Washington Letter
The emergence of Gerald Ford
Max Wyndham
An impeachable offence is whatever a majority of the House of Representat1ve5 considers it to be at a given moment of hI5: tory. Thus thinks Gerald Ford, Vice-President of the United States of America. These were the very words that he used in his 1970 speech in Congress during the abortive attemPt t° impeach the ancient liberal Justice Williara Douglas of the Supreme Court. Now they are coming back to him, leering at him in these first few months of his new-found glory. Yet, impeachment aside, the future seems t° look brighter for Ford with each succeeding day. He is the one man whom no one Ca° accuse of corruption, a shining knight amid much tawdriness and deceit. The evidence .15 there to prove it. Congress, in confirming 1115t. appointment, made him undergo the rhos, rigorous investigation that has been forceu upon any prospective office holder in the, history of the American republic. No stock °' share or mortgage was allowed to escape.the scrutiny of the Senate and House investiga tors. Every rumour was followed up, everYf accusation accounted for. The importance °, such a policy of thoroughness was furthe emphasised by Congress's knowledge ti al Ford, it confirmed, could well be the neli President if events continued to move \Ow the same startling rapidity as the last f,evi months. Indeed, some legislators clea't'e believed that this was more than just a rern°4 possibility, as was evidenced by some of t,Iis questions that they put to him during "„5 appearance before them. Naturally there vird considerable discussion as to what he WO regardas being the true definition of execof • live privilege, and Senator Claiborne Pell er Rhode Island wished to know if Dr Kisstrt.g would be kept on as Secretary of State In Ford administration. Ford As had always been expected, Gerald ,te was confirmed with little difficulty. Descu
several clumsy efforts to discredit him, the most spectacular of which was a bribery Charge brought by a congressional lobbyist called Robert Winter-Berger, nothing that could not be accounted for was found in his Past. Whatever else one can say about Ford, he is certainly not dishonest; and now the Proof is there for anyone who might wish to challenge his probity.
And it is in this proven honesty that the greatest strength of the man, perhaps even the greatest hope of the Republican Party, would appear to lie. For since his appointment as President Nixon's deputy Gerald Ford's Political stock has risen at a remarkably fast rate. To many he personifies those traditional virtues that have been momentarily eclipsed by Watergate and all its attendant scandals. In his youth he was an athlete, a football Player of skill and renown, and he still makes use of football terminology when describing his political philosophy. He laughs a lot, is Personable and uncomplicated, does not have friends like Frank Sinatra, and lives a domestic life of calm simplicity in a small house in one of Washington's Virginia suburbs. He arouses no strong feelings of Either dislike or distrust. People feel easy with him, and he speaks a great deal of his loyalty to America without adding the hollow rhetorical flourishes that are typical of President Nixon on the rampage. That most American voters appreciate the Character and integrity of Gerald Ford is borne out by the remarkable upsurge of supPort for his candidacy in 1976 that seems to be taking place in this country. Recent opinion Polls show that the new Vice-President leads all other challengers in the electoral lists, even Senator Edward Kennedy. He is far ahead of Ronald Reagan and Nelson Rockefeller, the two main Republican presidential hopefuls. Yet Ford has declared to all who question him on the thorny subject that he is not a candidate for the presidency. Clearly there are bow many who wish him to change his mind. So what is the future of this man whom Lyndon Johnson once accused of being so stupid that he was incapable of walking and Chewing gum at the same time? Certainly it would appear to be distinctly rosy. If the House of Representatives in its impeachment inquiry concludes that President Nixon Should be impeached, and if he is then tried by the Senate and found guilty, we will have President Ford presiding over the destiny of America and her many dependants. If, on the ,other hand, the Nixon administration contrives to stagger on to the end of its full term and the present climate of opinion persists, we may have candidate Ford abandoning his 'Pledge of an early retirement and going out to do battle with the best that the Democrats can produce.
Neither of these possibilities is remote. The House Judiciary committee is pressing ahead With its investigation and, given the liberal views of many of that committee's members, there is a good chance that their final recommendation will be to impeach. Naturally if this does not come about Ford will have to Wait a little longer, becoming better known and, given his personality, probably better liked by an electorate that is hungry for honesty and cleanliness at almost any price. ,,,Few doubt that his very genuine loyalty to Richard Nixon and to the present Republican administration is ruffled by such dreams of Personal power and glory.
But, in any case, as he travels around the country desperately trying to rally the people behind their President, Gerald Ford is one of the few members of this beleaguered government who has any reason to look ahead with hope.
Max Wyndham (Lord Egremont) is at present on the personal staff of a US Senator and is Writing regularly from Washington for The SPeetator.
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