From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

America says goodbye to Gerald R. Ford.

Hello again, I'm Ormond Alney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International.

A daily look at the issues, Americans care about most. The man who's most often called the accidental president was eulogized

today by official Washington. Gerald Ford was appointed vice president when Spiro Agnew stepped down

in the midst of a scandal. Ford became president when Richard Nixon resigned to avoid impeachment.

On to the point, 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?

Also today, we'll hear more about the videotape of Saddam Hussein's execution.

First up, here's the news.

Support for To the Point comes from subscribers of KCRW Santa Monica

and from the Public Radio International Program Fund,

whose contributors include the Ford Foundation and the John D.

and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Hello again, Warren Allie, back with To the Point. The late President Gerald Ford was remembered

today by official Washington. On To the Point, we'll hear about the funeral and get several

views on Ford's legacy and the White House staff that included Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Chene.

First, this news update. Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki reportedly wanted to

hasten the execution of Saddam Hussein. Today, Al-Maliki ordered an investigation into which witnesses

taunted Saddam before he died and who leaked the cell phone video to the internet and the media.

Mark Santora reports from Baghdad for the New York Times. Mark, thank you very much for joining us today.

Thank you for having me. Given that it was Prime Minister Al-Malakli who reportedly wanted to speed up the execution, is this investigation considered to be a serious one?

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