Although I’m in the camp that Chappaquiddick is being whitewashed in all of the non-stop MSM coverage of Ted Kennedy and that there’s an expectation that Kennedy’s errors in life will be ignored in the coming days, I do think it’s important to note that President Clinton gave a pretty classy eulogy at Richard Nixon’s funeral, as well as declaring a national day of mourning. An excerpt from the eulogy, and the only mention of Watergate:

As a public man, he always seemed to believe the greatest sin was remaining passive in the face of challenges, and he never stopped living by that creed. He gave of himself with intelligence and energy and devotion to duty, and his entire country owes him a debt of gratitude for that service.
Oh yes, he knew great controversy amid defeat as well as victory. He made mistakes and they, like his accomplishments, are part of his life and record. But the enduring lesson of Richard Nixon is that he never gave up being part of the action and passion of his times. He said many times that unless a person has a goal, a new mountain to climb, his spirit will die. Well, based on our last phone conversation and the letter he wrote me just a month ago, I can say that his spirit was very much alive to the very end.

Also, searching through the archives at NYTimes.com, there is more positive coverage of Richard Nixon’s life than one might expect.