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    Back to To the Point

    To the Point

    The Political Legacy of Gerald Ford

    The man who is often called "the accidental president" was eulogized today by official Washington. Gerald R. Ford , who died a week ago at the age of 93, was appointed Vice President when Spiro Agnew stepped down in the midst of a scandal.  Ford became President when Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 to avoid impeachment.

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    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    The man who is often called "the accidental president" was eulogized today by official Washington. Gerald R. Ford, who died a week ago at the age of 93, was appointed Vice President when Spiro Agnew stepped down in the midst of a scandal. Ford became President when Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 to avoid impeachment. After two and a half years, he was defeated by Jimmy Carter in 1976. How did a "creature of Congress" handle executive power in a time of crisis? What are the legacies of Ford himself and the White House staff that included Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney?

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    The Nation Says Goodbye to Gerald R. Ford
    1. 1:24Iraq to Investigate Hussein Video
    2. 7:36The Political Legacy of Gerald FordYou’re reading this
    3. 45:13Saddam's Execution Raises Questions
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      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • KCRW placeholder

      Dan Konecky

      Producer, To the Point

    • KCRW placeholder

      Christian Bordal

      Managing Producer, Greater LA

    • KCRW placeholder

      Karen Radziner

      Managing Producer, To the Point & Which Way LA?

    • KCRW placeholder

      Thomas DeFrank

      Washington Bureau Chief for the New York Daily News

    • KCRW placeholder

      David Gergen

      Former aide to President Bill Clinton

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      Kenneth Adelman

      Assistant Secretary of Defense during the Ford Administration

      NewsNationalPolitics

    The full episode

    2 of 3
    The Nation Says Goodbye to Gerald R. Ford
    1. 1:24Iraq to Investigate Hussein Video
    2. 7:36The Political Legacy of Gerald FordYou’re reading this
    3. 45:13Saddam's Execution Raises Questions
    Back to To the Point