ZX2 issue

I got 98' Ford Escort ZX2 automatic with 83k miles. Lately I've been having a problem with my car; slight jerkyness occurs when I am accelerating slowly, or driving in slow speeds. The problem disappears when driving faster than 20. One mechanic found a small leak around one spark plug, and he also recommended to fix the valve cover gasket. Any suggestions what the problem might be? Futrhermore, how do I get rid of rough idle? --Alex

the rough idle is pretty normal.

had your tranny serviced lately? try getting a flush w/ some synthetic oil in there. ATX's need it more and on a regular basis than do MTX's. let me know if that helps.