Impeachment

* I’m sure it’s clear now, even to any right-minded Republican on the House Judiciary Committee. Lying about your sex life, even in court, is not an impeachable offense. But then, the Republicans on the committee cry out, he’s getting away with it. We need to punish him.

Fact is, the Constitution doesn’t allow for Congress to censure a president. So how do we resolve this punishment issue? Refer it to the judge in the Jones case. If the judge determines that Bill Clinton either lied or was “not completely forthcoming,” she can find him in contempt, and Clinton can pay a fine. Then the contentious party wrangling and backbiting and Kenneth Starr can all go away.

Impeaching Clinton is like firing me from my job for not paying my parking tickets, and the only thing worse than the fact we’re actually having these hearings is that such a serious event has transmogrified into a political football.

GREGORY DYAS

Thousand Oaks