Speaking in 1999, about the impeachment of Bill Clinton:
Partisan impeachment drives are doomed to fail. The Senate must restore sanity to this impeachment process. We must exercise judgment and do justice. We have to act in the interest of the Nation. History will judge us based on whether this case was resolved in a way that serves the good of the country, not the political ends of any party or the fortunes of any person.
The full speech is here. Consider yourself warned that he is a bloviator of the first order. Not much of Cal Coolidge in that fellah.
7 comments:
Assistant Village Idiot: the impeachment of Bill Clinton ...
On the one hand we have a president who lied about sex during a civil trial that was eventually dismissed as lacking merit. On the other hand, we have a president, who at the very least, was derelict in his duty to protect the constitution, and who reasonably can be said to have encouraged a mob with violent beliefs to storm the Capitol to stop the transfer of presidential power.
Perhaps Americans could unite around the idea that insurrection is bad.
30 degrees again ...
The Supreme Court's ruling in Clinton v. Jones led to the District Court's hearing of Jones v. Clinton, which led to the Lewinsky scandal, when Clinton was asked under oath about other workplace relationships, which led to charges of perjury and obstruction of justice and the impeachment of Bill Clinton.
On April 12, 1999, Wright found Clinton in contempt of court for "intentionally false" testimony in Jones v. Clinton, fined him $90,000, and referred the case to the Arkansas Supreme Court's Committee on Professional Conduct, as Clinton still possessed a law license in Arkansas.
The Arkansas Supreme Court suspended Clinton's Arkansas law license in April 2000. On January 19, 2001, Clinton agreed to a five-year suspension and a $25,000 fine in order to avoid disbarment and to end the investigation of Independent Counsel Robert Ray (Starr's successor).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_v._Jones
Trump's a private citizen now, so why not just arrest him for inciting a riot?
Nowhere in Trump's speech did he tell his followers to enter the capitol building. He asked them to peacefully march to the capitol and let their Reps and Senators know how they felt about the alleged election fraud.
A few did enter the building, walked around, snapped some pictures on their phones and left. And as typical, a few took it upon themselves to create mayhem and destruction. Some of the latter, have been found to have ties to the Democrats and BLM/Antifa.
The FBI knew ahead of time that some people would try to enter the capitol building with nefarious purposes, but didn't take action to stop it or to warn capitol police about the potential for violence.
Christopher B - thank you. that was the more thorough version of what I was going to say.
The accusation of insurrection will not hold, Zach, and it's not close. The word has a specific meaning, in both law and common speech. "Derelict in his duty to protect the Constitution" is fun to say to stir up the crowd - which is of course fine when you do it - but it is elusive, based on feelings.
Christopher B: The Supreme Court's ruling in Clinton v. Jones
Imagine that. The president was required to testify in a civil suit while still president; but apparently the president can't be compelled to testify or held to account in a criminal case.
Christopher B: when Clinton was asked under oath about other workplace relationships, which led to charges of perjury and obstruction of justice and the impeachment of Bill Clinton.
Imagine that. Clinton was found by the court to have committed civil contempt in a civil case that was tossed as lacking merit, and yet Republicans thought that was an impeachable offense. Trump involvement in undermine U.S. democracy is much more serious and of much more concern to those who crafted the impeachment provision of the U.S. Constitution.
Mike Guenther: Nowhere in Trump's speech did he tell his followers to enter the capitol building.
"Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?" — Henry II
The crowd was primed and readied by weeks of instigation, that the country was in danger of being taken over by "them".
Mike Guenther: A few did enter the building, walked around, snapped some pictures on their phones and left.
Hundreds entered the building chanting among other things "Hang Mike Pence!" and "Where's Pelosi?". They intended to stop the electoral process, which they did.
Mike Guenther: Some of the latter, have been found to have ties to the Democrats and BLM/Antifa.
The vast majority of those arrested were Trump supporters.
Assistant Village Idiot: The accusation of insurrection will not hold, Zach, and it's not close.
If you mean that the Senate won't convict despite volumes of evidence, then you are correct.
"I knew this would end badly. I did not think it would end with Trump supporters beating a cop with poles adorned with American flags as they try to enter the U.S. Capitol to execute Mike Pence."
https://mobile.twitter.com/radleybalko/status/1348357795834437634
Not to worry. It's just typical late-stage decay of a great power.
@ Zachriel - you are leaving out important parts of the story, ignoring what has been put in front of you even here in favor of going after details that are more fun. That is simply not honest. I shall not respond, and I discourage others from responding as well.
I’m on record as in favor of impeaching more people. Impeaching Bill Clinton was the right thing to do, and I believe impeaching Trump is the correct course of action as well. I’m with Andy McCarthy though that the articles of impeachment should be different - I’m down for dereliction of duty.
Post a Comment