President’s Acquittal
The ultimate winner in Friday’s impeachment acquittal was the Constitution. It weathered the firestorm created by an extraordinary troika of sometimes inept, miscalculating and always intractable combatants. First, an American president afflicted by incendiary hormones and an amazing propensity for effortless lies. Second, a messianic, extra-constitutional prosecutor, driven over the line by ecclesiastical instincts that demanded the destruction of a president he believed to be the embodiment of the antichrist. Finally, an Illinois congressman, possessed by a double standard for lying, a legislator who believed that homespun homilies and folksy one-liners were substitutes for fundamental evidentiary moxie--augmented by a clueless grasp of the American mind.
When all’s said and done, I’ll bet the Senate’s verdict will be viewed as an instrument that preserved the framers’ intent to protect us against garden-variety political dogfights and safeguarded impeachment for its intended purpose of protecting the United States from serious threats of despotism and tyranny.
MICHAEL A. SCOTT
Glendora
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Feb. 12 is a day of infamy. I lament the collapse of American morality and ethics. And I am proud to be a Republican.
HO-PING LO
Laguna Hills
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Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we’re free--momentarily at least from Congress, lawyers and talking heads--at last!
MICHAEL ARNOLD GLUECK
Newport Beech
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Bill Clinton apparently believes that the American people are fools, morons or troglodytes. And if you believe the opinion polls, 72% of the public and at least 50% of the Senate are exactly that.
RICHARD L. GRAHAM
Huntington Beach
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The vote is over. Let the tar and feathering begin!
CLARENCE JOHNSON
Riverside
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It is my sincerest hope that now that the pain of the impeachment and trial of our president is over, we can enter into a period of goodwill and good works. As a nation and as a government, we must forget animosities and work toward joint goals.
Some aspects of the behavior of Kenneth Starr and his office need to be investigated. The investigation is needed to clarify issues and correct a possible faulty system, not to seek punishment of a hated individual. Some aspects of the Democratic fund-raising process need investigation, not to punish individuals, but to, again, correct procedures and controls.
Due to the robust nature of our economy, we have a great opportunity to create and improve governmental and social systems that will benefit not only the wealthy and powerful, but especially the least among us for all time. Let us not allow hatred and need for revenge to destroy this great opportunity.
ALBERT J. GRAFSKY JR.
Palm Desert
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For months President Clinton had to listen to the Republican House managers and other Republican leaders smear, denigrate and launch personal attacks against him. Managers like Reps. Lindsey Graham, Bill McCollum and James Rogan used extremely harsh, hateful language and “fighting words” in their diatribes describing his character. Now they are all concerned that the president is “targeting” them in the next election and think it’s unfair. Well, “Duh.” It’s politics, stupid. Were they expecting thank you notes?
TOM AGOSTINO
Woodland Hills
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This president is amazing. Sparing the recap, he now is assuming the performance of “righteous indignation” toward Republicans, particularly House managers, for having stretched this whole thing out. He’s gonna get them. It bears an uncanny resemblance to the righteous indignation he demonstrated when he told us, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” Presumably, this new, obtuse strategy is a feeble attempt to inflame the ire of the American people, taking the spotlight off of himself. Enough is enough.
DAVID TEDDER
North Hollywood
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I don’t know what planet Marc Lacey (“For Managers, a Tough Loss to Stomach,” Feb. 11) has been living on for the last year, but to portray Rep. Henry Hyde and his gang as a band of brave and principled Don Quixotes fighting a noble fight is a distortion of reality. A more accurate representation of what happened would be to portray the House managers as they are--a stupid bunch of hypocrites who ignored the wishes of the American people and misused their responsibility as the majority to force a meritless case built on trivia and gossip.
We should be thankful that the Senate brought this nonsense to a merciful end and will allow us to turn our attention to more meaningful matters.
SANFORD THIER
Los Angeles
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Personally I do not like Clinton and voted for Bob Dole. Nor do I like his foreign policy or his attitude toward taxes. However, I am even more angry with the GOP. It seems to me that while Clinton’s conduct is disgraceful, there was no legal case for perjury or for obstruction of justice. It is incredible to think that Republicans thought they could throw enough mud at the president and remove him. It really seems that they just didn’t like him.
As soon as Rep. Hyde decided to steamroller impeachment through the House Judiciary Committee and Congress on a partisan basis, the battle was lost in the public opinion polls.
Much more worrying to me is the degree to which the discredited House can be effective until 2001. President Clinton obviously has no difficulty appearing to act as president whatever personal scandals surround him. Republicans need to put this debacle behind them and start working with the president for the good of our country.
MIKE STRONG
Corona del Mar
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Had Clinton never been elected president, I’d still believe that lying under oath was wrong.
JULIE HUGHES
Rancho Mirage
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Now that Starr has had a full television season of his Monica Lewinsky show without delivering to his financiers, he should soon expect to go the way of other unsuccessful offerings: It is time to be canceled.
DAVID R. GINSBURG
Santa Monica
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Most famous quotes from popular 20th century presidents: “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” “I never had sex with that woman, not once, not ever.” Am I missing something here? Oh well, perhaps it’s because I inhaled. The Pinocchio president’s legacy will be the same as one of his policy decisions. Don’t ask, don’t tell.
MATTHEW SCHAAF
Granada Hills
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Every day we heard congressmen spout off that “this is a government of laws, not men.” We all know this is total nonsense; this is not a government of men or of laws, but of lawyers.
CHARLIE CRUTCHFIELD
La Crescenta
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Since the Congress has been preoccupied with the business of impeachment, the country has done just fine. I wasn’t worried. Now that it’s over, members want to “get back to the business of the American people.” Now, I’m worried.
RAY LASKA
Los Angeles