Gerald Ford: "Iraq war wasn't justified"

Cypress said:
I think presidents should have an opinion on War. Especially a war that many experts warned was going to be dangerous, destabilzing, and would undermine american interests.

I don't blame Carter for publically stating his opinion on that.

Frankly, considering how incompetent the Chimp is, Bill Clinton has been very generous to him. Even (sort of) standing by him on Iraq. Face if Damo: Bush is probably the worst american president in this century, and has blundered us into the worst foreign policy disaster in the countries history. Carter, Ford, and Clinton damn well better have an opinion on that.
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I do face that. Don't pretend I don't....

So, Eisenhower was a "wimp" because he didn't trash Kennedy and LBJ over Viet Nam policy?

Come on... You can pretend that it is good for the nation for a former President to attempt to run the office after they leave office, but I will not agree. I wouldn't think it wise regardless of the Party in the office.

Face it, had it been a D there you would be up in arms about the fact that the former Pres was attempting to continue to run a nation he was not elected to run if it were an R playing that game.

Former Presidents have every right to an opinion, they do not have the right to attempt to run the Foreign Policy after they left office, that is the prerogative of the Executive Branch and they of all people know it.

I think Clinton has been understanding of that particular issue and knows that it can only undermine future Presidencies regardless of how poor this one may be.
 
Damocles said:
It says he took office during a time of extreme partisanship. Ford didn't speak out that is the theme. Though he disagreed, he had an agreement with that Wash Post dude not to publish his remarks until after his death. That guy stuck with that agreement.


It is simply not good to attempt to continue to run the nation by Press release after your terms have expired. Let the current politicians handle it, it is THEIR job.
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An extreme partisanship spawned by the party of Bush to enable him to get into office.
No that is not the reason Clowntoon and Carter spoke up and even pappy bush a bit. It was because of what Bush was doing to our country.
 
uscitizen said:
An extreme partisanship spawned by the party of Bush to enable him to get into office.
No that is not the reason Clowntoon and Carter spoke up and even pappy bush a bit. It was because of what Bush was doing to our country.
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I agree... It was spawned by that and, what I believe to be spurious, Impeachment. It does not, however, change my opinion of the fact that a former President should not attempt to continue to run things from the sideline. That influence would be best spent in the Party and the current politicians whose job it is to provide checks and balance. Former Presidents are not the Check and Balance provided for in the Constitution.
 
Damocles said:
I do face that. Don't pretend I don't....

So, Eisenhower was a "wimp" because he didn't trash Kennedy and LBJ over Viet Nam policy?

Come on... You can pretend that it is good for the nation for a former President to attempt to run the office after they leave office, but I will not agree. I wouldn't think it wise regardless of the Party in the office.

Face it, had it been a D there you would be up in arms about the fact that the former Pres was attempting to continue to run a nation he was not elected to run if it were an R playing that game.

Former Presidents have every right to an opinion, they do not have the right to attempt to run the Foreign Policy after they left office, that is the prerogative of the Executive Branch and they of all people know it.

I think Clinton has been understanding of that particular issue and knows that it can only undermine future Presidencies regardless of how poor this one may be.
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My recollection is that presidents commonly talked to former presidents, to solicit their opinion and adivice. I think when Nixon was alive, Clinton talked to him about foreign policy advice.

The Chimp has isolated himself in a bubble. He didn't ask Carter's opinion or advice on Iraq or the middle east. And he didn't even ask his OWN FATHER FOR advice.

Carter may have felt he had no option, but to publically voice his dissent against a war that he felt was going to be disaterous for our country.

He was right. Bless you Jimmy Carter. Bush should have asked for, and listened to your opinon.
 
Cypress said:
My recollection is that presidents commonly talked to former presidents, to solicit their opinion and adivice. I think when Nixon was alive, Clinton talked to him about foreign policy advice.

The Chimp has isolated himself in a bubble. He didn't ask Carter's opinion or advice on Iraq or the middle east. And he didn't even ask his OWN FATHER FOR advice.

Carter may have felt he had no option, but to publically voice his dissent against a war that he felt was going to be disaterous for our country.

He was right. Bless you Jimmy Carter. Bush should have asked for, and listened to your opinon.
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Your recollection is correct. However, my recollection is that the former Presidents didn't offer it up through the Press in an attempt to run things after the fact.
 
It's all good though, not.... Those gates are open.

I suspect, rather than ending with Bush it will only really begin with him, and I find that unfortunate.
 
Former Presidents are not the Check and Balance provided for in the Constitution.
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No they aren't, but they are citizens and are entitled to their opinions. It just so happens that because they were once president that people pay more attention to what they say than me the little guy out there somewhere.
 
Damocles said:
Your recollection is correct. However, my recollection is that the former Presidents didn't offer it up through the Press in an attempt to run things after the fact.
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I don't think Carter is trying to "run" our foreign policy.

Since Bush won't listen to him, or even ask his own father for advice, Carter is stating his opinion publically.


I've seen Carter interviewed. For the most party, he's very deferential to bush. He states his opinon, and he'll say where he thinks we are making mistakes. I haven't seen any name calling or cheap shots.
 
uscitizen said:
Former Presidents are not the Check and Balance provided for in the Constitution.
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No they aren't, but they are citizens and are entitled to their opinions. It just so happens that because they were once president that people pay more attention to what they say than me the little guy out there somewhere.
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And is the reason that, in the past, Presidents did not attempt to run it from the sideline. They knew that such a weight could undermine the power that they themselves wielded.

Former Presidents have strength in the party as well, and most would provide opinion and advice there and the current politicians who had a place in the Checks and Balances would proceed to work with that. Rather than an attempt to become a fourth branch or a secondary Executive....

I wouldn't support an R doing it, I don't think it is wise.
 
So, Eisenhower was a "wimp" because he didn't trash Kennedy and LBJ over Viet Nam policy?


I forgot to address this. My recollection is that the GOP overwhelmingly was always in support of the viietnam war - or at least to continue fighting it to "win" (much as bush republicans are saying about iraq). Its was mostly the liberal democrats in congress, and a handfull of liberal republicans, in 1967 and 1968 who advocated getting the fuck out. By 1969 (I think) Ike was dead.

And I DO clearly remember in 1975, it was republicans who wanted to keep sending our money and weapons over to vietnam to support a lost cause, and it was democrats who said: "fuck that".

So, I'm not really sure Eisenhower was the man who was going to mount an opposition to LBJs vietnam war.
 
Damocles said:
And is the reason that, in the past, Presidents did not attempt to run it from the sideline. They knew that such a weight could undermine the power that they themselves wielded.

Former Presidents have strength in the party as well, and most would provide opinion and advice there and the current politicians who had a place in the Checks and Balances would proceed to work with that. Rather than an attempt to become a fourth branch or a secondary Executive....

I wouldn't support an R doing it, I don't think it is wise.
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I honestly don't see much evidence that carter is running to media outlets, to slam bush. Carter supported virtually all of Bush's foreign military adventures - save iraq. Carter supported Afghanistan, and I'm sure he supported bush sending troops to haiti and liberia. As well as to asia for the tsunami disaster.

Has Carter expressed an opinon on Iraq, North Korea, and Palestine? yes. I've read a few of his op-eds and seen some TV interviews. They always seem deferential to bush, hardly ever even mentioning him by name, and never resorting to name calling or insults.
 
LOL. He could have gone out and spoke out about Political Wars and how Generals needed to be the decision makers. He especially knew about that. Don't be deliberately obtuse. Criticism of how they ran the war was a strong Republican thing....
 
I think if the guy wanted to keep his opposition to him self, that is fine. But to leave the information for when he dies is in my opinion cowardly...
 
Damocles said:
So, Eisenhower was a "wimp" because he didn't trash Kennedy and LBJ over Viet Nam policy?
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Yes, he was. Or, perhaps "wimp" isn't the right word, but he was wrong. Terribly wrong. Just as he was wrong when he let Joe McCarthy run amok even knowing "Tail Gunner" was a glory grasping goon with no morals whatsoever. And he did know: his presidantial papers made that clear.

He may have been at least adequate as a general but, as a president, Eisenhower was a weak little man.
 
uscitizen said:
Why would eisenhower trash Kennedy over Nam ? Eisenhower got us into the mess in the first place.
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Truman got us in... he authorized the first military aid in 1950. At that time we solely assisted the French with advisors. During Eisenhower's term we increased Aid but did not enter Viet Nam as the sole strong foreign military presence until Kennedy. You are deliberately misinterpreting history intending to make a case that Eisenhower would agree with everything that Kennedy did...

Rubbish.
 
Yep Eisenhower accelerated the Nam situation, so why would he pick on the next president that also accelerated it. Eisenhower was a straight up war kind of General, Nam was a different beast. Kind of like Bush and Iraq....

And yes I agree Nam was ALL rubbish ;)
Invading a country for US Rubber or Exxon are both wrong.
 
Most Presidents do not come out publicly against sitting Presidents. Shit... I bet privately Bush 1 didnt agree with his son. All one needs to do is read up on Bush 1's positions after the first Gulf War.
I firmly believe Reagan would have disagreed with Bush 2 policy .... I may stand corrected but I believe Nancy stated in an interview that she believed Ronnie would not have approved.
Carter is a rarity ... I guess one could give him credit for publicly ranting against Bush... he did the same with Clinton...so you cant really say he is acting partisan.... in a brave way he is using his position in life to comment on what he believes is right and wrong....
 
I find it really hard to think of when it would not be appropriate for someone to voice their opinion in this here country that prides itself on the freedom of speech.

Former Presidents should be encouraged to speak their mind and we should listen to them in much the same way that we listen to retired generals and admirals... they have earned the credibility that they have with the people.
 
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