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WHYY Press Room
Presidential
Conversations on the Constitution
Below are press materials for the
national broadcast of the series. Click here
for information about WHYY's broadcast.
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this press release (MS Word document)
FORMER PRESIDENTS
FORD, CARTER AND BUSH DISCUSS THE CONSTITUTION’S ROLE IN THEIR
PRESIDENCIES IN PRESIDENTIAL CONVERSATIONS ON THE CONSTITUTION
, TO AIR ON PUBLIC TELEVISION
Former Presidents Gerald
Ford, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush discuss the historic
events that defined their terms in office in PRESIDENTIAL CONVERSATIONS
ON THE CONSTITUTION, a new series to be broadcast nationally
on public television stations throughout October 2004.* Produced
by WHYY-TV in Philadelphia in cooperation with the National
Constitution Center, the series features one-hour interviews
conducted by NPR Senior News Analyst Cokie Roberts. The production
will also be broadcast nationally on NPR stations.
PRESIDENTIAL CONVERSATIONS
ON THE CONSTITUTION marks the first time Americans will see
and hear former presidents speaking candidly about how the Constitution
affects presidential power. They also talk about their successes
and failures, as well as family life, including the role of
the first lady.
“We believed that
we could offer a unique vantage point on the United States Constitution
by examining this extraordinary document through the eyes of
those who have served as president,” stated Paul Gluck, WHYY’s
VP and Station Manager.
After the resignation of President
Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford became the first person ever to become
president without being elected either vice president or president.
Prior to assuming office as vice president, he faced scrutiny
by the FBI and committee hearings before the House of Representatives
and the Senate. “Everything that happened to me was appropriate
under the Constitution, so I had no reluctance to assume my
office and do my duties,” states Ford in PRESIDENTIAL CONVERSATIONS
ON THE CONSTITUTION: GERALD FORD.
Ford discusses his controversial
decision to pardon Richard Nixon, a power granted to him by
the Constitution. “As a new president under very difficult circumstances,
I had an obligation to spend all of my time on the problems
of 200 million Americans, and the only way to clear the deck
to get to the substantive problems that I faced was to pardon
Mr. Nixon and get his problems off my desk in the oval office.
It was purely practical.” Ford criticizes the pardons given
by former President Clinton.
In the wake of the Watergate
scandal, Congress passed, and President Ford signed, a campaign-
finance bill that set spending limits for campaigns, however,
the bill was later deemed unconstitutional and a violation of
the First Amendment by the Supreme Court. Ford states that it
is “fundamentally wrong” for candidates to have to raise the
thousands of dollars necessary today to participate in the political
process.
Jimmy Carter, often remembered
for his roles in the Iranian hostage situation, a national energy
crisis and the Camp David Accords, invoked a constitutional
issue on his first day in office when he made the controversial
decision to pardon Vietnam draft evaders. “I thought the best
thing to do was to pardon them and get the Vietnam War behind
us,” says Carter in PRESIDENTIAL CONVERSATIONS ON THE CONSTITUTION:
JIMMY CARTER.
He believes the greatest
tragedy of his term was the Iranian hostage crisis. Immediately
after the hostages were taken, Carter threatened to take military
action against Iran and terminate all trade between Iran and
the outside world if any of the hostages were injured. “I had
no doubt that my constitutional right as the president would
have resulted in the complete carrying out of that threat, and
I could launch a military attack instantly if I chose.”
During his term, Carter
was faced with an energy crisis that developed in the wake of
the Iranian Revolution. He was forced to decide whether or not
the federal government had the authority to mandate a nationwide
policy on deregulating the price of oil or controlling the price
of natural gas, or to let the states decide for themselves.
“That issue about federal authority to mandate matters over
which the states had previously had control was constitutional
in nature. The Supreme Court and others have upheld that right
of the federal government to have uniformity of oil and natural
gas policy.”
George H.W. Bush served
two terms as a representative to Congress from Texas and was
later appointed to a series of high-level positions including
chairman of the Republican National Committee during the Watergate
scandal. “They should have given me combat pay. It was the worst
job in the world, ” jokes Bush in PRESIDENTIAL CONVERSATIONS
ON THE CONSTITUTION: GEORGE H.W. BUSH.
Bush talks about the
president’s power to pardon, which he exercised when he pardoned
people involved in the Iran-Contra Affair. “It was controversial,
but I was happy to do it. I was very proud of the fact that
I pardoned those people and the Congress couldn’t do a damn
thing about it. I loved that. Some will say it was political,
but too bad.”
After hundreds of civilians
were shot dead by the Chinese army in Tiananmen Square, Congress
pressured Bush to cut off relations with China and issue additional
sanctions. Bush did not comply. “It’s an example of how the
Constitution gives the president the authority to make a very
controversial decision and not be called on the carpet by 45
senators. I think I made the right decision,” says Bush.
Each of the former presidents
discusses the role of the first lady. “Mrs. Ford was a very
ardent supporter of equal rights for women and I used to get
a lecture quite frequently. I got pushed to act on the floor
of the House in favor of it, and I did,” remembers Ford. Rosalyn
Carter often represented her husband at events he was unable
to attend. “She was very helpful to me and I think played a
role of activity that certainly at that time was unprecedented,”
states Carter. Bush comments on the “love and devotion” existing
first lady Laura Bush has for his son, the current U.S. president.
Gerald Ford graduated
from Yale Law School in 1941 and served in the House of Representatives
from 1949 to 1973. Since leaving office, he has continued to
actively participate in the political process and speak out
on important political issues. He takes part in many of the
activities of the Gerald R. Foundation and his Presidential
Library and Museum, located in Michigan.
Jimmy Carter, who was
elected governor of Georgia in 1971, served as president from
1977 to 1981. In 1982, he became university distinguished professor
at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and founded The Carter
Center. The nonpartisan and not-for-profit organization addresses
national and international issues of public policy. He was awarded
the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 and is the author of 18 books.
On his 18th birthday,
George H.W. Bush enlisted in the armed forces and was the youngest
pilot in the Navy when he received his wings. After graduating
from Yale with a degree in economics, he embarked on a career
in the oil industry. The George Bush Presidential Library and
Museum is located in Texas.
Education material based
on PRESIDENTIAL CONVERSATIONS ON THE CONSTITUTION will be available
to schools online at www.whyy.org. Teachers will be able to
download lesson plans and teacher’s guides to use in conjunction
with each episode.
Executive Producers for
the series are Ken Finkel and Paul Gluck. Cokie Roberts and
Mary Martin are producers and writers. Editing is by Patrick
Warner. Music by Bill Jolly. The series will be available on
DVD.
PRESIDENTIAL CONVERSATIONS ON THE
CONSTITUTION was made possible by The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation
and JP Morgan Chase . It will be made available to public television
stations nationwide by American Public Television.
*Please check local
listings for broadcast date and time in your area.
# # #
Press
release for PRESIDENTIAL CONVERSATION ON THE CONSTITUTION: GERALD
FORD
Press
release for PRESIDENTIAL CONVERSATION ON THE CONSTITUTION: JIMMY
CARTER
Press
release for PRESIDENTIAL CONVERSATION ON THE CONSTITUTION: GEORGE
H.W. BUSH press release
Fact
sheet for PRESIDENTIAL CONVERSATION ON THE CONSTITUTION |
