Forty years ago today, President Gerald R. Ford granted "a full, free, and absolute pardon unto Richard Nixon for all offenses against the United States which he, Richard Nixon, committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 20 through August 9, 1974." Ford said it was for the good of the country; that the nation had to put the Watergate scandals behind it. Others suggested Ford was trying to save the Republican Party further damage and to spare himself an awkward situation. It would have been tougher to issue a pardon and shut things down if the investigation went forward, more Nixon wrongdoing was unearthed and actual criminal charges were being readied.
Rick Perlstein believes that regardless of his motives, what Ford achieved was to end presidential accountability in this country. The impeachment of Bill Clinton looks even more ludicrous and partisan when you look at what Reagan and both Bushes got away with.