Happy birthday, Mr. President. I was in tech school, in Pensacola, Florida, when Jimmuh defeated you in '76. Although I wasn't very much, if at all, into politics back then, I can look back and say that the Nixon legacy cost you that election, and the next four years, under the peanut socialist, were pure hell for us GIs.

I'd like to know one thing, Mr. President: Why didn't you travel the world during Clinton's presidency, slamming him at every opportunity, just like he and Jimmuh do to Bush?

Oh, that's right--prior to Slicky Blue Dress and Jimmuh doing it, former presidents were more discrete when traveling overseas.

No, Ash and Barney, discrete is not where you drive de car...

ABL- Actually it was Ford's own decision to pardon Nixon that cost him the election. He was a big fan of Nixon's for unknown reasons. But I believe he wanted to spare his party and the country the spectacle of a trial. But the pardon was seen as a sign of the same corruption and belief that the president was above the law that led us into Watergate.

BTW, the reason Ford never traveled the globe to speak politically, was that he preferred to play golf. Still, Ford's a decent guy even if he did let the party force him to dump his V.P, Nelson Rockefeller.

You can point to Clinton and Carter speaking out against Bush, but Clinton has also helped him-during Katrina and the tsunami, by joining Bush Sr, in raising money for the stricken. Carter has travelled the globe (and still does) to ensure elections are fairly determined which seems to be consistent with GW's quest to sow the seeds of democracy. Since Carter DID win a Nobel Peace Prize for his Camp David agreement- it would behoove Dubya to seek out bipartisan support in the current M.E. catastrophe. Doubt he will have the good sense to do so, however.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Ford. May all your trips and falls have soft landings.

I certainly hope that former President Ford will be around long enough to see at least the keel of CVN-78 (the first of the CVN-21 class of aircraft carriers) laid down for construction. If the ship is indeed named after him, that would make the el cubos' heads explode.
Both of them.