Truth Behind Ford's Nixon Pardon?

[bridgit]

Run time: 03:56 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtVeELRtCTU   Posted on YouTube: April 17, 2015 By YouTube Member: YouTube Help Views on YouTube: 13022959   Posted on DU: January 05, 2007 By DU Member: bridgit Views on DU: 610

 
'Gerald Ford put the country first in deciding to pardon Richard Nixon after assuming the presidency and believed he did the right thing until his last days - or so the story goes. Unfortunately, much of the story is likely a work of fiction.

The reality is that there was likely a quid pro quo, and thus illegal, deal where Nixon agreed to step down from the presidency in exchange for Ford's agreement to issue a pardon.

One may still reach the conclusion that Ford did the right thing. But it would be nice to do so without romanticizing the decision. It would also be nice if we American's were not the most gullible people on the planet.

Clip is from Democracy Now with Amy Goodman (12/27/06) - here interviewing Victor Navasky.'

[IndyOp]

1. K&R for truth. Ford was a decent man. His pardon of Nixon was wrong. (n/t)

[unblock]

2. just like powell, he had a decent *nature*, but he fell in with the wrong crowed

just like otherwise decent-seeming people who fall in with hoodlums and eventually wind up gang members and/or in prison. the more obviously evil people in the gang take advantage of the good nature when it suits them. in particular, such people get used to cover up the worse elements of the gang and give the illusion that the whole gang has the same good nature.

[fasttense]

3. I'm not sure he healed anything with the pardon.

People were still angry and felt Ford had usurped the investigative process. Nixon resigned because he knew if he was Impeached that he could not be pardoned (per the Constitution). So Nixon had to resign or face jail time. It turns out that by giving Nixon a pardon, many crooked, lying thieves and scoundrels were allowed to get away. Ford, with his pardon, merely allowed the crooks to conspire and multiply. He simply postponed the time of reckoning.