Clinton Impeachment Essay, Research Paper
Clinton has been impeached for committing perjury and the obstruction of justice
in order to try to cover up the present evidence associated with the Paula Jones
civil rights case. In 1868, the House of Representatives impeached President
Andrew Johnson because he unfairly fired his War Secretary. He was not removed
from office because of a Senate vote of 35-19; he was one vote short of being
guilty. In 1974, the Democrats marked President Nixon for factual reasons over
Watergate and drafted Articles of Impeachment for thought by the full House.
Before the vote his main advisors claimed that they would be unable to support
him any further leading to his resignation. This issue is a current problem
because it hurts the office of the President and it hurts the presidency because
his credibility is at stake. Essentially, if we allow the President to get away
with lying under oath then we are basically saying that it is okay for anyone to
do so. The other side to this basically says that since Clinton did not lie
about anything concerning the country?s welfare he should not be impeached. It
is not illegal to have an affair, just immoral in the eyes of some people.
?Article 1 – PERJURY BEFORE THE GRAND JURY PASSED BY THE COMMITTEE, by a vote
of 21-16 The President provided perjurious, false and misleading testimony to
the Federal grand jury regarding: 1. the nature of his relationship with Monica
Lewinsky; 2. prior perjurious, false and misleading testimony he gave in the
Paula Jones civil rights case; 3. prior false and misleading statements he
allowed his attorney, Bob Bennett, to make in the Paula Jones case; 4. His
efforts to influence the testimony of witnesses and to impede the discovery of
evidence in the Paula Jones case. Article 2 – PERJURY IN THE JONES CASE PASSED
BY THE COMMITTEE, by a vote of 20-17 The President provided perjurious, false
and misleading testimony as part of the Paula Jones civil rights action brought
before him: 1. in his sworn answers to written questions (affidavit); and 2. In
his deposition. Article 3 – OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE PASSED BY THE COMMITTEE, by a
vote of 21-16 The President obstructed justice in an effort to delay, impede,
cover up, and conceal the existence of evidence related to the Paula Jones civil
rights case in the following cases: 1. December 17, 1997 – President Clinton
encouraged Monica Lewinsky to submit false written statement (affidavit) to the
court; 2. December 17, 1997 – President Clinton encouraged Monica Lewinsky to
give false testimony to the court; 3. December 28, 1997 – President Clinton
helped in a plan to hide the gifts Monica Lewinsky gave him; 4. December 7, 1997
- January 14, 1998 – President Clinton intensified efforts and succeeded in
getting Monica Lewinsky a job to prevent her truthful testimony; 5. January 17,
1998 – In his deposition in the Paula Jones civil rights case, President Clinton
allowed his attorney, Bob Bennett, to make false and misleading statements about
Monica Lewinsky’s affidavit; 6. January 18 and January 20-21, 1998 – President
Clinton made false and misleading statements to Betty Currie, a potential
witness, to influence her testimony in the Paula Jones civil case; 7. January
21, 23, and 26, 1998 – President Clinton made false and misleading statements to
Erskine Bowles, Bruce Lindsey, and Sidney Blumenthal, potential witnesses in the
criminal case, to influence their testimony. Article 4 ABUSE OF POWER NOTE: This
article was amended by a 29-5 vote The President misused and abused his office
and impaired the administration of justice. 1. The President made perjurious,
false and misleading statements to Congress (answers to the 81 questions).?
This issue has violated parts of the constitution. These parts of the United
States Constitution have been broken by the obstruction of justice. ?(18 USC
1510) Obstruction of Criminal Investigations (White House actions under the
supervision of the President involving the disappearance of evidence, tampering
with a homicide investigation, failure to cooperate, providing false and
misleading statements, and Obstructing Kennith Starr’s investigation as related
to Monica Lewinsky and other women.) (18 USC 1512(a)) Threatening Victims,
Witnesses or Informants, and Pressuring Monica Lewinsky to Lie under Oath.)?
(United States Constitution). President Clinton also misused many other parts of
the Presidential office, concerning perjury, fraud, and false statements,
racketeering, and misuse of government property. If the problem is not corrected
this could lead to many other future incidents. Simply the President is not
above the law. Over the years we have heard countless stories of the military
and their own set of laws. A few years prior a high ranking woman in the
military was discharged because her husband and herself had not finalized their
divorce; at that time she had relations with another man leading to her
dismissal from her cherished military position. Now if the president, the
commander in chief, cheats on his wife, lies about it under oath, causes
millions of dollars in investigations, why shouldn?t he be dismissed as well?
Again, the President is not above the law. ?Article I, Section II The House of
Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have
the sole Power of Impeachment. Article I, Section III The Senate shall have the
sole power to try all Impeachment?s. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall
be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the
Chief Justice shall preside. And no person shall be convicted without the
concurrence of two thirds of the Members present. Judgment in Case of
Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and
disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust, or Profit under
the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and
subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law. Article
II, Section IV The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the
United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction
of, Treason, Bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. Article III,
Section III Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying War
against them, or, in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No
person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two witnesses to
the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. The Congress shall have
power to declare the Punishment of treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall
work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person
attainted.? President Clinton is being charged with the obstruction of justice
in the Paula Jones civil rights case, and committing perjury while under oath.
The President obstructed justice while trying to cover up, and conceal the
existence of evidence affiliated to the Paula Jones civil rights case. On
December 17, 1997, President Clinton motivated Monica Lewinsky to hand in false
written statements to the court, and give a false testimony to the court. On
December 7, 1997 – January 14, 1998, President Clinton tried very hard and
succeeded in getting Monica Lewinsky a job, in order for her to give a false
testimony. January 18 and January 20-21, 1998, President Clinton lied to Betty
Currie, a possible witness, to persuade her testimony in the Paula Jones civil
case. President Clinton lied under oath when he provided a false and misleading
testimony that as part of the Paula Jones civil rights case. President Clinton
provided false and misleading statements in his sworn answers to written
questions, and in his deposition. There is a big dispute between the Republicans
and the Democrats about the impeachment. The Democrats think the Republicans
want him impeached because he had an affair, and then lied about it. In reality,
the Republicans are saying that the sex is not the issue, it is that he lied
under oath, and that is perjury, an impeachable offense. Also the fact that he
abused his powers as President, and obstructed justice is also an impeachable
offense. There are eight ways a President can be impeached. A President can be
impeached from office for his extensive actions in violation and obstruction of
the law and of justice, his promotion, and acquiescence in corruption, and
unethical administration in the Executive Branch of government, his failure to
exercise due diligence in supervising the heads of principal officers of the
executive departments, ambassadors, and other agency heads who report to him,
his subversion of the Constitution, his subordination of our sovereignty to
foreign powers, and ‘international bodies’, is violation of the public trust,
his acts of usurpation of power, and his acts of violence. The Republicans and
Democrats both have different views on what should happen to President Clinton
for his actions. The Democrats feel he should be censured, but I disagree
because I do not feel it is REALLY a punishment. Censure is merely a slap on the
wrist, and such a weak punishment could cause him to continue his actions. If he
is not dealt with properly we could have another incident like this one in the
future. The Republican?s feel that impeaching the President and removing him
from office is the best possible solution. Republican?s don?t like President
Clinton, because he is a Democrat and they share different political views and
want him out of office, and the Democrats want to hold their position in office.
If the Republicans can get President Clinton out of office then the people may
feel a little negative toward the Democratic Party and when the next
presidential election comes around, people may be more inclined to vote for the
Republican Party rather than Democratic Party. Impeaching and removing the
President from office, in my opinion is the best solution to this, but in doing
so will create a lot of complications in the government for a short while when
Al Gore takes office. In my opinion President Clinton should be impeached,
because of his wrongdoing and bad choice of action. I feel this way not because
of the affairs, but because of what he did to try to cover his tracks. All of us
Americans assume that President Clinton is not above the law. Therefore, he
should be responsible for his actions in his office. As more evidence of
criminal wrongdoing continues to arise in the congressional and independent
investigations, impeachment becomes the only solution to revive the peoples’
faith in our constitutional form of government. I do not think it is in our
countries best interest to have a President who is sneaky, a liar, and does what
he does in order to cover the truth. My solution is not necessarily a perfect
answer because there are a few problems involved. We would have to make Vice
President Al Gore the President, and with all the problems Saddam Hussein is
causing, it could be disastrous. Hussein knowing that there is a disruption
could cause him to do something rash knowing we are not at our normal state of
organization. In my opinion President Clinton should be impeached. The political
party I follow is the Republican Party. In different situations I have different
philosophies, but in this case, I am a conservative, who believes he should be
impeached. The President has a big important role on society. Although it is
probably unfair, the President has the responsibility to be a perfect role
model. This is one of the reasons why I feel it is so important that he be
punished severely because if not, it shows that the President is above the law
and in reality the President is not above the law.
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