Richard Nixon Resignation

50th Anniversary Of Gerald Ford Becoming President

admin Leave a comment

In the midst of commemorations of the 50th Anniversary of the Richard Nixon resignation from the Presidency, not as much attention is devoted to the accession of Gerald Ford to the Presidency for the next two years, five months and 11 days, as the only President NOT elected President or Vice President.

Ford was approved to be Vice President under the recently enacted 25th Amendment to the Constitution, upon the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew, arguably the most corrupt, scandalous, and obnoxious Vice President in the history of that office.

Agnew’s involvement in scandals, corruption, and in attacks on the news media and common decency, was horrifying, and it was a great sense of relief that he was forced out in October 1973.

The selection by the compromised President, Richard Nixon, at a time when the Watergate Scandal was metastasizing, was a relief as Ford, the House Minority Leader, was well respected and admired by members of the House of Representatives and the Senate in both political parties.

Ford conducted himself honorably as Vice President for about eight months from early December 1973 until his elevation to the Presidency on August 9, 1974.

And while Ford would lose election for a full term to Jimmy Carter in 1976, looking back on Ford, it seems clear that he has been underestimated in history, and deserves a better shake from the American people and Presidential scholars.

His wife, Betty Ford, was a major contributor to the history of First Ladies, often considered the “best” Republican First Lady of modern times.

While many would not agree with all of Gerald Ford’s views and stands on issues and policies, he comes across as the most decent Republican President in the past six decades!

50 Years Since Richard Nixon Resignation In Watergate Scandal!

admin Leave a comment

It has been a full half century since President Richard Nixon resigned, due to the Watergate Scandal, and the clear abandonment of his Republican Party in the House of Representatives and Senate to support him in his quest to avoid an impeachment and conviction.

Now, a half century later, we have a former President who is far worse than Richard Nixon, with far fewer accomplishments, and facing the likelihood of being incarcerated in Federal prison for his crimes on January 6, 2021, when he incited the US Capitol Insurrection.

Trump is desperately attempting to come back to the Oval Office, and his party has sold its soul, with most Republicans bending the knee to him, despite his massive corruption, two impeachments, four indictments and 34 convictions so far.

Even Richard Nixon, were he alive, would be astounded by the massive crimes and sins of Donald Trump!

JD Vance Joins Controversial List Of Republican Vice Presidential Candidates!

admin 6 Comments

The Republican Party is infamous for selecting controversial Vice Presidential candidates, and some of them end up elected and become true disasters.

This history goes back to Richard Nixon being selected by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952, as Nixon was a promoter of the “Red Scare” even before the nation heard of Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy. While Nixon ended up having some positive aspects to his later Presidency, he was involved in the Watergate Scandal, leading to his resignation in 1974, but thank goodness with Gerald Ford as his successor.

Richard Nixon selected Spiro Agnew as his Vice President in 1968, and Agnew became extremely controversial in that office over nearly five years, coming to be known as “Nixon’s Nixon”, until he was forced out in 1973 for corruption charges, resigning and saving the nation from his potential Presidency.

George H. W. Bush selected Dan Quayle as his Vice President in 1988, and the nation had to pray for Bush’s good health, as Quayle came across as not very bright, amid concern that despite his ignorance and stupidity, that he might become President.

John McCain selected Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential nominee in 2008, but the nation was saved from this ignorant, not very bright, and divisive woman being a heartbeat away when Barack Obama won the Presidency over McCain.

And now, we have JD Vance in 2024, who is a “chameleon”, who has changed his views on Donald Trump, and now can be seen as a threat, based on his lies and deception, if Trump becomes President, and cannot finish his term. Vance’s right wing leanings connect him to the evils of the John Birch Society.

Vance is a backer of Project 2025, and wrote the preface for this 922 page document, and must be seen as “a clear and present danger” to American democracy and the rule of law!

Momentous Time For Supreme Court With Colorado Court Banning Of Trump On 2024 Election Primary Ballot!

admin 4 Comments

The moment has arrived for the US Supreme Court to face a tough decision that will affect the Presidential Election of 2024.

Should they uphold the Colorado Supreme Court and agree to the banning of Donald Trump from the 2024 Primary Ballot, due to his involvement in setting up and inciting the January 6, 2021 US Capitol Insurrection?

The Colorado Court’s decision is based on the 14th Amendment Section 3, added to the Constitution after the Civil War, and seemingly appropriate to this blogger to be employed in this present situation!

If they do, that would open up other states also employing the same strategy through lawsuits to the state Supreme Courts.

Respected conservative experts agree that this is proper, including J. Michael Luttig, a retired Appeals Court Judge, who is highly regarded, and conservative attorney George Conway!

That would, effectively, undermine, and likely prevent Donald Trump from being able to win the Presidency, and effectively saving American democracy from the threat he represents to the Constitution and rule of law!

There is no way to forecast the result, but it could be a case as significant as US V Nixon in 1974, which led to the resignation of Richard Nixon from the Presidency!

A gut feeling that the Supreme Court will vote 7-2 to uphold the action of the Colorado Supreme Court, with Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito in dissent, but with all three Trump appointees showing principle, guts, and courage, as three such Justices appointed by Richard Nixon did so in July 1974!

The Gerald Ford Presidency Began Today 49 Years Ago

Ronald Leave a comment

Gerald Ford succeeded to the Presidency on this day 49 years ago, upon the resignation of Richard Nixon, due to the Watergate Scandal, and the Republican Party leadership pushing him to leave the Presidency.

A half century ago, the Republican Party leadership had principles, unlike today in the time of the Donald Trump crisis, when they have, consistently, backed him even through two impeachments, three indictments, and more to come!

Gerald Ford never expected to be President, and was appointed Vice President, with approval of the opposition controlled Democratic Party, upon the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew, who left due to his own corruption, which, thankfully, was discovered, as he would have been a true nightmare, worse than Nixon, had he become President!

Gerald Ford’s ranking has been in the mid 20s among Presidents, with him best remembered for pardoning Nixon, which was criticized at the time; commended a quarter century later; and now has been criticized again as having made it more difficult to remove Donald Trump from the Presidency, when there were opportunities to do so.

And now, Donald Trump is refusing to accept limits on what he can say about his upcoming trials, and is attacking prosecutors, judges, and potential witnesses, and no easy answer what to do about his recklessness.

Gerald Ford is perceived as the most “approachable” Republican President, and his wife, Betty Ford, was delightful as First Lady.

His major impact long term was his appointment of Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, who started out as a “conservative”, and retired 35 years later as the most “liberal” member of the Court, having grown and expanded his views on the Constitution and its meaning!

When Ford passed away in 2006, the nation mourned the death of a President who, despite much turmoil at the time, took us through a difficult time with grace and decency!

49th Anniversary Of Richard Nixon Resignation: Time To Hold Donald Trump Accountable!

Ronald 2 Comments

It is 49 years since the nightmare of Richard Nixon came to an end, with his announced resignation from the Presidency.

It is now time, a half century later, for Donald Trump, who makes Richard Nixon look like a choirboy, to be held accountable for his crimes and abuses in his Presidency!

Attempts are being made to delay any trial until after the Presidential Election of 2024, but that cannot be allowed to happen.

And if only Congress would impose the 14th Amendment, Section 3, against Donald Trump, then he would be ineligible to run for President, and to undermine American democracy.

Sadly, with a small margin Republican controlled House of Representatives, such a reality will not be happening, and the nation and the world is in danger from an authoritarian Fascist oriented, mentally unstable man, whose followers are a cult that have no concern about the US Constitution and the rule of law!

August: The Month Of Doom For Donald Trump!

Ronald 5 Comments

August is the month when Donald Trump will be twice more indicted for crimes as President, just as we reach the 49th anniversary of the resignation of Richard Nixon as President, due to the Watergate Scandal, on August 9, 1974!

Already facing five trials on both civil and criminal matters, Trump will be faced with the strong likelihood of inability to be found innocent on the most important criminal matters, and with any state trial, as in the Georgia 2020 Election Results Investigation, not able to be pardoned from punishment by any President, including himself.

Trump may yet, at some point, come to the conclusion that it might be wise to make a deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty and avoiding prison time, with the stipulation that he would give up running for President, now and in the future.

That would be a blessing to the Republican Party, which is in a disastrous situation that is leading to future total disintegration of the party reputation and history, when it is time to move on to a return to a traditional “conservative” party of opposition to the Democratic Party.

A Half Century Since The Watergate Break In That Brought Down Richard Nixon

Ronald 1 Comment

A half century ago, on June 17, 1972, the Watergate Break In occurred, and over the next two years and two months, led to the downfall, the resignation, of Richard Nixon from the Presidency.

The most corrupt and lawless Presidency came to an end, and one would have thought that it would never be conceivable that we would have a future Presidency that could be more corrupt and lawless.

But we are now living through a nightmare that seems to have no end, as Donald Trump remains a threat to the nation and its future!

He has millions of cult followers who are trying to insure that the January 6, 2021 Insurrection, which was horrendous, but ultimately failed in its brazen attempt at a coup d’etat, can be tried again in 2024 and succeed in putting Trump back in the White House, causing the downfall of American democracy!

The elements that back Donald Trump promote antisemitism, racism, nativism, misogyny, homophobia, white supremacy, and Christian nationalism, and represent the worst right wing criminal elements of America!

As we move toward the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026 and the 240th anniversary of the making of the Constitution in 2027, there is much fear and trepidation over what is clearly the greatest constitutional crisis since the Civil War in the 1860s!

US V Nixon; Clinton V Jones; And Now Trump Lawsuit Against January 6 Committee Appeal To Supreme Court!

Ronald Leave a comment

The Supreme Court has come out with two decisions in the past half century that made it clear of the limits of Presidential power!

In 1974, in US V Nixon, the Supreme Court, including three appointees of President Richard Nixon, unanimously by an 8-0 vote, declared that Nixon had to hand over the Watergate tapes to the Special Prosecutor, leading to the resignation of Nixon from the Presidency within weeks!

In 1997, in Clinton V Jones, the Supreme Court, including two appointees of President Bill Clinton, unanimously by a 9-0 vote, declared that a President had no immunity from civil law litigation in federal court for acts done before taking office. This case involved the sexual harrassment charge brought by Paula Jones against Governor Bill Clinton

Clinton’s evasiveness in testifying in court about Paula Jones led to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, and his impeachment by the House of Representatives in 1998, although found not guilty by the Senate in the impeachment trial in 1999.

Now, Donald Trump wants “executive privilege” to be in effect to prevent evidence in White House records of what he was doing on January 6, 2021 involving the Capitol Hill Insurrection, to be presented to the January 6 House Committee, investigating the events of that day. President Joe Biden has authorized waiver of such privileges, since Trump is a former President.

Despite having three Trump appointments to the Supreme Court, the strong likelihood is that the Court will, unanimously, reject such arguments, as earlier Courts did involving Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.

If such does not happen, which seems like a long shot, then the Court will have besmirched its reputation for the long term, and the reputation of Chief Justice John Roberts will be damaged forever.

And that will promote the likelihood of attempts to add four new members to a Court which will be the most condemned and pilloried since the time of Chief Justice Roger Taney during the Civil War!

47th Anniversary Of Richard Nixon Resignation, And Gerald Ford Becoming The 38th President!

Ronald Leave a comment

Today, August 9, in 1974, the nation and the world witnessed Richard Nixon resigning the Presidency.

The event also elevated Gerald Ford to become the 38th President, and the only one NOT elected Vice President or President, due to the 25th Amendment, which saved the nation after Vice President Spiro Agnew had earlier resigned in October 1973, due to corruption charges.

If there were no 25th Amendment, ratified in 1967, Speaker of the House Carl Albert, a Democrat, with no desire to be President, and having a well known liquor problem, would have been the successor to the Oval Office.

Certainly, Albert would have been preferable to Spiro Agnew.

But despite controversy over Ford pardoning Nixon on September 8, 1974, which was a major factor in his defeat to Jimmy Carter in the 1976 Presidential election, Ford has been perceived in recent decades as the “right” person in a time of turmoil.

One can criticize President Ford, but also, one can see that Ford calmed the nation and in many ways, has been perceived in a better light over the decades.