President Gerald R. Ford

Of all the United States Presidents I've met or been in the same room with (okay, I've only met 2 and been in the room with 1 additional), Ford was my favorite. Yes, I know about the Warren Commission. Yes, I know about the Trilateral Commission; I was a CR and YR for goodness' sake. Those facts do not taint my view of Ford.

Ford was the consummate public servant. Unlike Reagan, who pitched a fit when he didn't get the 1976 nomination and refused to vigoriously campaign for Ford, Ford was a team player. You can call him "the accidental President," you can call him "clumsy;" it does not matter to me. After all, Ford went on Saturday Night Live back when people actually watched it and made fun of himself. All you need to know about the differences between Ford and Reagan you can glean from their respective funerals. Reagan's - a scary mix of church and state, a "high & mighty" affair fit more for a King than a President. Ford's - no caisson, no fuss, no inconveniences to others.

I wanted to go to the Capitol when Reagan died as a participant in a historic moment. I didn't make it. I will go to the Capitol this weekend, not as a participant in a historic moment, but to honor Ford. I left the GOP a long, long time ago; perhaps if it were still moderate like Ford I'd still be there.