The Breach: Inside the Impeachment and Trial of William Jefferson Clinton by Baker Peter

Author:Baker, Peter [Baker, Peter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Politics
Publisher: Scribner
Published: 2000-09-18T00:00:00+00:00

The House convened at 10 A.M. on Thursday, December 17, emotions roiling on all sides. Democrats were still outraged that the Republicans were even thinking of going ahead with the impeachment debate after just a days delay, while the Republicans chafed at having their motives questioned once again. On the floor, some GOP members put forth a resolution supporting the troops to make clear that their criticism of the commander in chief should not be misread, a statement approved 4175. And Newt Gingrich emerged from his self-imposed political hibernation to try to reframe the dialogue away from questioning the attack, in contrast to Lott and Armey. We have a chance today to say to the world: no matter what our constitu tional process, whether it is an election eve or it is the eve of a constitutional vote, no matter what our debates at home, we are, as a nation, prepared to lead the world, he said on the House floor. At the White House, Clinton was vindicated for insisting on praising Gingrichs internationalism in the statement issued after his resignation announcement the month before.

From the lectern in the House chamber, Livingston announced that the impeachment debate would begin the next morning even if the bombing continued. This is a terribly unpopular measure and no one wants to deal with impeachment, but it is before us and we must deal with it, he told his colleagues, noting that Watergate proceedings went forward during the Vietnam War. Theres no way to know when the troops will have completed their mission. That was the public explanation. Privately, he believed they simply could not wait a week to vote in the midst of Christmas, and he worried there would be no way for them to regroup after the New Year.

The Democrats were in full attack mode and staged a rally off the floor to highlight the impropriety of impeaching a commander in chief while he directed armed conflict with another country.

That is wrong! shouted Dick Gephardt. That is wrong! That is wrong! That is wrong!

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