Constitutional Balance

Arthur Schlesinger’s premise (“Upsetting the Constitutional Balance,” Dec. 21) is that the impeachment of Bill Clinton is a precedent that will weaken the presidency by making such actions easy for a usurping Congress.

Well, I suppose that will be true when any future president is widely believed to have committed perjury or obstructed justice while in office. But what percentage of all our 42 presidents have ever been so suspect? What percentage of ordinary citizens are ever accused of a felony?

As to Schlesinger’s worry that the imperial style of presidency has been fatally altered, well, this president had no trouble pursuing diplomacy while the House debated his culpability. And no trouble carrying out an unratified act of war on the very eve of the impeachment vote.

The history of the American presidency has demonstrated that when the times demand it, and the holder of the office is worthy of it, power sufficient to the need is always vested to our chief executive. Schlesinger needn’t fret.

ROBERT C. CHANDLER

Beverly Hills

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First, they try to destroy the National Endowment for the Arts, then they go after public education, public radio, poor people and thwart a national health care system. After that, they shut down the entire government. Finally, they impeach the democratically elected president over the objections of the majority of Americans. It seems to me that the Republicans should change the name of their agenda to the Contract on America.

ERIK SELEKMAN

Los Angeles

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If it’s really about lying and perjury, why have the “Impeach Clinton” bumper stickers been around for at least five years?

BARBARA SHAPIRO

Huntington Beach

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Let us be clear about what happened on Dec. 19. A part of our government, the House of Representatives, voted to take away the people’s right to choose our leader. If they can take away that right, they can take away any right.

EDWIN G. McBRIDE

Long Beach

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I listened to over 15 hours of the impeachment proceedings and was absolutely disgusted by them. The event was, in no uncertain terms, politically motivated. The utter disregard for the truth and the incessant and devious attempts to subvert the proceedings unequivocally demonstrated the moral depravity and intellectual dishonesty of the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party is the most repugnant institution in America today.

MARK FEIT

Valencia