Thomas Friedman's Position Four Years Later

Sometimes Thomas Friedman gets it mostly right. Here's the end of his column in the New York Times today (link is to the main page):

Now President Bush wants a "surge" of more U.S. troops to Baghdad, in one last attempt to bring order. Whenever I hear this surge idea, I think of a couple who recently got married but the marriage was never very solid. Then one day they say to each other, "Hey, let's have a baby, that will bring us together." It never works.

If the underlying union is not there, adding a baby won't help. And if the underlying willingness to share power and resources is not present among the major communities in Iraq, adding more U.S. troops won't help either. Adding more troops makes sense only if it's to buy more time for positive trends that have already begun to appear on the horizon. I don't see them.

As Saddam's hanging underscored, Iraqis are doing things their way. So maybe it's time to get out of their way.

I would argue that Bush is less interested in making one last attempt to bring order to Iraq than he is in one of two things: avoiding accountability and looking for another war to distract people from his fiasco in Iraq. Bush's many follies, of course, are difficult to ignore at this late date.

If you get a chance (and can locate it in the next day or two), take a look at Maureen Dowd's Wednesday column where she tells us what people were really thinking at Ford's funeral after reading Bob Woodward's excerpts from his interviews with the former president; it's Maureen Dowd in her best Washington gossip mode—priceless. It will take another election or two but we clearly need a changing of the guard in Washington and a healthy dose of fresh ideas and fresh energy.

Gerald Ford Remembered by Local Congressman

Here's a straightforward story from Lori Carter in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat about Gerald Ford as he will be remembered:

"Jerry was really a man of impeccable integrity," said Clausen, a Republican who represented California's 1st district, which extended from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border, from 1962 to 1982.

Clausen, 83, recalled that he was the deciding vote for Ford as the future president was seeking the minority House leadership position in 1965 against Rep. Charlie Halleck of Indiana, who had helped Clausen get a position on the public works committee.

"I was in California and (Ford) kept trying to get a hold of me," Clausen said. "We finally got together when I got back there and I had to explain it to him. I said, 'Jerry, I lean in your direction, but I have to have a positive commitment from you that you will be just as available to me after you win as you are today.' And he says, 'You can count on that.'"

After Ford became president, Clausen convinced him to visit The Geysers [a local hot springs] in hopes of garnering funding for the geothermal energy project.

Ford visited a snow-covered field north of Santa Rosa for 90 minutes before meeting with Western governors in San Francisco to discuss energy resources.

"We're flying in a helicopter, and we were sort of reminiscing about that" pledge to be available, Clausen said. "And all of sudden, he said, 'I kept my word, didn't I?'"

Thirty years ago, we thought we had our politics on a decent path again regardless of whether our politicians were Republican or Democrat.

Ford Was Critical of Bush's Iraq Policy

According to Bob Woodward, Gerald Ford was critical of Bush's Iraq policy. Unfortunately, Ford chose not to make his objections public at a time when they might have been useful. Here's Woodward's article in The Washington Post along with other details:

In a four-hour conversation at his house in Beaver Creek, Colo., Ford "very strongly" disagreed with the current president's justifications for invading Iraq and said he would have pushed alternatives, such as sanctions, much more vigorously. In the tape-recorded interview, Ford was critical not only of Bush but also of Vice President Cheney -- Ford's White House chief of staff -- and then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who served as Ford's chief of staff and then his Pentagon chief.

(snip)

"He was an excellent chief of staff. First class," Ford said. "But I think Cheney has become much more pugnacious" as vice president. He said he agreed with former secretary of state Colin L. Powell's assertion that Cheney developed a "fever" about the threat of terrorism and Iraq. "I think that's probably true."

(snip)

[Speaking of his own presidency...] Most challenging of all, as Ford recalled, was Henry A. Kissinger, who was both secretary of state and national security adviser and had what Ford said was "the thinnest skin of any public figure I ever knew."

"I think he was a super secretary of state," Ford said, "but Henry in his mind never made a mistake, so whatever policies there were that he implemented, in retrospect he would defend."

I had to add that last paragraph. Kissinger's support of Bush has been a puzzle, though the former secretary of state has recently backed away somewhat; but they both have in common an inability to admit mistakes. Must be a mutual admiration society I suppose.

The one recent occassion that the increasingly frail Ford was seen with Bush, he didn't say much but he allowed the impression to be given that he supported Bush's policies. I notice that Woodward says he has recordings of his interview with Ford. Sometimes, Woodward may not be the most alert journalist to the problems in Washington but he does remind us that he can get the story like no one else can, eventually.

It's been a tradition among former presidents not to comment on a current president but Bush's extraordinary policy blunders have presented an unusual situation. Ford was probably honoring the tradition though others have been speaking up. Woodward's interviews with Ford may help enhance Ford's reputation and clear up some historical questions.

But here's an important point: if what Woodward says is accurate, then Ford joined Presidents Carter, Bush senior and Bill Clinton in being critical of Bush's Iraq policy. Four presidents. And no disssenters. We have a problem.

Gerald Ford Dies at 93

Former President Gerald Ford is gone at 93; he's been in frail health for some years. MSNBC has the story.

Ford did a reasonably good job during a difficult time in the aftermath of Watergate, following the flawed presidency of Richard M. Nixon. In his last year in office, however, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld pulled something of a palace coup in the Ford Administration: Cheney became chief of staff and Rumsfeld became secretary of defense. It's ironic that Cheney and Rumsfeld worked for one president who resigned in disgrace, another president who was not elected and yet another president whose legitimacy was in doubt in the 2000 election. With the election of Jimmy Carter, we never found out how much Cheney and Rumsfeld really represented Ford's views. Maybe it's just as well we didn't find out. Congress passed many important reforms during Ford's short term but those reforms continued during the Carter Administration. Those reforms may be the slender thread by which our democracy currently survives.

It was an awkward moment some months back when President Bush trotted out the frail Ford in support of his policies in Iraq.

President Ford, nevertheless, will be fondly remembered.