Impeaching President Clinton Essay, Research Paper
President William Jefferson 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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