Although I disagree with Chris on many issues, I applaud his honest assessment of a great American President, Gerry Ford. He was most certainly a gentleman, leader, and healer during America's most troubling times. God rest his soul.

I worked on the Ford 1975 committee at 1828 L Street NW during college years in DC, and I have ever since been indebted to President Ford for that experience, which luck would have it I was able to recount face-to-face with him over 25 years later when we shared a flight to Florida. He was part of the "Greatest Generation," and his actions exemplify that honorific.

As a young teen, one of my first political memories was of the Watergate Hearings, glued to the television, watching the men at that large green table interigating those involved (or not). The first vote I made for President was for Gerald Ford, even as a Democrat, I supported Ford because of his stance to bring decency back to the White House. One attribute I have not heard today regarding Gerald Ford, he was the last living member of The Warren Commission. Will that small fact have any meaning now? That said, in the relatively short time he had in the White House, I believe the country is better today because of it.

Chris, I'm really struggling with all the praise and adulation that Ford is getting as a "healer" and a "courageous leader." Especially in lieu of the fact that he pardoned Richard Nixon before the full truth about his involvement in Watergate would come out in a court of law. We still don't know the whole truth and we probably never will, thanks to Ford's sweetheart pardon of a fellow republican. It's interesting to note that the very same people who praise Gerald Ford for his "courage" and "leadeship," are the same ones who, not ten years ago, were clamouring for the head of a Democratic President. One who didn't have the luxury Richard Nixon did, of being succeeded by someone from his own political party who would grant a pardon. I truly sympatize with The Ford Family, as I do with anyone who loses a loved one. That's why my critisism here will be brief. But, if Gerald Ford were a true leader and a couargeous man, he would have allowed the prosection of Richard Nixon to go through, in spite of what his political party wanted him to do. That way, we could have put this thing called Watergate to bed once and for all. Unfortunately for his legacy, that never happened. Therefore the best that can be said is that his was a Presidency, an UN-ELECTED Presidency of perhaps the greatest missed opportunity of all time.

I want to thank Chris Matthews for expressing what I felt myself in those dark days of 1974...here was Gerald Ford, a decent, kind man, similar to my own father (also from the University of Michigan)...and Gerald Ford gave me hope and security. I would like to see President Ford´s kind of bi-partisan presidency again, and the sense of security I felt with this man as our leader. And I had felt the pain of Vietnam, with my husband a Navy pilot. It was time for the country to heal, and Mr. Ford healed us.

I am not quite so sanguine about Jerry Ford as is Chris Mathews and the other talking heads. If Congress hadn't cut funding for the Viet Nam fiasco (it wasn't a war, it was a failed occupation as is the mess in Iraq as was the Nazi occupation of Franceand the French occupation of Algeria) who knows how long the mess would have persisted? Ford belongs in the pantheon of partisans who brought us to the right-wing mess we are in now. Ford paved the way for a character like the Bush in the WH now.

Thanks Chris for your kind thoughts concerning Jerry Ford. As a youth during the waning days of the Vietnam War. I was astounded, dismayed, then amazed as President Ford pardoned Nixon. I thought I was watching the unravelling of America, but with some thought, I eventually agreed with the decision to not necessarily forgive Nixon for what he did, but begin the process of moving forward. Without this gallant decision, America would have continued to bleed. What a great man, who did the right thing for his country, not what was right for his political aspirations.

In the days of bipartisan frienship you referenced, we didn't have 24 hour news shows, Hardball included. Your show and others like it have done more to undermine the spirit of bipartisanship than anything else.

In 1986, I was privileged to have a one hour meeting with President Ford at Rancho Mirage. Our discussion pertained to Barry Goldwater's retirement and Watergate. The president was extremely candid and gracious. At the end, he asked me (an American historian), how history would treat him. I replied, "History will be very kind to you, Mr. President." I believed this to be true then and today. Chris, your sentiments speak to another time when bipartisanship (pioneered by Sen. Arthur Vandenberg and Sen. Lyndon Johnson) meant so much. Significantly, Gerald Ford was shaped by these patriots who knew when to take off the partisan wrap and united to forge a consensus.

It comes as no surprise that the media falls all over itself, no pun intended, to praise one of the most forgettable presidents that was never elected president. It is still remarkable to me that Richard Nixon was given honors after disgracing the presidency.

I'd not only like to see a bi-partisan Presidency but a bi-partisan Government again. Deaths of Presidents are wonderful times to look back at our history. I can only hope the new Congress and the President have been watching the tributes and learning. Personally,I think we all have an attachment to Presidents when we were 10.An age before cynism and contructive anaylist set in.Though not an Iconic,Generational defining President like Reagan.I will remember him as the President of my formative years when I was first taught what public service was and how honorable it is. A Man who did not seek the job,accepted the call of his country in a time of crisis.I respect that. This Democrat only hopes to find a Reublican of his honesty and decency to vote for some day

I feel that part of Gerald Ford's legacy is mixed. I remember feeling betrayed when President Ford pardoned Richard Nixon. Since then I have come to believe that Gerald Ford was a good and decent man that did the best he could in the situation he was in. That is all you can ask of anyone. I still have questions about Nixon's pardon. Iran-Contra may not have happened if Nixon had been punished. After all is said and done I will remember him fondly as a public official with great integrity.

If you read the actual words from President Ford, you will see that he did not pardon Nixon in order to please the Repubs, he did it for his own personal belief that it was the best action to take at the time. I do not agree that this diminishes his presidency nor the man, rather it raises my opinion of the man to a much higher level. He had integrity in the face of adversity, made his decision and followed it through, regardless of the consequences to his own political career.

I was a young woman when Jerry Ford took over the Presidency, he was like every one's father I knew growing up, kind,respectable,decent,fun and could be stern when need be. It makes me feel so sad my own children will never know that kind of world, you can't manufacture it, not everything was in anyway perfect, but it seemed it as a youth.

Chris: I'm a little surprised that no one on your show mentioned another issue I believe hurt President Ford. That was his refusal to bail out then financially-strained New York City. For was convinced this would set a dangeruos precedent, and I think he was right. New York eventually established the Municipal Assistance Corp. which issued low-rated municipal bonds to bail out the city. I think his position on this cost him votes in the Northeast as well as in major urban areas, many of which were hurting during the economic woes of the 1970's.

Chris: I want to compliment you and others on NBC who all have done a great job at President Ford's funeral. I have deep resepect for this man. However, some of it was removed after Bob Woodward released his tapes on Pres Ford's comments about Iraq. It is very clear Pres Ford put partisan politics above what may or may not be best for the country as a whole. It is hard for me to accept the fact that a former President of this country was not able to get past partisanship while young men were dying for the country. It is also difficult for me to understand how you and other reporters have not commented about this disappointing part of his life. Unfortunately, this part of his life was partisanship at the highest level.

I'm a Democrat.But the salute to a 'good and decent guy' was wonderful. The coverage of Gerald Ford's funeral was outstanding. As CNBC did the best job on 9/11, so did you guys on this historic event. Nice, respectful job. We love Chris, Keith, and the gentleman from Newsweek (John?) who were outstanding. Hats off to you all. And God Speed to Gerry Ford.

Chris, Watched you today and you're good, basically, but the "ordinary people" in the rotunda? You caught it yourself and said "people" but sometimes guys like you and Brit Hume, etc. begin to think you're on a level with people elected to high office, etc. You guys are just "ordinary people" like the rest of us.

As a journalism student during the Watergate hearings in the early 1970s, I had a daily lab of learning about investigative reporting. At the time, the pardon granted Nixon by Ford appeared to be an easy way out and someone doing a favor for somebody in his own party. Now, 30+ years later, time and distance tells us that Ford made the right decision in the pardon. It was a time for healing and moving on, and our political leaders today could take a page from Ford's brief White House history, and work for a better way to govern rather than just for political expediency and gain.

Chris: I think you missed one of the nuances of what happened in this past week. Everyone has been remarking on President Ford's ability to have close personal relationships with political foes such as Jimmy Carter or Tip O'Neill, and perhaps he demonstrated that best in death. When Bob Woodward released the notes of his interview with Ford (in which he criticized President Bush, Dick Cheney, and Don Rumsfeld) I was initially perplexed -- not by his criticism but by the timing. The release seemed a little out of place in the midst of his funeral, and I expected his criticism to detract from the ceremonies (as someone above mentioned). Ford was so careful not to have the interview revealed during his lifetime, yet why was he not likewise prudent enough to have Woodward wait a month or two (at least) after his death before releasing his words? But then I saw Don Rumsfeld's moving eulogy of the former president, and Dick Cheney's presentation of the flag to Betty Ford, and I realized that this was Gerald Ford's one last lesson to a nation divided. We can disagree. We should debate the issues that matter. But differences in opinion and policy should not divide us as friends, colleagues, and Americans. Unfortunately, the poison of division has seeped back into our political system. Will anyone emerge as the next Gerry Ford, to suck out the venom and heal a wounded nation? Was anyone in Washington paying attention to Ford's final lesson?

As a college student, my first presidential vote was for Jerry Ford. I didn't agree with the Nixon pardon, but everything about him spoke of honesty and decency. He never made much of the great things he did for our country, so its nice to see him appreciated at last. Ford's calm, gentlemanly demeanor gave us confidence again in our government, after a decade of turbulent times. He was saddled with the first American defeat in history, and reacted by saving as many South Vietnamese as he could. He helped many refugees come to the U.S., and felt honor-bound to greet them when they arrived. For the first 10 days of his presidency, he lived in an ordinary suburban house in Alexandria, startling the neighbors by the swarms of Secret Servicemen that showed up daily. We could use a man like Jerry Ford in the White House, instead of the imperial, secretive George Bush-who reminds me more of Nixon. Republicans need to go back to the days of moderation and bi-partisanship, and dump the neocons.

does anyone recall the name of the poem read (by Sen Moakely, I think) at Tip O'neill's funeral. I have been trying to find it for a while, it was quite moving?

Having a road to constant resources referring to this is beyond compare.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):