On Impeachment…11 December 1998

The following is said having reviewed my earlier writings on this subject in which I said on 15 September that Clinton should resign and november 11 that the scandal would go away. amazing how it has been revived mainly by political hacks on a house committee who won’t let it die even after the republican leader gingrich got tossed. it is likely that the committee of the house of representatives will vote at least one article of impeachment to the floor of the house. debate to begin next thursday. it’s considered a 50/50 shot that the house will vote to impeach. I think they won’t and even if they do it won’t pass the senate. But the committee vote (which will be political and partisan) might have a way of creating a momentum that will take on a life of its own. it may also be true that some democrats want to push clinton out, get gore in and build him up so he can better beat bush in 2 years. I don’t think clinton will go away easily. My position on this: since the independent counsel specifically said before congress this month that in all areas of his investigation as to substance (ie: whitewater, fbi filegate, travelgate) he couldn’t find anything to charge clinton with, i think it’s ridiculous that the only thing left to pursue for impeachment is perjury for adultery. that’s the kind of thing you lie about. it’s been said that good southern gentlemen do not admit to such indiscretions. such a trial will cause our stock market to fall, waste even more time and money (so far i estimate that about $400 of my taxes have been spent on this 4 year $50 million project) and divert the nation’s attention. regardless of what i think of the man (which is not too much), he has been a decent president, the public likes him and has voted for him twice, he will be out in 2 years and we should just move on. yes, i have been influenced by the 65-70% approval ratings he continues to receive and the reactions I am getting abroad to this scandal (ie: apathy or disbelief that americans are carrying on like this over nothing). and yes, while i wouldn’t mind it if he resigned, i don’t think this is worth impeachment. it is poor precedent after 200 years of plenty of presidents who cheated on their wives and it will be bad for the country and future presidents who will be victims of politics and witch-hunting. it is bad enough for this man that he is only 50 years old and will be shamed for the rest of his life and probably indicted after he leaves office anyway (which of course gives him no incentive to resign).