THE ADMINISTRATION: A Sure Touch in Ford's Second Week

(4 of 4)

The President spent much of his week cementing relations with Congressmen, Democrats as well as Republicans. He was host at a series of meetings in the Oval Office with legislators, both individually and in small groups, to discuss pending bills. Twice he dropped in on his former colleagues on Capitol Hill. The first time was when he paid tribute to Mike Mansfield, who set a record last week for longevity as Senate majority leader: more than 13½ years. Said Ford: "It proves that people who can negotiate survive better than those who take a flat, adamant attitude." Later in the week, Ford visited the Capitol again to make brief speeches to the House and Senate. "I just wanted to stop by today and say hello," he said, "and to officially inaugurate Pennsylvania Avenue as a two-way street." Both chambers responded with thunderous applause. As a further bipartisan touch, the President had a portrait of Harry Truman, whom Ford admires for his courage and straightforwardness, hung on a wall in the Cabinet Room next to a portrait of his other favorite President, Lincoln.