For nearly 25 years Gerald Ford was one of the most influential people in the House of Representatives, and 8 of those years were as Minority Leader. Representing MIchigan, he was a power house in Congress. It was almost happenstance that he even became President, but he left a marvelous legacy.

When Nixon was forced to resign, and Agnew had also resigned, Ford was the first person ever to become President via the 25th Amendment, and its ranking of succession. He walked into a snakes nest of troubles left by Nixon, but handled a tough job in a very efficient and elegant way. He had to fight growing inflation and a recession during his Presidency which was one of the worst economies until the present. His most controversial act was pardoning Richard Nixon for his role in the Watergate scandal. He was unseated by Jimmy Carter in a tight race, but Fords legacy is so much better than Carters and most would agree that we would have been better off had Ford one.

For years after his retirement, Ford remained very active in Republican politics, and always added a good Mid-western sensibility to proceedings. He was street smart yet very diplomatic and well like by everyone. One of the originators of being able to work with people across the aisle, he continued to advise and not just Republicans. Ford lived to be 93 and his funeral was, indeed, a very bipartisan affair.

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