A Time to Heal: on Principles & Values
Jimmy Carter:
Lusted in his heart & feels forgiven by God
In late September, Playboy magazine released an interview in which Carter said some remarkable things. "I've looked on a lot of women with lust," Carter confessed. "I've committed adultery in my heart many times. This is something that
God recognized I will do--and I have done it--and God forgives me for it. But that doesn't mean that I condemn someone who not only looks on a woman with lust but who leaves his wife and shakes up with somebody out of wedlock.
Christ says don't consider yourself better than someone else because one guy screws a whole bunch of women while the other guys is loyal to his wife."
And then he continued, "I don't think I would ever take on the same frame of mind that Nixon or Johnson did-lying, cheating and distorting the truth."
Source: A Time To Heal, by Gerald Ford, p.416-417
Sep 1, 1976
Richard Nixon:
Nixon's opponents wanted revenge; Ford sought healing
I had failed to anticipate the vehemence of the hostile reaction to my decision to pardon Nixon. Some of Nixon's critics apparently wanted to see him drawn and quartered publicly. I thought there would be greater forgiveness. It was one of the greatest
disappointments of my Presidency that everyone focused on the individual instead of the on the problems the nation faced.What I had intended to convince my fellow citizens was necessary surgery--essential if we were to heal our wounded nation--was
being attacked as a "secret deal" that I had worked out with Nixon before he had resigned. And the timing of the announcement--11:00 on Sunday morning--was being touted as "proof" of the conspiracy.
"Jail Ford, jail Ford," some demonstrators shouted,
and a workman standing by the airport fence told reporters, "Oh, it was all fixed. He said to Nixon, 'You give me the job, I'll give you the pardon.'" I began to wonder whether, instead of healing the wounds, my decision had only rubbed salt in them.
Source: A Time To Heal, by Gerald Ford, p.178-179
Sep 8, 1974
Gerald Ford:
Pardoning Nixon let America's healing begin
I agonized over the idea of a pardon, and eventually several key conclusions solidified in my mind. First of all, I was not convinced that the country wanted to see an ex-President behind bars. And Nixon, in my opinion, had already suffered enormously.
His resignation was an implicit admission of guilt.But I wasn't motivated primarily by sympathy for his plight. It was the state of the country's health that worried me.
I was very sure of what would happen if I let the charges against Nixon run
their legal course. The entire process would no doubt require years. He would be fighting for his freedom, take his cause to the people, and his constant struggle would have dominated the news. No other issue could compete with the drama of a former
President trying to stay out of jail. Passions on both sides would be aroused. A period of such prolonged vituperation would be disastrous for the nation. America needed recovery, not revenge. The hate had to be drained and the healing begun.
Source: A Time To Heal, by Gerald Ford, p.160-161
Sep 1, 1974
Gerald Ford:
Rules for Congress: communication, conciliation, compromise
Nixon, whatever his shortcomings, had recruited a Cabinet of fine quality. I imposed a set of rules for myself in order to work harmoniously with his Cabinet:- have no special confidants within the Cabinet
- listen, don't confide
- don't get
involved in any jurisdictional rivalries
- have confidants outside the Cabinet from whom advice can be solicited
- don't get mired down in detail--handle the broad policy decisions and leave management and implementation to the department heads
- move
aggressively on all fronts toward resolution and decision
- look at all proposals as if you're going to have to be the advocate who sells them to the public; and
- finally, encourage dissent before a final decision is made.
As President, my motto
toward the Congress is communication, conciliation, compromise and cooperation. This Congress, unless it has changed, will be my working partner as well as my most constructive critic, I am not asking for conformity.
Source: A Time To Heal, by Gerald Ford, p.132-134
Aug 12, 1974
Richard Nixon:
Resigned on grounds that his Congressional base disappeared
Throughout the long and difficult period of Watergate, I have felt it was my duty to persevere, to make every possible effort to complete the term of office to which you elected me. In the past few days, however, it has become evident to me that
I no longer have a strong enough political base in the Congress to justify continuing that effort.As long as there was a such a base, I felt strongly that is was necessary to see the constitutional process through to its conclusion; that to do
otherwise would be a dangerously destabilizing precedent for the future.
But with the disappearance of that base, I now believe that the constitutional purpose has been served and there is no longer a need for the process to be prolonged.
I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my body. But as President, I must put the interest of America first. Therefore, I shall resign the Presidency, effective at noon tomorrow.
Source: A Time To Heal, by Gerald Ford, p. 36-37
Aug 8, 1974
Gerald Ford:
Nixon brought his troubles upon himself
Nixon was going to leave one way or the other. The only questions were when & how. And I was going to become President--a job to which I'd never aspired--at a tumultuous moment in the nation's history. I'm not the kind of person who is torn by self-doubt
and I had no doubts about my ability to function well in the office. What bothered me most was the nature of Nixon's departure. In the 198 years of the Republic, no President had ever resigned, and only one other Chief Executive--Andrew Johnson--had ever
been the target of an impeachment effort in the Congress. But Nixon, I had to conclude, had brought his troubles upon himself.Repeatedly, Nixon had assured me that he was not involved in Watergate, that the evidence would prove his innocence.
I had chosen to believe him, and I had tried to give him the benefit of every doubt.
I simply had to support him. If I did anything else, people would charge that I was undercutting him in order to acquire the Presidency myself.
Source: A Time To Heal, by Gerald Ford, p. 5
Aug 1, 1974
Gerald Ford:
Chosen by Nixon as safe choice for V.P.
Nixon nominated me, to replace Spiro Agnew, I was convinced, because he wanted to pick someone who could win speedy confirmation in the Congress.
He also wanted someone who could help repair his frayed relations with Capitol Hill and the media.
Source: A Time To Heal, by Gerald Ford, p.107-110
Oct 13, 1973
Gerald Ford:
Economic conservative; social moderate; foreign liberal
By 1948, I had pretty well formed the political philosophy I've maintained ever since. On economic policy, I was conservative and proud of it. I didn't believe that we could solve problems simply by throwing money at them. On social issues, I was a
moderate; on questions of foreign policy, a liberal. The voters of the 5th District didn't think the federal government had the answers. They tended to agree that the best government is the least government, and I was determined to reflect their views.
Source: A Time To Heal, by Gerald Ford, p. 66
Jul 2, 1948
Page last updated: Feb 25, 2019