Why Would Have Anyone Wished To Harm Gerald R. Ford, All-American? September 5, 2010

 

 

A Fine Way to Protest Charles Manson's Arrest and Trial

Ford Cosmo Cover Boy 1942

On This Date in History: Gerald R. Ford was a long standing and well respected Congressman from Michigan’s 5th Congressional District for nearly 25 years.  For eight years, he served as the Republican House Minority Leader and was well thought of by both sides of the aisle.  In 1973, he was appointed to be the 40th Vice President of the United States following the resignation of Spiro T. Agnew.  When President Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, Gerald R. Ford became the 38th President of the United States and the first to hold the highest office in the land without ever being elected as either President  or Vice-President.  Ford is generally regarded as a good man who did the best that he could holding the country together following the end of the Vietnam War and also following the fisaco that was Watergate.  He was an Eagle Scout, an All-American football player at Michigan, graduated from Yale Law School.  Gerald R. Ford was even was a magazine model. He also served his country in the United States Navy in World War II and was appointed by President Johnson to be a part of the Warren Commission investigating the assassination of President Kennedy.  In spite of this good-guy image, not one,  but two people tried to assassinate President Ford in 1975.  I mean, what did he do to get shot?

Fromme Arrested at the Scene in Sacarmento

Nothing I suppose except perhaps, for some, his pardon of Richard Nixon just a month following Nixon’s resignation may have been an issue.  But, by 1975, the  ink on that pardon had long since dried.  Where Ford may have gone wrong was  to get that attention of Charles Manson’s followers. On this date in 1975, the woman shown above, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme raised a loaded .45 Colt automatic pistol toward Ford.  Secret Service agents intervened before any shots were fired.  But, she plead not guilty, saying that since the gun wasn’t cocked…well that proved he had no intent to shoot the President. No one bought that story and off to a life sentence she went…until she escaped in 1987. She was quickly recaptured and, get this, our criminal justice system added five years to her life sentence. I guess her corpse will remain behind bars for 5 years, unless its released for good behaviour.

A Picture Of a Would Be Assassin

Lynette Fromme was from California and began drinking and drugging while she was still in high school.  She managed to graduate in 1966, tried college but dropped out after a few months.  She then came upon Charles Manson and became one of his followers.  She took up with Manson and a bunch of other hippies at the Spahn Ranch in Death Valley.  She got the name “Squeaky” because she would squeak whenever the proprietor of the ranch, George Spahn  tried to grope her, which supposedly was often.  She was never implicated in the infamous Tate-LaBianca murders in 1969 that sent Manson to prison for good, but she did do some time for trying to prevent Manson’s followers from testifying at his trial as well as for her own refusal to testify.

She didn't really want to shoot Ford. The gun wasn't cocked!

She moved to Stockton, California and ended up in another murder mystery.  The couple with whom she was living wound up dead.  She was taken into custody but escaped the justice system for a lack of evidence.  Now, supposedly she had a history of mental illness so perhaps she was looking to get caught or something because she certainly made sure there was no lack of evidence with her next brush with the law.  When Ford was scheduled to visit Sacramento, California, she decided to go see the president to plead with him about the plight of California’s Redwoods.  What better way to plead with the president and get his attention than by showing up in the crowd in a nun’s outfit packing a forty five?  Not only were there a bunch of witnesses, but she also managed to get herself on TV and even say a few words into the cameras as she was hauled away in handcuffs.

Fromme and Part of the "Manson Family"

Preparing for her trial was a nightmare for her attorney as she refused to cooperate in her own defense.  Thus, she ended up with the old “the gun wasn’t cocked” defense.  During her trial, when the prosector was explaining why he urged the court to sentence Fromme to the maximum sentence, she threw an apple at the prosecutor, who was hit in the face by the flying forbidden fruit.   A few years after being sent up for life, she was transferred out of the women’s unit in Dublin, California after she attacked another inmate with the claw end of a hammer.  For some reason, in 1987, she found herself not in a tough prison, but instead to the same minimum security, Alderson Federal Prison Camp in Alderson, West Virginia that later housed none other than Martha Stewart.   It was from that facility that she fled thinking that she would be able to see Charles Manson, whom she heard was suffering from testicular cancer.  It only took two days to recapture her and she was later transferred to a Federal Medical Center in Carswell, Texas.  Each time she came up for parole, she waived her rights.  

Squeaky Made the Papers

To sum it all up, Lynette Fromme had a history of drug abuse, alchohol abuse, violence and mental illness and had been associated with events that surrounded two murder cases.  So, she was released from prison from her “life sentence” (plus 5 years) in August 2009. 

Ford Hustled Away in San Francisco Following Moore's Attempt

The second assassination attempt on President Ford came 17 days after Fromme’s botched attempt by another woman, Sara Jane Moore. This time the alleged Manson follower assailent squeezed a shot off but missed because a former Marine was nearby who grabbed her arm. I’m not sure if the bullet hit anything but I know she went to jail too for life to the same prison as Fromme.  It has been argued that Moore was, in fact, not a member of the Manson Family.  However, Moore and Manson actually grew up in the same town in West Virginia.  That doesn’t make her a Manson follower but it would be a strange coincidence.  Further, a former inmate at a prison that held Moore refers to her, Sandra Good and “other Manson girls”  as she recounts conversations the inmate had with Sara Jane Moore.   In any event, in 1989,  Moore also escaped and was later captured.  Like Fromme, the then 77-year-old Moore was released from prison in 2008. 

For some reason, I don’t believe that Moore got an extra five years for her escape attempt.  I think they need a new prison and maybe they shouldn’t refer to sentences as life since its obvious that all will be forgiven 30 years after one tries to kill the president.

This Model Was Ford Tough March 12, 2010

Recognize the Male Model?

Looks Like Herman Goering on cover of First Look Magazine Feb 1937

On This Date in History:

Look magazine was founded by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr and his brother John. Mike was the executive editor of two newspapers in Iowa and started a new magazine in January of 1937…at least it was supposed to be in January. For some reason they skipped the first issue and the first released issue was Volume I number 2 in February 1937. For a few months it was a weekly magazine but then changed around June or so to a bi-weekly. Life magazine had begun a few months earlier and is generally more well known, though both magazines were very similar. Life was known for its photographs and Look also had very little verbiage but was heavy on the photos. Look was a hit very quickly as almost out of the gate it was selling nearly a million copies per issue. By 1948, they were up to 2.9 million and it peaked in 1969 with 7.75 million copies. That apparently wasn’t good enough though because TV really took a toll on advertising. Look lost about $5 million in revenue in 1970 and, in spite of a 6.65 million circulation. On October 19, 1971 Look magazine went out of business. Several months later in 1972, Life magazine also called it quits.

Ford and Brown Also Modeled for the Cover of Cosmo in April 1942

In 1940, war was going on in Europe and Asia but America was still at peace. Americans were hopeful that the country could stay out of the conficts building around the world that would later become World War II. Now, as I had said, Look magazine wasn’t heavy on the written word but instead depended on photographs. Often, there would be a pretty long caption under any given photo and the actual article was relatively short. On this date in 1940, there was a six page article that featured a Yale law student who also was a partner in a New York modeling agency and served as an assitant coach for the Yale football team. Odd combination…law student, model agency executive and football coach. The subject kinda fell into the modeling agency partnership because it was his girlfriend, Phyllis Brown, who made the arrangements for the business venture.

Gerry Looking Ford Tough

The title of the article was “A New York Girl and Her Yale Boy Friend Spend a Hilarious Holilday on Skis.” The “New York Girl” was none other than Phyllis Brown herself, who also was a model for Cosmopolitan magazine. The young Yale law student who was the subject was her boyfriend. His name was Gerald R. Ford. He went on to become a respected member of the United States House of Representatives. Then he was appointed to the post of Vice-President by President Nixon following the resignation of Vice-President Spiro T. Agnew. He then ascended to the presidency as, with the resignation of President Nixon, Gerald R. Ford became the 38th President of the United States.

Ford At Michigan 1933

Following Watergate, being the President from 1974 to 1977 was difficult for Ford and would have been for anyone. The economy was in the tank, South Vietnam was in the process of being taken over by the communist north following the pull-out of American troops in 1973. The man who replaced him, President Carter, became great friends with Ford and the two presidents even pledged to speak at the other’s funeral, depending on who died first. Carter lived up to the pledge. Ford was ridiculed by Chevy Chase on Saturday Night Live for being somewhat clumsy. That was always odd because Ford had been a top flight athlete. Many consider him to be one of the greatest football players in the University of Michigan’s history, where he did his undergraduate work. He even turned down the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers. Nevertheless, Ford apparently was already known in Washington political circles as being somewhat of a tanglefoot. When Lyndon Johnson was in Congress, history says that Ford “couldn’t walk and chew gum at the same time.” However, history often cleans things up and the real quote concerning Ford by Johson is that Ford couldn’t “fart and chew gum at the same time.” Gotta love that Lyndon.

Ford With Golden Retriever "Liberty" in Oval Office

His christened name was Gerald Rudolf Ford, Jr., but he generally went by “Jerry” and signed his name accordingly and for some reason changed the spelling of his middle name to Rudolph. But, that wasn’t the only name change that he had. He had been born in 1913 as Leslie Lynch King, Jr. His mother and father divorced in December 1913 and in 1916 his mother married Gerald R. Ford, Sr. He became Gerald R. Ford, Jr. at that time but he was never legally adopted by his step-father and he didn’t get around to legally changing his name until 1935.

A lot of “what ifs” in there. Had Ford played professional football instead of going to law school, would his life had been the same? If his mother had not married who he did or if she had stayed married to his father, would he have accomplished as much? Who knows…but speculation is silly. The fact is that he was extremely successful and quite accomplished. One would think that being President would stand head and shoulders above all other feats. But, Ford was an Eagle Scout and he put that accomplishment near the top of his list of proudest accomplishments. Here is what he had to say about it:

“One of the proudest moments of my life came in the Court of Honor when I was awarded the Eagle Scout badge. I still have that badge. It is a treasured possession. I am the first Eagle Scout Vice President. The three great principles which Scouting provides—self-discipline, teamwork, and moral and patriotic values—are the basic building blocks of leadership. I applaud the Scouting program for continuing to emphasize them. I am confident that your ability to bring ideals, values, and leadership training to millions of our young people will help to bring about a new era—a time in which not only our Republic will progress in peace and freedom, but a time in which the entire world shall be secure, and all its people free.”

Values and principles….what a novel idea for a politician and a president to have.

SPC Severe Weather Outlook for Friday March 12 2010

SPC Severe Hail Risk Friday

Weather Bottom Line:   As I mentioned yesterday, we have a slight chance for some severe weather to wind up the week, though we often think of wind and tornadoes when we hear about “severe weather.”  In this case, it would most likely come in the form of hail.  The lapse rates look supportive of such activity.  However, whether or not its a widespread event is up in the air.  We won’t have the sun to help raise t’storms sufficiently to produce hailers…but…this piece of energy coming out from the unsettled pattern in the Southwest will behave a little differently from the others this past week in that this guy should come almost straight up the Mississippi Valley gut and into the Ohio Valley.  So, that feature itself will have an opportunity to provide enough instability to help elevate storms sufficiently to produce hail.  Those storms that might bring hail would also bring the prospect of gusty winds. 

SPC Tornado Risk Friday...Gusty winds more likely than twisters

Now, I mentioned yesterday about some odd indications of snow but I kinda hurrumphed about that.  While that seems very unlikely, the scenario that would bring that about is still there.  This low that is coming up over us will most likely get stuck and even back up to the west instead of racing off to the northeast.  So, as it goes by it comes back and parks itself somewhere northwest of Cincinnati for the weekend.  It will hold temperatures down for the weekend with highs probably in the upper 40′s under cloudy skies and provide passing showers.  So, I hope you enjoyed our 70 degree day on Wednesday because the weekend looks gloomy…good for watching basketball.  But, there is no surge of polar air coming down so after this mess gets out to start the week, then we get back to a regime of mild conditions with temperatures recovering as the week goes on.

Look at This Ford Model; Snow Thursday? March 12, 2009

Recognize the Male Model?

Looks Like Herman Goering on cover of First Look Magazine Feb 1937

On This Date in History: 

Look magazine was founded by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr and his brother John.  Mike was the executive editor of two newspapers in Iowa and started a new magazine in January of 1937…at least it was supposed to be in January.  For some reason they skipped the first issue and the first released issue was Volume I number 2 in February 1937.  For a few months it was a weekly magazine but then changed around June or so to a bi-weekly.  Life magazine had begun a  few months earlier and is generally more well known, though both magazines were very similar.  Life was known for its photographs and Look also had very little verbiage but was heavy on the photos.  Look was a hit very quickly as almost out of the gate it was selling nearly a million copies per issue.  By 1948, they were up to 2.9 million and it peaked in 1969 with 7.75 million copies.  That apparently wasn’t good enough though because TV really took a toll on advertising.  Look lost about $5 million in revenue in 1970 and, in spite of a 6.65 million circulation.  On October 19, 1971 Look magazine went out of business.  Several months later in 1972, Life magazine also called it quits.

 

Ford and Brown Also Modeled for the Cover of Cosmo in April 1942

In 1940, war was going on in Europe and Asia but America was still at peace.  Americans were hopeful that the country could stay out of the conficts building around the world that would later become World War II.  Now, as I had said, Look magazine wasn’t heavy on the written word but instead depended on photographs.  Often, there would be a pretty long caption under any given photo and the actual article was relatively short.  On this date in 1940, there was a six page article that featured a Yale law student who also was a partner in a New York modeling agency and served as an assitant coach for the Yale football team.  Odd combination…law student, model agency executive and football coach.  The subject kinda fell into the modeling agency partnership because it was his girlfriend, Phyllis Brown, who made the arrangements for the business venture. 

The title of the article was “A New York Girl and Her Yale Boy Friend Spend a Hilarious Holilday on Skis.”  The “New York Girl” was none other than Phyllis Brown herself, who also was a model for Cosmopolitan magazine.  The young Yale law student who was the subject was her boyfriend.  His name was Gerald R. Ford.  He went on to become a respected member of the United States House of Representatives.  Then he was appointed to the post of Vice-President by President Nixon following the resignation of Vice-President Spiro T. Agnew.  He then ascended to the presidency as, with the resignation of President Nixon, Gerald R. Ford became the 38th President of the United States. 

Ford At Michigan 1933

Following Watergate, being the President from 1974 to 1977 was difficult for Ford and would have been for anyone.   The economy was in the tank, South Vietnam was in the process of being taken over by the communist north following the pull-out of American troops in 1973.    The man who replaced him, President Carter, became great friends with Ford and the two presidents even pledged to speak at the other’s funeral, depending on who died first.  Carter lived up to the pledge.  Ford was ridiculed by Chevy Chase on Saturday Night Live for being somewhat clumsy.  That was always odd because Ford had been a top flight athlete.  Many consider him to be one of the greatest football players in the University of Michigan’s history, where he did his undergraduate work.  He even turned down the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers.  Nevertheless, Ford apparently was already known in Washington political circles as being somewhat of a tanglefoot.  When Lyndon Johnson was in Congress, history says that Ford “couldn’t walk and chew gum at the same time.”  However, history often cleans things up and the real quote concerning Ford by Johson is that Ford couldn’t “fart and chew gum at the same time.”  Gotta love that Lyndon. 

 

Ford With Golden Retriever "Liberty" in Oval Office

His christened name was Gerald Rudolf Ford, Jr., but he generally went by “Jerry” and signed his name accordingly and for some reason changed the spelling of his middle name to Rudolph.  But, that wasn’t the only name change that he had.  He had been born in 1913 as Leslie Lynch King, Jr.  His mother and father divorced in December 1913 and in 1916 his mother married Gerald R. Ford, Sr.  He became Gerald R. Ford, Jr. at that time but  he was never legally adopted by his step-father and he didn’t get around to legally changing his name until 1935. 

A lot of ”what ifs” in there.  Had Ford played professional football instead of going to law school, would his life had been the same?  If his mother had not married who he did or if she had stayed married to his father, would he have accomplished as much?  Who knows…but speculation is silly.  The fact is that he was extremely successful and quite accomplished.  One would think that being President would stand head and shoulders above all other feats.  But, Ford was an Eagle Scout and he put that accomplishment near the top of his list of proudest accomplishments.  Here is what he had to say about it:

“One of the proudest moments of my life came in the Court of Honor when I was awarded the Eagle Scout badge. I still have that badge. It is a treasured possession. I am the first Eagle Scout Vice President. The three great principles which Scouting provides—self-discipline, teamwork, and moral and patriotic values—are the basic building blocks of leadership. I applaud the Scouting program for continuing to emphasize them. I am confident that your ability to bring ideals, values, and leadership training to millions of our young people will help to bring about a new era—a time in which not only our Republic will progress in peace and freedom, but a time in which the entire world shall be secure, and all its people free.”

Values and principles….what a novel idea for a politician and a president to have. 

NWS Has a Rather Solomonesque Forecast...It Splits the Difference Between the NAM and GFS

Weather Bottom Line:  Told you it would be cold on Wednesday.  Same story on Thursday.   But, if you recall, I had mentioned a couple of days ago that the GFS was advertising snow for the weekend.  Yesterday, I pointed out that it had changed it’s mind.  Well, the GFS has a little upper level low (vortmax) coming through the flow on Thursday night, but it doesn’t have any precip…it has it barely South.  But, the NAM is picking up the same disturbance but makes it a little more robust and also has the precipitation over us with something close to an inch.  Tough call because the differences are subtle.  Otherwise, its still the same tune.  Warm front approaches late Saturday and passes on Sunday.  Good chance for rain with perhaps a t’storm on Sunday.  We move toward the upper 50′s on Sunday and low 60′s on Monday.  Another chance for rain after that with the cold front but its more pacific in nature so the temperatures behind the front will be relatively mild. 

The NWS has issued a special weather statement regarding the precipitation as they suggest that it may be a situation where the precipitation type flops back and forth in various forms of frozen precip starting Thursday afternoon and carrying throughout the night. I don’t feel like doing an analysis and the NWS solution appears to be a compromise between the NAM and GFS…whatever.   If you notice the map above, the highs they have are generally above freezing but should drop off to the upper 20′s and low 30′s by late Thursday evening.  I suspect that it will be a rather worthless event.