Happy Birthday, Jerry:Gerald Ford became the fourth former president to reach the age of 90 on Monday. There are many who pay homage to Ronald Reagan for making the GOP what it is. While he deserves credit, I want to pay my respects for Ford. He was the "accidental president" who came in after Richard Nixon resigned. He tried his best to heal a nation that had dealt with Watergate and Vietnam. But what I like most about Ford is that he represents a decent and civil conservatism that has long since vanished. He saw government as a force for good and not as inherently evil. He has come out in favor of women's rights and gay rights. He was a conservative that worked for the good of the nation and not just for his friends. Gerald Ford is a reminder that conservatism can be principled and compassionate and not just make that cheap rhetoric.