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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