Remembering history the way they wished it had been
One Robert Barrow returns us to a more innocent time, when a youthful Representative Gerald Ford responded to constituent concerns about mysterious lights in the sky by pressing for federal investigation of UFOs.
The perils of having institutions named for one’s greatness have flared up in Grand Rapids, with Gerald R. Ford International Airport topping US News’ survey of most miserable regional airports. Have a great flight!
The Nixon Vaults give up their secrets slowly, but the revelations are stumbling forth.
We now learn that a youthful Karl Rove suggested campus screenings of marijuana classic “Reefer Madness” in order to cement the Nixon majority.
Pothead: 
Other denizens of the Republican sideburn era: 
Everything’s Coming Up Nixon!
The Washington Post reports[2nd item] that Richard Nixon’s former DC home at 4308 Forest Lane in “fashionable Wesley Heights” has sold for $4.5 million.
The Nixon’s lived there for his second term as Vice President, selling up and leaving town after the 1960 election loss.
There’s been renovation, but don’t worry, “Pat Nixon’s fruitwood cabinetry is intact“!
Jerry Ford is also seeing action in deceased Presidential real estate circles. The Denver Post reports the ominous signs of a possible house museum taking shape in the Colorado mountains.
California real estate developer Kevin Hayes bought the Ford’s Colorado property in December, “signing the contract hours before the 38th president died.” He says “It’ll always be the Gerald Ford home.” But it isn’t the Vail property you may recall from blurry seventies video from Ford’s presidency. The new property was bought by our most athletic President after the loss to Carter.
Hayes threatens to live there with various oddities he purchased at last weekend’s Ford-a-rama auction…
…including the former Chief Executive’s personal X-ray machine.
Previous home radiological enthusiasts in the news have included deposed Hollywood strongman Michael Ovitz, but Ovitz was never credited with healing a nation.
Benched
The Ford museum is to acquire a bench from which to contemplate his grave, while a great 19th century Abolitionist’s statue may be bounced from Capitol Hill to make room for President What Exactly.
America’s least elected Chief Executive continues his steady march through the privileges often accorded real Presidents. Ford is already on the Hill in the Senate’s gallery of former Veeps. 
But now Michigan’s 70s nostalgia may bounce an actual historic figure for the nation’s highest placeholder. Senator Zachary Chandler was a Radical Republican who pressed President Lincoln to arm freed slaves against the South in the Civil War and led the fight against slavery in Washington DC.
Versus “everybody loves” Jerry Ford.
It doesn’t have to happen. Statue flipping only began in 2003 for Eisenhower. California is dumping one of it’s existing statues to make way for the beloved Ronald Reagan, but they’ve spared us Nixon so far. The Joint Committee on the Library of Congress has to sign off on switching, so enraged citizens could stop this travesty.
Don’t forget to spend big to save big at this weekend’s Ford-oramma catalog sale!
