Wes wrote:
"John R. Carroll" wrote:

Ed Huntress and I had an extended conversation a while ago and his take was
that it it's just bad to put Presidents in jail for stuff they do in office.
He didn't really argue the merits, however. My point at the time was that
had Ford not Pardonned Nixon, Nixon might well have been tried and
convicted - thereby setting an example that his successors would have heeded
regarding the law.

Gerald Ford did the right thing. He was a pretty savvy politician and had to know he
would never be elected after that.

Nixon wasn't paranoid, he knew they were out to get him.

Nixon was about as paranoid as a man can get. Every man who has
committed crimes and is aware that the authorities are after him thinks
they are out to get him. They are. They were after Nixon too but he was
guilty of numerous crimes. But instead of treating him like they would
treat you or me they let him off the hook. If you think that is a good
example to follow then you don't understand how law is supposed to work.

Hawke