Indecent Interval
Back in the early 1970s, the nation was embroiled in a very unpopular war in Vietnam. Additionally, a third rate burglary at a Washington building forever changed American politics and political reporting by mandating the attachment of the suffix "gate" to every damn thing in the world since then. But I digress.
Yesterday, a decent man who did his best to help the country through the aftermath of all that mess - and quite a lot more that happened to be happening right about then - died. Jerry Ford deserved better treatment then he got from the media and from the public as well. And, for the most part, media coverage since his death has acknowledged those facts.
But there are a few people who have used the occasion of Gerald Ford's passing to launch attacks on either Ford - for daring to pardon Nixon - or as a vehicle to attack the current administration. Frank Snepp wrote a book after the Vietnam war that charged that Washington had arranged a "decent interval" between the withdrawal of American troops and the fall of Saigon. He was sued by the CIA because of that book, and lost. (Jimmy Carter's administration drove the lawsuit to completion, BTW.) I think the folks who are using Gerald Ford's death as a springboard are indulging in an indecent interval, here. Could we at least pay our respects and give a decent man a decent burial before we start again with the endless attacks?
Yes, I am talking to you, Bob Woodward. And to a number of left wing bloggers as well.
Observations, Personal Thoughts | Gaius Wednesday, 27 December , 2006
Other Links to this Post
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Pajamas Media — Thursday, 28 December , 2006 @ 7:00 am
By Ed, Thursday, 28 December , 2006 @ 8:00 am
1). Not everyone believed short circuiting the rule of law with the first ever Pre-emptive Pardon was the the right thing to do. I think a lot of us would have no problem with a pardon before sending Nixon to jail but issuing it before the investigation was completed didn’t allow the full scope of his administration’s crimes to be exposed. Further, since the meme was being repeated over and over yesterday that the pardon was the proper action, when should dissenters demur? After the concept is is fully embedded in the public memory?
2). The Lady Doth Protest Too Much! Let me just file this posting away under “Jimmy Carter” so we can compare the rightwing bloggers comments during his mourning period. Why do I have the feeling ‘respect for a decent man’ is not going to be high on the list? Or is this just another case of IOKIYAR?
By Gaius, Thursday, 28 December , 2006 @ 8:06 am
I see. Because you expect a certain reaction in the future from people you disagree with, that justifies your current actions.
Fabulous reasoning, Ed.
Leave the man alone. He is dead, at least be decent and let him be buried.
By daveinboca, Thursday, 28 December , 2006 @ 12:55 pm
Woodward specializes in channeling the dead, as with his posthumous claim that he was at William Casey’s deathbed, which Casey’s nephew insists could not have happened and did not happen.
Which makes Bob Woodward a liar.
I wonder what Ed above thinks of Clinton getting away with lying under oath, which is a felony and which broke his presidential oath to protect the Constitution? I’ll bet this speciment of degeneracy will say that sex is different!