Like father, like son: If the phone-hacking scandal that shuttered the News of the World could take down Rupert Murdoch, it could just as easily spell the downfall of son James Murdoch, reports the New York Times in a look at the son who’s angling to take over the family…
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• England 1-1 France after extra-time • France win 4-3 on penalties England. World Cup. Penalties. Cruelty. Hope Powell’s side joined the long list to have suffered in Leverkusen, after Faye White missed the final spot-kick of a topsy-turvy shoot-out and France, not England, took their place in the final four. Yet again, the exit comes at the quarter-finals after being denied by an equaliser two minutes from the end of 90, hobbling, hopping and limping their way through extra-time with extraordinarily gutsy determination, taking the lead on spot-kicks before being denied at the last. With England essentially reduced to 10 players during extra-time, their substitutions used up and the injured Kelly Smith barely able to walk, the added 30 minutes was reduced to a training game. France attacked, England defended, desperately, but somehow survived to take the game into a penalty shoot-out. Then the story becomes all-too familiar. Karen Bardsley, herself struggling with a shoulder injury, saved Camile Abily’s opening penalty for France but could not get close to another. Claire Rafferty, a late substitute making her World Cup debut, skewed wide England’s fourth. Faye White, the captain in what will surely be her final World Cup game, hammered the last on to the bar before crumpling to the turf. Powell opted for Faye White’s experience over Sophie Bradley’s pace in the centre of defence, Fara Williams’s passing over Anita Asante’s defensive strength in midfield and Rachel Yankey’s nous over Jess Clarke’s youthful exuberance out wide. France reverted to the side that hammered Canada 4-0, making five changes to the team beaten 4-2 by Germany in their final group game. England’s tournament had been something of a slow burner. A deflating opening draw against Mexico in the withering heat of Wolfsburg was followed up with a lacklustre first half against New Zealand. A goal down at half-time, Faye White admitted the side had “45 minutes to save their World Cup”, and a second-half fightback put their group destiny back in their own hands. A tactically pitch-perfect 2-0 win against Japan followed and the sense was that momentum was gathering. That impression was reinforced after only 16 seconds, when Karen Carney’s curling through-ball put Smith beyond the France backline. The England midfielder skipped past the goalkeeper, Céline Deville, but was forced wide in doing so, and her attempt at goal was blocked by the retreating defender Laura Georges. France, joint leading scorers in the group stages alongside two of the big three – Germany and Brazil – with seven goals in three matches, signalled their threat early on too, Abily sending a dipping shot from distance narrowly over the bar, and 12 minutes in, it took a fine Jill Scott challenge on the edge of the England area to deny Gaëtane Thiney. Bussaglia was assigned a marking brief on Kelly Smith in an attempt to throttle England’s creativity at source, but at times in the opening quarter, Powell’s side were their own worst enemy. Possession was too often conceded in dangerous areas, attacks too often breaking down without France having to earn the ball. Bardsley was forced to pull off an excellent save midway through the half, when the impressive Thiney thumped an effort at goal from long range, and Faye White did well to deflect Marie-Laurie Delie’s effort wide just before the half-hour. From the resultant corner, Louisa Nécib, France’s star of the tournament thus far, picked up the loose ball and sent a shot whistling a whisker wide of the top corner. By the interval, France had had nine shots at goal to England’s solitary early effort, and the break did not derail Les Bleues ‘ momentum. Within three minutes of the restart, it took a fine challenge from Alex Scott to deny Delie, and the France striker seconds later skewed wide the best chance of the game. England finally mustered their second effort at goal 10 minutes into the second half and it came after Powell’s side had put together comfortably their most cohesive move of the game. Williams swept the ball wide to Yankey, her pass to Unitt was swirled into the box by the left-back and Jill Scott steered her header narrowly wide. tThree minutes later, England had a lead they barely deserved. Smith, after a hint of handball, shrugged off Georges and slipped in Jill Scott, who lofted her shot over the stranded Deville. France bristled and were almost back on level terms seven minutes later. Nécib’s effort at goal from 35 yards looked optimistic and it should have been handled with little fuss. Bardsley, though, almost allowed the free-kick to squeeze between her legs. France poured forward in search of an equaliser and the substitute Thomis forced Bardsley into another fine save. Unitt’s clearance ended a nerve-shredding scramble. Powell’s substitutions throughout the tournament have been astute and impacting but she took a gamble 10 minutes from time, bringing Steph Houghton and Rafferty from the bench for their World Cup debuts in place of both full-backs. The pressure was unrelenting, though. Bardsley somehow deflected away Thomis’s close-range effort after 85 minutes, Laure LePailleur’s goalbound header was spectacularly cleared off the line by Ellen White after 86, but after 87, France finally found a way through, Bussaglia curling home from the edge of the area. Women’s World Cup 2011 England women’s football team Women’s football John Ashdown guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Though the story initially got a laugh, no one is chuckling about the fact that Josh Seater was able to waltz up to a 7.8M gallon , open-air reservoir in Portland and pee in it while drunk last month. The incident led officials to drain the entire basin, and also…
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Labour leader to test the strength of the coalition with Commons motion aimed at stopping buyout in its tracks Rupert Murdoch’s ambition to expand his media empire still further could be killed off by MPs this week after Labour announced plans for a Commons vote to thwart his bid for BSkyB. The move comes amid a mood of continuing public uproar over the phone-hacking scandal, which is now threatening to destabilise David Cameron’s government. The vote will present the coalition with a major test of unity as the Labour leader, Ed Miliband, seeks cross-party support for a motion in parliament which would halt progress on the takeover until the criminal investigation into the News of the World is completed. With many Liberal Democrats and Tory MPs deeply uneasy about Murdoch gaining an even bigger slice of the UK media market – and still incensed by the behaviour of News Corp executives – Labour is optimistic it can mobilise enough support to achieve a majority. Miliband will appear on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on Sunday to announce his plan and to begin his push for support across all the major parties. He will lay the motion tomorrow and the debate and vote will be on Wednesday. If he is successful, the Labour move will drive a wedge between the coalition parties and leave Murdoch’s takeover ambition in tatters – because the police inquiry could take several years. The parliamentary debate will also give David Cameron another major headache, following the arrest on Friday of his former director of communications, Andy Coulson, who is a former editor of the News of the World . Cameron has so far refused to intervene to block the takeover. On Friday, Cameron told a press conference: “People are also asking about the prospective BSkyB bid. As I have repeatedly said, governments must follow the proper legal processes and procedures. “That is exactly what Jeremy Hunt, the culture secretary, is doing. His role is to take the advice of independent regulators and, as his department have made clear this morning – given the events of recent days – this will take some time.” On SaturdayCameron was facing growing demands to take a tougher line and tell the News Corporation chairman that the bid must be withdrawn as it would only stoke the mood of public disgust at the phone-hacking scandal. Paddy Ashdown, the former Liberal Democrat leader, told the Observer: “The public will be outraged and bewildered and trust in our politics will take yet another knock if this takeover goes ahead after what has happened. “I think Jeremy Hunt or better still David Cameron should call in Rupert Murdoch and say that this bid is no longer welcome.” Hunt has said only that he is delaying until September his verdict on whether to allow News Corporation to proceed in its bid to take full control of BSkyB, on the basis that there had been a deluge of last-minute submissions on the deal last week. However, the government insists that it would be unlawful to kill the deal on the basis of the latest furore, and that it must make the judgment on whether the deal would maintain media plurality. The fallout from the scandal is now threatening to destabilise the coalition with many Liberal Democrats determined not to be associated with a government that appears unwilling to take on Murdoch. Labour sources said that initial soundings suggested there would be strong support for the motion among Liberal Democrat and Tory MPs, as well as peers of both parties. A Liberal Democrat source said: “The party is not happy about this deal and they would welcome the chance to act.” News Corporation is in the process of trying to buy the 61% of the satellite broadcaster that it does not already own. Before the phone-hacking scandal erupted again last week, the deal had looked on course to be approved by Hunt within weeks. But in recent days there have been calls for the media regulator Ofcom to investigate whether News Corporation is a “fit and proper” owner for BSkyB. BSkyB shares closed down 12% last week in London, but News Corp shares in New York had barely changed. On Saturday Downing Street said the public inquiry into criminality at the News of the World and other newspapers would start as soon as was practical, while ensuring it did not prejudice the police investigations. It will be led by a judge and have the power to call witnesses who would give their evidence under oath and in public. The second public inquiry will seek a new framework for the regulation of the press and will be led by a panel of figures from different backgrounds. Sir Menzies Campbell, another former Liberal Democrat leader, said it would technically be possible for Cameron or Hunt to refuse the takeover “out of hand”, thereby putting the onus on Murdoch to go for a judicial review – a move he believed would further enrage the public. However, he said there were other legal avenues that could be explored because the decision to proceed this far had been based on undertakings given by people who might no longer be judged as reliable. Lord Oakeshott, a Liberal Democrat peer who is close to business secretary Vince Cable, has released the text of a letter to Ofcom’s director, Ed Richards. In it he asked if “Ofcom is satisfied that the board of BSkyB are all now fit and proper to hold a broadcasting licence, in the light of this week’s admissions of management failings by its chairman and representative of its controlling shareholder, James Murdoch, and a mountain of evidence pointing to negligence at best and criminality at worst by the senior management of News International?” Baroness Shirley Williams, a Liberal Democrat, said she was in “no doubt whatsoever that the bid should be put on the back-burner” until the police inquiry was complete. BSkyB Ed Miliband Phone hacking News of the World Labour Newspapers & magazines National newspapers Rupert Murdoch James Murdoch House of Commons Newspapers News Corporation Liberal-Conservative coalition Toby Helm Daniel Boffey guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …South Sudan raised the flag of its new nation for the first time today, as thousands of South Sudanese citizens and dozens of international dignitaries swarmed the new capital of Juba to celebrate the country’s birth. South Sudan became the world’s newest country with a raucous street party at midnight…
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• Email scott.murray@guardian.co.uk with your thoughts • Full coverage of the World Cup is here 17 min: Deville has been a bit shaky so far, but here she handles a Carney cross from the left brilliantly, with Ellen White and Yankey lurking in the middle. 14 min: France are enjoying the lion’s share of possession here. Abily is seeing a lot of the ball; she swings a deep cross into the area that’s only just over the head of Thiney. It’s an open game, this, though it’s yet to take off. Incidents, please! 11 min: England’s first serious jaunt upfield since the first 15 seconds results in a corner down the left, after good work from Kelly Smith. The ball’s hung above Deville’s six-yard box, the keeper flapping hopelessly under pressure from Smith and Faye White, but the referee’s convinced she’s been blocked off, and the danger’s over. 8 min: France are turning up the heat a wee bit here. Lepailleur and Abily combine down the right to win a corner. But the set piece is hoicked straight out of play on the far side. “The odd thing about the Lyon connection is that France have left their best goalkeeper and Lyon No1 Sara Bouhaddi, at home,” notes Curtis in Minnesota, the only MBM contributor in Guardian history to sound like they could have been released on the Stax label in the late 1960s. 5 min: Williams is booked for a ludicrous late lunge on Thiney. She protests her innocence, but it’s a no-brainer for the referee. 3 min: After a shaky start, France get their foot on the ball, and stroke it around the middle awhile. Suddenly Abily cuts inside from the right, and lashes an optimistic effort goalwards from 35 yards. Some respect, please! Having said that, it nearly hits the target, only just clearing the bar, but it’s right in the middle of the goal and Bardsley is behind it all the way. 1 min: The corner’s wasted. “Recalling White might make for an entertaining game,” suggests Sören Kaschke. “I seem to remember the player with the captain’s band (must have been White) almost begging the referee in the first two games to award the opponent a penalty; unsuccessfully, but I wouldn’t count on the refs, especially after the flak they seemed to have got after some less than convincing displays in the group stage, to constantly turn a blind eye to White’s peculiar understanding of acceptable behaviour for defending in your own area.” We’re off… and what a start! Within 15 seconds, Kelly Smith rounds keeper Deville on the edge of the area, having been sent clear from a sleeping French defence by Carney, and strokes the ball goalwards. The effort’s on target, but there’s no oomph behind the shot, and Georges sticks a foot out to deflect away for a corner. Blimey. Pennants are exchanged. The one Faye White receives from her counterpart Sandrine Soubeyrand is massive . It’s like a bedspread. France win the toss, and elect to stay kicking away from the boxed monstrosity at the south end of the stadium, perhaps because they can’t bear to look at it. England will kick off. The teams are out: France are listening to their lovely anthem. It is beautiful. Best not to mention the English one, there’s no point being needlessly negative. “Lyon have ten players in the full squad, but also six in the starting lineup,” notes a slightly concerned, or possibly not, who knows, Phillipa Booth. “The goalkeeper Deville has just transferred there from Montpellier. The whole squad is made up of only four teams: the others are Montpellier, PSG and Juvisy. These are the top four in the league last season.” Referee: Jenny Palmqvist (Sweden) England Ladies (note the recalled Faye White, Bradley dropping down to the bench): Bardsley, Alex Scott, Stoney, Faye White, Unitt, Carney, Jill Scott, Williams, Yankey, Smith, Ellen White. Subs: Brown, Chamberlain, Clarke, Aluko, Bradley, Houghton, Bassett, Asante, Susi, Rafferty. France Ladies: Deville, Viguier, Georges, Lepailleur, Soubeyrand, Bompastor, Abily, Necib, Bussaglia, Thiney, Delie. Subs: Philippe, Renard, Boulleau, Meilleroux, Franco, Le Sommer, Thomis, Pizzala, Bretigny. Kick-off: 5pm in the British money. The venue: Bayer Leverkusen’s BayArena. As for France? Their squad boasts ten players from Lyon, who won the Women’s Champions League this year. Ulp. Midfielder Camile Abily is their main draw, though Louisa Necib, causing all sorts of bother just behind the strikers, has been the one to watch so far. “They’re a very good side technically and difficult to play against, and after the 2007 World Cup they’ll want revenge,” says midfielder Fara Williams. It is ON! France are up first, though. England denied the French a trip to the 2007 World Cup in a qualifying play-off, for all that means. They’re coming into form after a shaky start against Mexico: following that draw, they came from behind to beat New Zealand, and were excellent in the win over Japan. Midfielder Jill Scott and striker Ellen White have been the stars of the show, while keeper Karen Bardsley, criticised for conceding from distance against Mexico, reasserted her quality with a storming display against the Japanese. Powell has one huge problem, though: recall captain Faye White, rested against Japan, or retain her replacement, the quicker and more mobile Sophie Bradley, who was superb in that match. Anyway, so here we are, ahead of arguably England’s biggest game in their history. Would a first-ever semi-final berth in the World Cup be a bigger deal than reaching the final of the Euros in 2009? It’s a moot point, but consider: if Hope Powell’s side make the Mönchengladbach semi against either Brazil or the USA – two of the sport’s powerhouses – expect World Cup fever to sweep the nation next week. You wait and see. Hats off to the BBC, then, for finally seeing sense and putting the big game on proper telly, in place of 1970s sitcom Porridge and absurd time-frittering antique show Flog It. That they even had to think about it, though. Dear God. Eleven years into the new millennium and all. Women’s World Cup 2011 Women’s football Scott Murray guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …• Email scott.murray@guardian.co.uk with your thoughts • Full coverage of the World Cup is here 17 min: Deville has been a bit shaky so far, but here she handles a Carney cross from the left brilliantly, with Ellen White and Yankey lurking in the middle. 14 min: France are enjoying the lion’s share of possession here. Abily is seeing a lot of the ball; she swings a deep cross into the area that’s only just over the head of Thiney. It’s an open game, this, though it’s yet to take off. Incidents, please! 11 min: England’s first serious jaunt upfield since the first 15 seconds results in a corner down the left, after good work from Kelly Smith. The ball’s hung above Deville’s six-yard box, the keeper flapping hopelessly under pressure from Smith and Faye White, but the referee’s convinced she’s been blocked off, and the danger’s over. 8 min: France are turning up the heat a wee bit here. Lepailleur and Abily combine down the right to win a corner. But the set piece is hoicked straight out of play on the far side. “The odd thing about the Lyon connection is that France have left their best goalkeeper and Lyon No1 Sara Bouhaddi, at home,” notes Curtis in Minnesota, the only MBM contributor in Guardian history to sound like they could have been released on the Stax label in the late 1960s. 5 min: Williams is booked for a ludicrous late lunge on Thiney. She protests her innocence, but it’s a no-brainer for the referee. 3 min: After a shaky start, France get their foot on the ball, and stroke it around the middle awhile. Suddenly Abily cuts inside from the right, and lashes an optimistic effort goalwards from 35 yards. Some respect, please! Having said that, it nearly hits the target, only just clearing the bar, but it’s right in the middle of the goal and Bardsley is behind it all the way. 1 min: The corner’s wasted. “Recalling White might make for an entertaining game,” suggests Sören Kaschke. “I seem to remember the player with the captain’s band (must have been White) almost begging the referee in the first two games to award the opponent a penalty; unsuccessfully, but I wouldn’t count on the refs, especially after the flak they seemed to have got after some less than convincing displays in the group stage, to constantly turn a blind eye to White’s peculiar understanding of acceptable behaviour for defending in your own area.” We’re off… and what a start! Within 15 seconds, Kelly Smith rounds keeper Deville on the edge of the area, having been sent clear from a sleeping French defence by Carney, and strokes the ball goalwards. The effort’s on target, but there’s no oomph behind the shot, and Georges sticks a foot out to deflect away for a corner. Blimey. Pennants are exchanged. The one Faye White receives from her counterpart Sandrine Soubeyrand is massive . It’s like a bedspread. France win the toss, and elect to stay kicking away from the boxed monstrosity at the south end of the stadium, perhaps because they can’t bear to look at it. England will kick off. The teams are out: France are listening to their lovely anthem. It is beautiful. Best not to mention the English one, there’s no point being needlessly negative. “Lyon have ten players in the full squad, but also six in the starting lineup,” notes a slightly concerned, or possibly not, who knows, Phillipa Booth. “The goalkeeper Deville has just transferred there from Montpellier. The whole squad is made up of only four teams: the others are Montpellier, PSG and Juvisy. These are the top four in the league last season.” Referee: Jenny Palmqvist (Sweden) England Ladies (note the recalled Faye White, Bradley dropping down to the bench): Bardsley, Alex Scott, Stoney, Faye White, Unitt, Carney, Jill Scott, Williams, Yankey, Smith, Ellen White. Subs: Brown, Chamberlain, Clarke, Aluko, Bradley, Houghton, Bassett, Asante, Susi, Rafferty. France Ladies: Deville, Viguier, Georges, Lepailleur, Soubeyrand, Bompastor, Abily, Necib, Bussaglia, Thiney, Delie. Subs: Philippe, Renard, Boulleau, Meilleroux, Franco, Le Sommer, Thomis, Pizzala, Bretigny. Kick-off: 5pm in the British money. The venue: Bayer Leverkusen’s BayArena. As for France? Their squad boasts ten players from Lyon, who won the Women’s Champions League this year. Ulp. Midfielder Camile Abily is their main draw, though Louisa Necib, causing all sorts of bother just behind the strikers, has been the one to watch so far. “They’re a very good side technically and difficult to play against, and after the 2007 World Cup they’ll want revenge,” says midfielder Fara Williams. It is ON! France are up first, though. England denied the French a trip to the 2007 World Cup in a qualifying play-off, for all that means. They’re coming into form after a shaky start against Mexico: following that draw, they came from behind to beat New Zealand, and were excellent in the win over Japan. Midfielder Jill Scott and striker Ellen White have been the stars of the show, while keeper Karen Bardsley, criticised for conceding from distance against Mexico, reasserted her quality with a storming display against the Japanese. Powell has one huge problem, though: recall captain Faye White, rested against Japan, or retain her replacement, the quicker and more mobile Sophie Bradley, who was superb in that match. Anyway, so here we are, ahead of arguably England’s biggest game in their history. Would a first-ever semi-final berth in the World Cup be a bigger deal than reaching the final of the Euros in 2009? It’s a moot point, but consider: if Hope Powell’s side make the Mönchengladbach semi against either Brazil or the USA – two of the sport’s powerhouses – expect World Cup fever to sweep the nation next week. You wait and see. Hats off to the BBC, then, for finally seeing sense and putting the big game on proper telly, in place of 1970s sitcom Porridge and absurd time-frittering antique show Flog It. That they even had to think about it, though. Dear God. Eleven years into the new millennium and all. Women’s World Cup 2011 Women’s football Scott Murray guardian.co.uk
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Police fire teargas as more than 20,000 demonstrators demand electoral reform during five-hour standoff in Kuala Lumpur Police fired teargas and detained hundreds of activists as more than 20,000 demonstrators gathered across Malaysia’s capital on Saturday, demanding electoral reforms in the country’s biggest political rally in years. The opposition-backed rally was the culmination of weeks of intense pressure on the government of prime minister Najib Razak to make election laws fairer and more transparent before general elections expected to take place by mid-2012. Demonstrators marched in defiance of Najib’s administration, which has declared the rally illegal and warned people to avoid it. Opposition leaders accuse Najib’s National Front coalition of relying on fraud to preserve its 54-year grip on power, which has been eroded in recent years amid allegations of corruption and racial discrimination. The government insists the current electoral policies are fair. Authorities took extraordinary security measures to deter the rally by sealing off roads, closing train stations and deploying trucks with water cannons near the Independence Stadium in central Kuala Lumpur, where activists sought to gather. Police said in a statement they had detained 924 people, including senior opposition officials, in what they called Operation Erase Bersih, referring to the Bersih (Clean) coalition of groups behind the rally. Thousands tried to reach the stadium from various parts of Kuala Lumpur, chanting “Long live the people”, and carrying yellow balloons and flowers as they marched. Police fired numerous rounds of teargas and chemical-laced water in repeated attempts to disperse the crowds, causing demonstrators to scatter into nearby buildings and alleys before regrouping. Police helicopters flew overhead as a brief downpour failed to deter the protesters. The demonstrators finally dispersed after a five-hour standoff with police. Only several hundred reached the stadium. Najib insisted on Saturday that the protesters represent a minority, and that most Malaysians support his administration. “If there are people who want to hold the illegal rally, there are even more who are against their plan,” the prime minister was quoted as saying by the national news agency, Bernama. Witnesses said riot police armed with batons charged at some protesters and dragged them into trucks. Some were seen bleeding, but police could not confirm any injuries. The opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said on Twitter that he had sustained a “minor injury” when his group was hit by teargas. The Malaysiakini news website said he had a knee injury. The crackdown “stirred a sense of outrage against the exhibition of raw power by our government”, the Bersih coalition leader Ambiga Sreenavasan told reporters. “What is the necessity for a show of might against right? No matter what, right will always prevail,” she said, minutes before police detained her and other Bersih officials. Activists estimated that the total number of demonstrators exceeded 20,000 people, making it Malaysia’s biggest street rally since 2007. Some independent news websites estimated there were tens of thousands of people, but authorities did not immediately have an official figure. The rally has galvanised the opposition and has been credited for a surge in political awareness among the public in recent weeks. Meanwhile, government officials accuse Anwar’s three-party alliance of endorsing the rally to cause chaos on the streets and undermine the National Front. Over the past two weeks, more than 200 other activists have been arrested nationwide for trying to promote the rally. Six are being held under security laws that allow indefinite detention without trial. Most of the others have been released, but some have been charged with laws banning activities linked to illegal assemblies. They face several years in prison if convicted. The activists’ demands include an overhaul of voter registration lists, tougher measures to curb fraud and fairer opportunities for opposition politicians to campaign in government-linked media. The National Front’s mandate expires in mid-2013 but many analysts expect elections to be called by next year. Malaysia Protest guardian.co.uk
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Former US first lady and founder of rehabilitation clinic credited with removing the taboo from addiction Betty Ford, the first US first lady of the post-Watergate era and inspiration for the addiction clinic that bears her name, has died aged 93. During and after her years in the White House, 1974 to 1977, Ford won acclaim for her candour, wit and courage as she fought breast cancer, severe arthritis and the twin addictions of drugs and alcohol. She also pressed for abortion rights and women’s rights. Ford’s husband, Gerald, died in December 2006 at age 93. They had been married in 1948, the same year Gerald Ford was elected to Congress. Barack Obama said in a statement that the Betty Ford Centre would honour her legacy “by giving countless Americans a new lease of life”. “As our nation’s first lady, she was a powerful advocate for women’s health and women’s rights. After leaving the White House, Mrs Ford helped reduce the social stigma surrounding addiction and inspired thousands to seek much-needed treatment.” In an era when cancer was discussed in hushed tones and mastectomy was still a taboo subject, the first lady shared the details of her breast cancer surgery. The publicity helped to bring the disease into the open and inspired countless women to seek breast examinations. Indeed, Ford built an enduring legacy by opening up the toughest times of her life as public example. While her husband was president, Ford’s comments weren’t the kind of genteel, innocuous talk expected from a first lady, and a Republican one no less. Her unscripted comments sparked media storms and dismayed her husband’s advisers, who were trying to soothe the national psyche after Watergate. But 1970s American found Ford’s openness refreshing, and people loved her for it. Her most painful revelation came 15 months after leaving the White House, when Ford announced she was starting treatment for a longtime addiction to painkillers and alcohol. She and her husband had retired to Rancho Mirage, California, after he lost a bruising presidential race to Jimmy Carter in 1976. She went to work on her memoirs, The Times of My Life,, which came out in 1979. But the social whirlwind that had engulfed them in Washington was over, and Betty Ford confessed that she missed it. “We had gone into the campaign to win and it was a great disappointment losing, particularly by such a small margin,” she said. “It meant changing my whole lifestyle after 30 years in Washington, and it was quite a traumatic experience.” By 1978, she was addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs. She would later describe herself during that period as “this nice, dopey pill-pusher sitting around and nodding”. “As I got sicker,” she recalled, “I gradually stopped going to lunch. I wouldn’t see friends. I was putting everyone out of my life.” Her children recalled her living in a stupor, shuffling around in her bathrobe, refusing meals in favour of a drink. Her family finally confronted her in April 1978 and insisted she seek treatment. She credited their “intervention” with saving her life. She entered Long Beach naval hospital and underwent a grim detoxification, which became the model for therapy at the Betty Ford Centre. She saw her recovery as a second chance at life. Although most famous for celebrity patients like Elizabeth Taylor, Johnny Cash and Lindsay Lohan, the Betty Ford Centre keeps its rates relatively affordable and has treated more than 90,000 people. Her own experience, and that of a friend whom she helped with his alcoholism, were the inspiration for the centre. She helped raise £1.8m, lobbied in the California state capital for its approval, and reluctantly agreed to let it be named after her. “The centre’s name has been a burden, as well as honour,” she wrote. “Because even if no one else holds me responsible, I hold myself responsible.” She liked to tell patients, “I’m just one more woman who has had this problem.” Her efforts won her a presidential medal of freedom, the highest civilian honour, from George Bush Sr in 1991. “She was a wonderful wife and mother; a great friend; and a courageous first lady,” the former president said in a statement. “No one confronted life’s struggles with more fortitude or honesty.” United States Watergate Washington DC Alcohol Breast cancer guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …Betty Ford has died at the age of 93, with her family at her bedside. CNN did not have additional details. From 1974 to 1977, she served as the first lady to President Gerald Ford, but she made headlines a year after leaving the White House when she announced she…
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