CVN-78 to be named Gerald Ford?

At least if Sen. Carl Levin has his way:

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, today joined Armed Services Chairman John Warner, R-Va., in introducing an amendment to name the CVN-78 aircraft carrier as the U.S.S. GERALD FORD. The amendment was adopted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for the 2007 fiscal year, which the Senate is currently considering.“We in Michigan have long held Gerry Ford with such affection and esteem,” said Sen. Levin. “Naming this new class of nuclear aircraft after President Ford is an appropriate way to honor him.

I thought it might be USS Colin Powell, but why not?

Murdoc has more.