Schwarzenegger issues statement
on President Ford's passing

Bay City News Service

December 27, 2006

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger lamented the loss of Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States late Tuesday night, calling Ford "a man whose integrity, strength of character and commitment to this nation distinguished him as one of our most selfless leaders."

Schwarzenegger said in a statement that Ford devoted his life to public service, "defending this nation in the U.S. Navy during World War II and representing the people of Michigan in Congress for 25 years."

"In a time of national crisis, America turned to Gerald Ford," said Schwarzenegger, adding Ford " accepted the enormous responsibilities of the Presidency during a dark hour in our history, fully knowing the daunting challenge he faced."

Schwarzenegger said, "No man could have been better suited to the task of healing our nation and restoring faith in our government."

According to Schwarzenegger, "President Ford's leadership was marked by his selflessness. He made the most difficult of choices based entirely on what he believed to be in the best interest of his country and its people, the mark of history's greatest leaders.

Schwarzenegger called Ford a "great American" and expressed his family's sincerest condolences to the Ford family saying, "We owe Gerald Ford a debt of gratitude for his unfailing devotion to duty, for always putting his country before himself, and for accepting an extraordinarily difficult task with grace and strength."

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