The passing of any individual is a time for sadness and sober reflection. Gerald Ford lived a long, full life surrounded by a loving wife and family. Few of us could hope for more than that, and Ford was both cognizant of and grateful for the blessings he had. Nonetheless, in the media’s rush to fall over themselves in gushing tributes to this late President, as they trumpet him as a man of surpassing decency and integrity, they’re managing to gloss over one sad truth: Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon.
I hold no ill will towards Ford. What’s done is done, and Nixon has long since departed the scene to reap whatever eternal reward he may have sown. Even so, if we’re going to remember the life of the nation’s only unelected President (besides Our Glorious and Benevolent Leader) and the service of a man who never sought the Presidency, shouldn’t we be remembering his decision to condone Nixon’s criminality and pardoned him for it? By setting a precedent that is particularly relevant today, Gerald Ford denied this country the opportunity to seek the justice it deserved. As we remember the life of President Gerald Ford, let’s not lose sight of his most egregious mistake.
Jack - thanks for posting on this. I remember those days very well. Gerald Ford let this nation and our legal system down by not permitting it to work as designed. Many people went to jail for crimes Richard Nixon authorized. His egregious violations of our constitution laid the groundwork for our current president to casually toss it aside as he sees fit. Had Richard Nixon been brought to trial, rather than pardoned in advance, I suspect future presidents might have been much less willing to demonstrate their own personal contempt for democracy and the rule of law. Ford was a decent and honorable man, but the pardon was a huge mistake, one we are still paying for.
Yes, Gerald Ford chose the easy way out. It seemed the kindest way at the time (to the country) but, as Dennis points out, it laid a slippery slope down which the lying, spying spud head has gleefully trekked. Still, Mr. Ford did what he thought best, knowing it would seriously damage his future political career. For that we owe him kudos for following a courageous (albeit erroneous)path.
"[L]ying, spying spud head"?? Oh, my...I may have to appropriate that once for my own nefarious ends.... ;0)
And how about his days as US Representative and House Minority Leader? Remember the "Ev[Dirksen] and Jerry" show? What a bloody reactionary!
Still... it took guts to say, as he did in his debates with Jimmy Carter in 1976, that there was "no Soviet domination in Eastern Europe." This was accurate in the sense in which he said it and a solid blow against Cold Warfare in those days. Remember--if Ford had been re-elected in 1976, we never would have had Raygun.
our country (USA) needs an impeachment n' conviction to give the Constitution some bite. Bush won't have anyone to grant him a pardon.
Ford's pardoning of Nixon did not deny the American public of justice, nor did it let the American people down. What he did was the political equivalent of a surgeon amputating a gangrened leg before the infection spread any further. The entire Nixon administration stands as the biggest "black eye" in our nation's history. The last thing the country needed was to have the embarrassment continue. Prosecuting Nixon would have taken another two years or more, the entire time during which we could fully expect the office of the Presidency to deteriorate in power and influence, both real and presumed. The Presidency would have become the laughingstock of the world with the very real possibility that it would never recover. Gerald Ford recognized this as certainty and did what he had to do to protect the Presidency and the integrity and autonomy of the three branches of our federal government.
Do I think Nixon deserved to answer for his conduct? Absolutely. Did he get off easy? Not necessarily. The man spent virtually the entirety of his life in isolation, albeit first class. His time in prison would have been only slightly more restrictive. As it was, he couldn't travel, couldn't speak out publicly, was essentially forced by his people to live and die as a recluse.
It's easy to carry a torch, scream "Kill the monster!" and incite a riot. Righteous indignation is an easy mask to wear, especially when we put our trust in someone and they let us down. I have far more respect for Gerald Ford, who took the more courageous route and bucked public opinion to do what was right for the United States.
"Ford’s pardoning of Nixon did not deny the American public of justice, nor did it let the American people down...."
my Ass