House Vote on Impeachment

As I watched CNN Saturday morning, I saw something that really captured the current state of our nation. On one side of the screen was the farce being engineered by the Republican leadership on the floor of the House of Representatives, and on the other was the familiar scene of triple-A fire and explosions over Baghdad.

It is frightening to think that a country able to wield so much destructive force on the other side of globe gives so much power to the kind of demagogues and hypocrites we have been watching in this shameful display of partisan zealotry.

JOHN JOHNSON

Calabasas

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This is a sad day in America, one that history will surely look upon as an unfair partisan effort to oust a popular president any way possible, even if the Constitution and the will of the American people had to be trampled.

I suggest that even calling for this vote at a time when the United States is at war is nearer to high crimes and misdemeanors than anything President Clinton may have done. Demoralizing the country, debasing the commander in chief and weakening us in the eyes of our enemies may even come near to treason.

History will be kind to President Clinton and hopefully will decry the actions of the Republicans in the House of Representatives. If Clinton were to run for public office again in his career, I would cast my vote proudly, but no member of the mean-spirited, judgmental and out-of-touch Republican Party will ever see a vote from me. I hope I’m not alone.

TONI FRANKLIN

Santa Clarita

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The defiant speech by President Clinton following his becoming only the second president in our history to be impeached boldly underscores the attitude of the liberals toward our citizens and the truth. His speech had better also be a warning to all who care about our country and our futures that the liberals will not stop the great lie embodied in their failed liberal ideas without a viscous fight.

Unless you believe that lying before a grand jury and obstructing justice should not be crimes, unless you believe that more and bigger government is the answer to all of our problems, unless you believe that your taxes are not high enough, unless you just don’t care, now is the time to put aside all excuses for inaction and contact our senators to urge a trial and removal of the president. We must not allow the shrill cries of the liberals to drown out the common-sense conservative ideas which form the basis for our freedom and liberty.

F. STEPHEN MASEK

Mission Viejo

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If there ever was a time for the million man march, the time is now! Stop this insanity in Congress. The founding fathers who created the possibility of impeachment to address high crimes and misdemeanors would be leading the charge!

CATHERINE FELKER

Pacific Palisades

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History lesson No. 1, 1948-1998: Democrats mess with women, Republicans mess with the U.S. Constitution and U.S. government. Test question No. 1: Which is the greater sin and more dangerous to this country?

GEORGE SCHWIMMER

Los Angeles

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Dec. 19, 1998, a day which will live in infamy.

HAROLD N. BASS

Northridge

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It is clear now the only way to restore any dignity to the office of the president as well as to retain any shred of honor for himself is for William Jefferson Clinton to step down. To remain in office would be to leave a stain on this date in history as large as the one he so craftily tried to cover up.

The country and our government will go on quite nicely without him,

ROBERT W. COLEMAN

Santa Clarita

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Republican adulterers judging a Democratic philanderer: what a spectacle!

FREDERIC HUNTER

Santa Barbara

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The partisan Republicans, ignoring the will of the people, and refusing to allow a vote on censure, have shoved an impeachment down America’s throat. They stood naked before the nation, exposed as a petty, self-righteous and vindictive gang of thugs. Yes, they won the battle but have lost the war for the hearts and minds of the electorate.

JOEL WALLENSTEIN

Los Angeles

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Despite incessant hammering from the media, the White House and liberal sycophants, I do not see any of the national chaos that the left keeps whining about. We are not so fragile and delicate that we must be shielded from tough action in response to bad conduct. The same people who think the nation will fall apart because a man with no conscience will lose his job are the ones who don’t have the stomach to punish hard criminals adequately.

When I go to the mall, I see people shopping as usual. When I go to a restaurant, I see people dining in comfort. When I go to the park, I see people enjoying recreational activities as always. The only chaos I see is that being manufactured by the president’s allies, including Hollywood (Streisand and Baldwin) and the media (Rivera and his ilk).

Ordinary people may agree or disagree with impeachment, but their lives are not all that affected by it.

DAVID F. HUBBARD

Riverside

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The polls tell us that 68% of the American people favor censure and oppose impeachment. Where were those people during the last two elections, when Republicans won control of Congress? If we sit back and don’t vote, or we vote Republican, why are we surprised when the president hands the Republicans his own head, ready to be piked and they gleefully accept?

Sooner or later, we reap what we sow, something Americans as well as Clinton should have known. It’s not too early to plan a change for the year 2000.

KIRTLEY M. THIESMEYER

Flintridge

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How wonderful it would be if the members of Congress would speak with such passion and conviction about education for our children, clean air and water, food for the hungry. What a truly strong and moral country this could be. But instead they choose to waste their time, and our tax dollars, on hatred and hypocrisy. One positive thing to come out of this shameful mess, we now know what is most important to our elected officials. They are dangerously out of touch.

GRACIE HARRISON

Los Angeles

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I would like to send my congratulations to President Clinton. For this weekend, the president has found the legacy he and his staff were so interested in establishing at the beginning of his second term. Two articles of impeachment will ensure the president his place in history.

P.A. JARRETT

Mission Viejo

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I do not want to hear one word about resignation.

If the rabid Republicans are so determined to burn Clinton at the stake, I want to watch them toss on the matches--so I can remember their names.

MICHAEL J. BENEDICT

Sherman Oaks

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Not since we tried to influence our Congress to stop the bombing of Vietnam and Cambodia has this feeling of powerlessness overwhelmed me. We were right then and we are right today. Our president should not be impeached or censured. The Republicans are misinterpreting our Constitution and it will take decades to recover from their “willfulness.” Those who vote to impeach without due process (a violation of our Constitution) should be impeached themselves.

MARIANA LENNON

Granada Hills

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In the impeachment debate on the floor of the House, against the backdrop of war, I have witnessed an ugliness that is truly shocking. It is equally the fault of Republicans, Democrats, the president and the American people. Too few are willing to accept other positions as legitimate as their own or concede a point without hurling a counterattack. I have been more guilty of that than most in my own small way.

Much has been said about lessons for our children and the setting of bad precedents. But the ideals at stake here go far beyond the troubles of one man, even a president. The most enduring lesson to take to our children and the best precedent to set must be that people of principle can strongly disagree yet still come to good-faith resolutions that address the concerns of all, for that is the only way to restore trust and thereby serve the common good.

CURT MATSUNE

Walnut

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I’m sitting here (Friday) watching the historic House impeachment debate, the first debate of its kind in over 100 years. Republicans and Democrats have told the nation that this issue is a national crisis, the republic will fall if this issue is not concluded, it’s an issue of world-shaking importance, yadda, yadda, yadda.

So, the TV camera pans the House and it’s two-thirds empty! Where is everybody? Out Christmas shopping? Historic debate, my Furby!

ANN CALHOUN

Los Osos

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I see that the president is: 1) working to craft a lasting peace in the Middle East; 2) keeping his promise to stop a madman from developing weapons which could wipe out humanity; and 3) presiding over a robust and optimistic American economy. In the meantime, the Republican Party is scrambling to explain countless sexual affairs among its members while conducting a witch hunt (that the American public has made clear it does not want) to avenge the ouster of Tricky Dick over 20 years ago.

Business as usual.

BRUCE HOWELL

Laguna Hills

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Using the power and staff of the office of the president to solicit and encourage others to give false testimony and to conceal evidence thrusts a sharp and poisonous dagger into the heart of our system of justice. Impeachment on this ground is fully justified.

LEE L. BLACKMAN

Palos Verdes Estate

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Stop the Insanity! That’s what Senate leaders should do immediately. Take a quick vote and if they don’t have two-thirds to convict, end it. Don’t waste the last year of the century in a meaningless trial. There are real problems for the Senate to deal with.

MARLENE BRONSON

Santa Monica