Ford as President often attempted the old congressional routine, with invariably poor results -- particularly on the common situs picketing bill permitting secondary boycotts in the construction industry. Although he had consistently opposed this old chestnut of organized labor during his years in the House, President Ford was talked into sponsoring it by his Secretary of Labor, John Dunlop. When Congress passed it, he was bombarded by protests from disconsolate construction executives. Faced by Reagan's challenge, the President vetoed the bill with these reults: Secretary Dunlop's resignation, mobilization of building-trades unions against him, suspicion from businessmen who could not understand why they had to pressure a Republican President, outrage by Republican congressmen who had voted for the bill because they thought Ford had sanitized it.

Ford's flip-flop on common situs picketing was possible because he had no strong views on that or much of anything else -- another characteristic of Republican congressmen who can survive for 25 years. If they go along with the general sentiments of their constituency and exhibit a Main Street business conservatism, there is no need to adoptideological consistency on broader questions.

Source: Novak, Robert D. Fiasco '76. National Review. p. 1398. December 24, 1976.