Gerald Ford hospitalized after dizzy spell

cnn.com ^

[tear_down_this_wall]

RANCHO MIRAGE, California (CNN) -- Former President Ford was taken to a hospital here shortly before noon Friday when he became dizzy during a game of golf, an assistant said.

"He is feeling great; they're just monitoring him," said Penny Circle, Ford's chief of staff.

The 89-year-old former president was playing golf in 96-degree weather.

[Timesink]

I wonder if it's a true story that former President Ford once hit a man with a golf ball and a year later on the same day he hit the exact same guy on the same course and same hole again.

Well, he's got that going for him, which is nice.

[COBOL2Java]

The Liberals never forgave Ford for pardoning Nixon. They wanted a long, drawn-out criminal procedure that would make daily entries in the nightly news (a little known lawyer named Hillary Rodham was involved at the time). They were looking for Republican blood, and Gerald Ford snatched it away from them.

[ErnBatavia]

but I hope Betty gives him heck for playing in 96 degree weather!

I'm two towns east of Rancho Mirage (10 miles or so), and it's still 103 at 4:40 pm....summer is just hitting today. You kinda have to ease into this hot weather activity stuff - this is our first triple digit temp day.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

My father, in his mid-sixties, said to me just last summer, that he never realized how the stories on the evening news are told in the perspective of the person who is reporting, that they have an agenda. I immediately thought of Nixon's scandal and wondered to myself how blatant the spin must've been then... but went undetected.

Ford's treatment has always been unfair. To call him a klutz, is like joking about Bush choking on a pretzel. IT LACKS SUBSTANCE. Few realize this, however.

[Timesink]

SNL never got enough ratings to matter, even back then. Ford was booted out fair and square. Leftover hard feelings from Watergate, a recession and rampant inflation (both corrected to a large extent by Ford, but not by enough to satisfy the public in time) meant a lot more to the average voter than Chevy Chase.

Plus, of course, Ford dug his his own grave with this:

"I don't believe ... that the Yugoslavians consider themselves dominated by the Soviet Union. I don't believe that the Romanians consider themselves dominated by the Soviet Union. I don't believe that the Poles consider themselves dominated by the Soviet Union. Each of these countries is independent, autonomous, it has its own territorial integrity, and the United States does not concede that those countries are under the domination of the Soviet Union."

Yeah.

[Madame Dufarge]

I hope Betty gives him heck for playing in 96 degree weather!

The same thing happened to my father, when he was in his 70's, on the golf course.

Too hot, dehydrated - and then he had to listen to my mother when he got home.

[Timesink]

I immediately thought of Nixon's scandal and wondered to myself how blatant the spin must've been then... but went undetected.

That would be a very interesting "wargame," perhaps a blogging exercise. Get a bunch of high school or college kids together, who have only a vague knowledge of who Nixon even was, and then have all the Anti-Idiotarian Bloggers start "covering" the events of Watergate. Then see how the kids felt about Nixon by "early 1974."

[Alberta's Child]

LOL!!

[frodolives]

I'm thinkin' I'd rather be et by wolves than attacked by rabbits- vicious, swimming rabbits.

Seriously, anybody who serves our country as president deserves our thanks.

[COBOL2Java]

I remember that debate, and plopping my forehead in my palm when Ford uttered that statement. Truly an "OMG, he said WHAT???" moment.

[ErnBatavia]

Seriously, anybody who serves our country as president deserves our thanks.

Er...um...would you please insert an "almost" in front of the word 'anybody'?

Those who choose to drop their Big Boy jeans in the Oval Office deserve only disdain.

Thanks in advance.

[Moonman62]

The Liberals never forgave Ford for pardoning Nixon.

At least Nixon had the good sense to quietly go home and keep his mouth shut, unlike the disgraced president who was actually impeached.

[Parley Baer]

Probably taken to Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. Parley

[montomike]

Only in America!

[xp38]

If you are listing assassinated Presidents you forgot Garfield.

[Henchman]

Schmuck! I like Ford a lot, but never play golf in weather where the temperature is higher than your age - at least once you hit 60.

[Bernard]

Only if the guy was standing in the same place. That's why I am so consistent with trees - they seldom move in between rounds.

[Focault's Pendulum]

Squeaky Fromme was one assailant, wasn't she? I forget the other one.

Jimmy Carter.

[billorites]

"If you are listing assassinated Presidents you forgot Garfield."

You're right. Bad enough to be assassinated.

Assassinated and forgotten is tough.

First cat to be elected President, if memory serves me correct.

[ShadowDancer]

And if he could shut his mouth about U of M and affirmative action, he'd really be doing well.