Bush, U.S. public pay tribute to former president Ford

U.S. President George W. Bush and the public paid tribute before the casket of Gerald R. Ford, the nation's 38th president, at the U.S. Capitol on Monday afternoon.

Bush, who just flew back to Washington from his Texas ranch, walked into the Rotunda of the Capitol with his wife Laura Bush shortly after 3 p.m. and stood before the casket with bowed heads for about 30 seconds, according to the reports of CNN.

The president did not make any public remarks, but is expected to deliver a eulogy at Ford's funeral Tuesday.

Former president George H. W. Bush, his secretary of state James A. Baker III and former Republican senator Alan Simpson also paid their respects before the casket of Ford, a fellow Republican.

There were also the nation's leading Democrats, including former president Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who will be Speaker of the House when Congress meets later this week.

Ford died last Tuesday at his home in California at the age of 93.

His body was flown to Washington Saturday to lie in state in the Rotunda, and tens of thousands of mourners from all over the country have been filing through the room since then.

Ford's casket will be moved to Washington National Cathedral Tuesday morning for the funeral.

He will be buried Wednesday near his presidential library in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Born on July 14, 1913, Ford was the longest lived former U.S. president, followed by Ronald Reagan.

He is also the only person to have served as president in the U.S. history without having been elected either president or vice president.

In 1973, Ford, a congressman from Michigan, was appointed Vice President after the then incumbent Spiro Agnew resigned.

In August 1974, he was sworn in as president after Richard Nixon, his predecessor, resigned to avoid impeachment over the Watergate scandal, and then served in the White House till Jan. 20, 1977.

The Ford administration saw the withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam, but was hampered in its ability to pass major legislation.

Ford was criticized by many for granting a preemptive pardon to Nixon, and was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election.

Source: Xinhua