Editorial: Gerald R. Ford, 1913-2006

Thursday, Dec. 28, 2006 | 7:03 a.m.

A t the table in the White House used for Cabinet meetings, Vice President Gerald Ford was seated opposite President Richard Nixon on Aug. 6, 1974. Nixon had called a meeting of his Cabinet to announce that he would not resign.

Since the previous fall, when Nixon had chosen him to succeed former Vice President Spiro Agnew, who had resigned after pleading no contest to tax evasion, Ford had energetically supported the president. Ford said he believed what he had been told by Nixon, that the White House was not involved in covering up the century's most notorious burglary - Watergate.

But by the time of this meeting, Ford's trust in the president had been eroded by evidence of Nixon's guilt. According to Wednesday's obituary of Ford written by The New York Times, Ford told Nixon, "I no longer can publicly defend you."

Two days later Nixon announced that he would resign on Aug. 9. Moments after he did so, Ford was sworn in as the nation's 38th president, and in his inaugural address he said, "My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over."

It was a dramatic beginning to the presidency of Gerald R. Ford, who died Tuesday night at age 93.

America, its strength being tested by Watergate, Vietnam, high unemployment, an energy crisis and economically debilitating inflation, welcomed the new president, who had served in the House of Representatives for 25 years.

But then came his pardon of Nixon. Amid critical newspaper editorials, an outraged Congress and a popular belief that "a deal had been cut," Ford's approval rating plunged. Even though he made headway in improving the economy and the nation's standing in the world, he never recovered from that decision and lost the presidency to Jimmy Carter in 1976.

History has been much kinder to Ford. His administration is now praised for its peace efforts in the Middle East, its support of international human rights and its arms-limitations agreement with the Soviet Union. And historians almost unanimously agree he saved the country from enduring several more years of trauma had Nixon been put on trial.

In contrast to the brooding, reclusive and corrupt Nixon, Ford was a president who retained the open and natural enthusiasm that had led to his becoming a college football star and well-regarded member of Congress. Plain-spoken and honest, he could disagree with political opponents without them having to worry about being included on an "enemies list," such as the one compiled by Nixon. He was just the president we needed to regain our national spirit after Vietnam and Watergate.