minutes. Afterward, the Bush motorcade took the president to Blair House, across the street from the White House, where the Bushes visited former first lady Betty Ford for a half-hour and then walked back to the Executive Mansion.
Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne, visited Mrs. Ford at Blair House just a few minutes later.
Bush, who had been vacationing until Monday at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, had saluted Ford in a statement from there last week after the former president died. Bush also devoted his weekly Saturday radio address to the fallen leader.
Bush and his wife visited the Capitol on the third day of mourning there for Ford, who died at 93. Two of Ford's children stood in the Rotunda Monday, greeting people who came to pay last respects to their father.
Just a few moments later, Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, and his wife, Barbara, came, stood by the casket and bowed their heads, and left.
Michael Gerald Ford shook 8-year-old Christopher Witkowski's hand and gave him a blue remembrance card. "My father would have wanted you to have this," he told Christopher, from Alexandria, Va. Ford's sister, Susan Ford Bales, stood nearby, greeting others who had come to pay their respects.
Before the Bushes went to the Hill, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (news, bio, voting record), who this week becomes the first woman speaker of the House, paid her respects. And former President Clinton and his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, were to visit as well.
Karen Olson, 53, of Herndon, Va., said the rain couldn't dampen her determination to see him. Her mother, who's now deceased, was on his staff, she said.
"I wanted to come pay my respects. He was a big part of my life," said Olson, who was among the people lined up before 9 a.m. EST to enter the Capitol building. "I have a lot of ties to his family."
"The few times that I met him, he was just really nice," she said.
Both of Olson's parents have passed away.
"I kind of felt like I wanted to be there for them," she said. "There's just an emotional connection there."
Inside the Rotunda, Ford's daughter and son handed remembrance cards to some of the visitors.
The blue cards had the presidential, vice presidential and House of Representatives seals and a biography of Ford on one side. On the other was a photograph of the former president in the Oval Office, his head bowed.
The message on the card: "The family of Gerald R. Ford deeply appreciates your prayers and many kindnesses as together we celebrate and honor the life of a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather and the 38th president of the United States."
The mourners came wearing parkas, bearing umbrellas and clutching snack sacks on a rainy New Year's Day.
Kirk Scofield, 44, and his wife Mary Scofield, 50, of Sterling, Va., also were among those who lined up early.
Mary was dressed in a parka, poncho and had "6 hours of food" in her backpack. She said she was expecting a six-hour wait, though they had been in line less than an hour. "She looks like she's ready to go camping," Kirk joked.
Mary said she wanted to come to the viewing because it was a unique opportunity.
"It's just kind of neat to see."
John Erb, 56, and his wife Karen Erb, 55, of Alexandria, Va., said they were in line at 8:20 a.m. and stood less than an hour to see Ford's casket.
"Between being New Year's Day and rain, it kept a lot of people from being ahead of us," John said.
John said he was in the Army during Ford's administration and came to the viewing because "it's part of the old commander in chief thing."
Following the pardon of Richard Nixon for any crimes from Watergate, Ford lost the 1976 election to Jimmy Carter. Former Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas, Ford's running mate in that campaign, returned unannounced to pay his respects again Sunday, after being among the invited guests as an honorary pallbearer at Saturday evening's ceremonies in the Rotunda.
Political analysts believe the pardon played a major — if not the major — role in Ford's defeat.
Ford was out of the White House after just 2- 1/2 years in office and he is the only unelected president. Nixon had appointed Ford vice president to replace Spiro Agnew, who resigned in a bribery scandal stemming from his days as Maryland governor.
The Rotunda was closed to the public at just after 6 p.m. Sunday, but a military guard, changed every hour, stood silent vigil throughout the night, and then reopened Monday morning.
Ford was to lie in state for public viewing through Monday.
On Tuesday morning, Ford's remains will rest outside the Senate chamber before a funeral service at Washington National Cathedral where Bush will deliver a eulogy.
I find that puzzling as well. I would imagine they could alter the plans after leaving office. Life changes and circumstances change. But it is only my best educated guess.
Perhaps leaving him out of the DC part was a snub of sorts and being the good man he was, President Ford felt bad so he squeezed him into Michigan.
Maybe they were (gulp!) friends...although I like that "You can't make chicken salad out of chickenshit" remark.
Maybe Jimmy is ashamed to show his face in DC and called up President Ford and said "About that DC part, you think there might be a part for me in Michigan?"
So many possibilities...............
I wish the camera had been turned off when the Ford family paid their respects today. Seems they ought to have been entitled to some privacy.
each POTUS is to leave a funeral plan before leaving office. the only one who hasn't done it is .. guess who?
good ole 42, who, it would not surprise me, could predecease 41 and even 39 .. the man just does not lead a healthy lifestyle
Vice President Cheney was at Andrews Air Force Base on Saturday afternoon/evening to received President Ford's body being flown in from California. Gen. Peter Pace and all the Joint Chiefs of Staff were there also. Along with Cheney were Senator Dole, Henry Kissinger and Ford's half-brother... in addition to several Ford family members. SECDEF Rumsfeld was scheduled to be there but snowbound.
It would not have been appropriate for President Bush to attend the Congressional memorial service in the Rotunda Saturday night, so he did not do so.
As President of the Senate and a personal friend of President Ford, Cheney spoke a eulogy at the Saturday evening service, and a fine eulogy it was.
I can understand that, other than Jimmy Carter. He is so utterly despicable.... words totally fail me.
Interesting, if he left no plan, does that mean we won't endure a national ceremony in his honor and Hillary will just send him back to Arkansas for interment at his library.
I've been thinking about that as well. It is one thing to go through terrible grief, but to have to do so publicly ... and under the world's glare...
We have become too accustomed to being voyeurs.
I was hoping the Bushes could visit in private too, but... fat chance.
The Ford family deserved the same.
By the way! Former Rep. Bloomfield was released from hospital the following morning and he is fine! He had skipped a meal and stood out in the cold too long, his daughter said.
we should be so lucky! you know, my worst nightmare is that he kicks the bucket a month or two before her election for POTUS and she garners the sympathy vote
That IS a nightmare.
NOTE RE TOMORROW: C-SPAN, the Pentagon Channel and ABC-TV will be telecasting the funeral live tomorrow morning, 10:30 a.m. EST.
Additional related programming will start earlier on most and likely FOX will broadcast as well.
Thanks, Dita, guess I have to get to bed at a reasonable hour tonight, early rising.
Considering the age of so many of the participants it would be wise for chairs to be provided in the future.
Yes, ma'am, as do I.
I hope your New Year has started off well and that you and yours will prosper in all ways in 2007.
;^)
Thanks for the info...will be tuned in.
Thanks, LaDita...
I am so glad that ABC will be showing it so you can see it.
I will be watching...but both kiddos will be here tomorrow, so I might not be able to be on the thread.
Thank you! Much apppreciated!!!!
I didn't mean that the way it might have sounded. I really was just *wondering* what time all these various sightings were going to happen - I don't have cable and have only gotten to see a little bit of the ceremonies.
In this particular instance, I meant in regards to visiting with Betty Ford at Blair House.
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