Impeachment Proceedings

* It’s noted that the latest outrage in Congress is the stampede by the Henry Hyde House Judiciary Committee to string up Bill Clinton. Members of this committee have all the decorum and judgment of a KKK meeting.

After spending five years and millions of dollars in their overzealous effort to discredit the president, they have had to settle for a sex scandal. It’s not much, but when you have unsuccessfully committed yourself to destroying Clinton any small tidbit of irregularity is enough to save face and provide some cover for the millions of dollars squandered by an incompetent prosecutor.

The final outrage of this travesty of due process is the panel’s determination that there are 15 impeachable offenses charged against the president (Oct. 6). The committee has a way of using the same one or two misdemeanors in a number of circumstances. Only a misanthropic, partisan group could honestly promote such a disgusting approach. I pray that Americans will see what is going on and vote out these fools in November and finally put an end to this debacle.

RICHARD J. SILVESTRO

Santa Maria

* It amazes me that your reporters in the Sunday and Monday editions and Robert Scheer (Column Left, Oct. 6) are still trying to prove that someone other than President Clinton is responsible for the dilemma that the administration and our country finds itself in.

Regardless of the motivations of Monica Lewinsky, Linda Tripp or Ken Starr, the simple fact of the matter is Clinton did it! He personally made the decision and took the initial action that started this proverbial ball rolling, and it hasn’t stopped yet. No amount of whining, moaning, finger-pointing or conspiracy theorizing changes the fact that Clinton is personally responsible for his own actions and everything that results from them.

What if he had just said no?

JAMES B. DAVIS

Los Angeles

* In true Nixonian fashion Congress is now determined to “destroy the village in order to save it.” Except now we’re the village.

DAVID J. RUSSELL

Los Angeles

* The impeachment inquiry is nothing but a taxpayer-supported Republican strategy comparable to smear campaigns against Democratic candidates for local, state and national offices.

RICHARD ROEHM

Santa Ana

* We have a very popular president, and many argue that the “will of the people” should prevail as an intricate part of the formula in the impeachment inquiry. One must know that it is up to the members of Congress to vote their consciences, uphold the Constitution and ignore the polls. In this great republic’s history, slavery was once condoned as being the “will of the people.” They were wrong then, as they are today. No one is above the law.

JIM THIELE

Santa Barbara

* So what’s the problem? Both Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon were solely responsible for putting themselves in a fatal mess. The Republicans in the House Judiciary Committee proposed using Peter Rodino’s same rules for Nixon this time around on Clinton. Rules that Hillary Rodham Clinton had a hand in shaping 25 years ago. Both men can claim to be targets for political reasons. So again, what’s the problem? What goes around comes around. The problem is that Democrats just are not getting used to being “back benchers.”

JAMES C. McHARGUE

Los Angeles

* Note to Congress: Get out of the dirt--get back to work!

RON KOBAYASHI

Orange

* The Oct. 6 front-page photo of the four “Old Masters” of the House Judiciary Committee brings to mind a quote from Ambrose Bierce’s “The Devil’s Dictionary”: “(Old) Age. That period of life in which we compound for the vices that remain by reviling those we have no longer the vigor to commit.”

JIM HOUGHTON

Encino

* God forbid that we let the Richard Mellon Scaifes, Ken Starrs, Linda Tripps and Jerry Falwells of this world speak for the rest of us. Their self-serving agendas of hate, prejudice and political gain irrespective of the people’s will deserve only one thing--our utter contempt.

JUNE O. HENDRIX

Pacific Palisades

* If you think Clinton has done a good job as president, vote for Democrats in the November elections. If you want him impeached, vote Republican. It’s that simple.

VIRGINIA KING

Jamul, Calif.

* It’s not high drama. It’s farce. It’s not Shakespeare. It’s Sheridan. Judge Starr is not Richard Burton. Try Groucho Marx.

Finally, the media. Pick one: a Greek chorus or the Keystone Kops. Let Disney keep us amused. They at least know what they are trying to do.

MORRIS A. SHOLL

Los Angeles

* The double standards of this whole affair have me baffled. If a Republican expresses an opinion that there is evidence to proceed with impeachment hearings, he is bashed by the Democrats as being partisan. Yet, if a Democrat adamantly stands by Clinton by swearing him innocent, the Democrat is just giving an opinion.

Similarly, when the Republican gives his opinion, he is accused of already making up his mind and that he should withhold judgment because he is on the jury. Yet the Clintons have been phoning Democrats personally, stumping for them on the campaign trail and who knows what other deals they are making behind the scenes. Aren’t these Democrats potential jury members also? Wouldn’t this be equivalent to jury tampering?

ROBERTA ROTHWELL

Palmdale

* Congress is having trouble deciding a suitable punishment for Clinton short of impeachment. How about giving the Republicans two veto overrides and a Supreme Court justice to be named later?

GARY A. ROBB

Los Angeles

* Should the upcoming elections become a referendum on whether the president should be impeached, as I believe they will if the House persists in delving into a matter whose origin and justification--obstruction of justice in asking Monica Lewinsky to lie or trading a job for silence--now appear spurious at best, I wish to apologize to [Senate candidate] Matt Fong.

I have been intending to vote for him as a moderate Republican whom I believe would be dedicated to his office and principles; however, the gross invasions of privacy and overstepping of the federal government, which for me the current scandal represents above all else, must be spoken out against first and loudest. I see voting Democratic, even as difficult as it will be in this particular race, to be the best way to be heard within the apparently soundproof beltway.

SCOTT PETTIT

Los Angeles

* It is indeed ironic that the commander in chief of the armed forces, Bill Clinton, might be forced out of his job for lying about a sexual matter, when gays and lesbians in the military must do that continually in order to keep their jobs.

RAYMOND FITZPATRICK

Beverly Hills

* The three great Republican scandals of the last quarter-century: 1) Watergate, 2) Iran-Contra, 3) the Starr investigation.

DON LOCKMAN

North Hollywood