Trent Lott

Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) has said that bad conduct is an impeachable offense (“Lott Loosens His Impeachment Standard,” Sept. 30). This is the same Trent Lott who voted against all three counts of impeachment against Richard Nixon, a president who was shown to have obstructed justice in a criminal case.

Lott’s comments only go to show the hypocrisy of the Republicans in Congress. They have turned this important discussion into a political campaign to overturn an election they did not win. They have made justice impossible.

I will be voting Democrat this fall because I believe only the Democrats in Congress are interested in finding the truth. And they will give the president the penalty he deserves.

CHARLIE KOSKI

Panorama City

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Who says Congress is not taking care of the nation’s business? The Air Force says it doesn’t need another cargo plane. So Newt Gingrich rams through a gift to Lockheed-Martin in his district for construction of that multimillion dollar plane anyway. The Navy says it doesn’t need a specialized ship, but Lott makes a gift of that unneeded multimillion-dollar ship to the Pascagoula Shipyard in his state (Sept. 29).

Those same “nonpartisan” guys are about to embark on a sideshow about a guy who had sex and lied about it. Cost: millions more.

JULIAN WOLF

Los Angeles

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I am astounded by the White House supporters claiming that perjury in a civil trial is acceptable and allowable by this president. The civil justice system is a critical institution in our democracy, and is our only recourse when we seek damages from those who have harmed us.

If I were a physician and you were seeking damages for malpractice, how would you like it if I lied under oath, tampered with witnesses and encouraged others to lie to damage your ability to receive justice or compensation? I believe what the president did was very wrong and that his staff who support his actions are contemptible.

CAMERON CRAYCROFT

Huntington Beach

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John J. Pitney Jr.’s attempted satire of Al Capone as Clinton blows up in his own face (Column Right, Sept. 29). Imagine the implacable Eliot Ness doggedly pursuing the notorious Capone, not because Big Al had done anything like corrupt Chicago and kill dozens of people, but because he had sex with an adult woman (gasp!) and then got evasive about it. What a blockbuster movie that would make, eh, Pitney?

GREG PEARSON

Santa Monica