Posted on 12/18/2009 9:03:50 PM PST by kristinn
Top photo: Jim Robinson leads Free Republic's Clinton Impeachment Rally, aka March for Justice, Washington, D.C. October 31, 1998
Center: Washington Post front page, December 20, 1998.
Bottom: AP/World Wide Photo.
For those who are unaware of Free Republic's history making in its early years, please know that Jim Robinson and the Freepers played a key role in getting Bill Clinton impeached. The impeachhment rally was broadcast live on C-SPAN (all four hours!)
Founder of the D.C. Chapter of FreeRepublic.com, MrConfettiMan (who has since passed away) wrote his thoughts about the rally back then:
Saturday, October 31st, The March for Justice
I drove into Washington for the big event and ended up parking relatively close to the White House. As such, I decided to swing by the Lion’s Den to see if there were any early morning freepers there. I recognized Libloather, a participant from our October 3rd White House protest, who is prominently featured in the March for Justice banners found on FR, as I was approaching. We spent a few minutes chatting about old times and then I moved on to the mall, the site of our history-making event.
By the time I got there it was about 8:30AM and a small crowd of volunteers had gathered. By 9:00AM, we not only had more people than the anti-Starr rally last weekend, we had more flags than they had people. Let me say that again. It’s three hours away from the start of our rally and we already had more flags than they had people. There’s no denying it, we’re good. Real good.
As the morning wore on, one of the most exciting spectacles was all the people walking towards the event. Every time you took a look towards the Washington monument you’d see crowds of people with signs and banners walking toward the stage. It was great. They were like ants. Before the start of the event I’d run into just about every freeper who was at our October 3rd White House protest including lancer, Jack Aubrey, Marylander, Kathy, Aloyce, Siouxz, Chris P. and two guys from NJ (I’m sorry guys, your online moniker’s fail me). I also met Highlander with his impressive “Impeach One for the Gipper” signs. (When I left the post-rally party, I took his signs with me and promised to try and restore them for a subsequent visit to a White House protest.)
The highlight of the day were the speeches. They were amazing. I have to admit that I’m one of those people who is so filled with emotion that sometimes an inspiring rendition of the national anthem at a sporting event can bring me to tears. I lost count of how many times that happened during the March. Hearing the words from the speakers on stage, coupled with the cheers from the crowd, were just too much to handle on several occassions. I was filled with such a sense of joy and pride to be among all of you and to finally witness people taking a stand against the crisis we are facing. (You know, I’ve been telling my family for a couple of years now that I’m thinking about moving to a cave to get away from our dysfunctional society. It’s sort of a joke but I get no joy from being around the general public anymore. I feel as if I’m surrounded by those from the polls who support Clinton and it disgusts me. Not so yesterday.)
It’s hard to pick a favorite speaker but I was literally amazed by Rejoice. If you thought her speech at the March was good, I wish you could’ve heard the words she spoke at the post-rally party. She is truly a gifted person with a wonderful message. I was also impressed, as always, with Bob Barr and Ambassador Keyes. I think it’s an example of the worthiness of our cause (not to mention the hard work of CaL and the other organizers) that we were able to arrange such a fine lineup of speakers.
As the rally was breaking up, Tinman told me he and some other freepers were going up to the White House to say hello to Clinton freeper-style and asked me to join them. Now the protests we’ve held thus far at the White House were successful but low key. We simply held our signs and marched back and forth interacting with tourists on occasion. This time was anything but low key. BettyBoop led us through several different protest chats and we made a lot of noise. The crowd of tourists just stood around and watched us in awe. It was great. We shouted “Fire the Liar”, “Jail to the Chief” and many other slogans. It was another freeper moment for the archives.
At the post-party rally, I was able to put faces to names for LurkerNoMore, Normally a Lurker and Curmudgeon. While there, Submareener was logged into FR from his laptop and was reading us some of the latest posts interjecting his own playful commentary once in a while. It was a nice opportunity to sit back and talk as a group about our feelings on the event and what we thought we should do next. I left earlier than I wanted to at around 9:30AM but I was simply too tired to stay any longer. (It’s hard work being a burr in Clinton’s behind.) I left knowing the world is a slightly better place because of what we did and knowing that I had a lot of new friends, who thanks to the FR and the ‘net, I’d be able to talk to everyday.
A big hearty thank you goes out to everybody involved in organizing the March for Justice!
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Alamo-Girl archived some reports on media coverage of the rally:
Freeper report LarryLied 10/31/98 ".The local CBS affiliate in West Palm Beach FL just ran a story about ministers protesting Ken Starr in DC today.When I called and asked why they covered a protest with less than 100 in attendence and ignored they Freeper rally, I was told, "Clinton protests happen all the time. People protesting Starr is news!" The station was WPEC News 12 CBS.."
Washington Weekly 11/2/98 Robert Stowe England ".Seeing themselves as modern-day patriots responding to a moral crisis in the nation, thousands of protestors hailing from Honolulu to Boston descended on the nation's historic mall here Halloween day for an old-fashioned protest rally that repeatedly and vigorously called for President Clinton's impeachment, conviction and removal from office. The rally, held near the Washington Monument, was the successful culmination of a concerted effort by volunteers who had never met one another, and who organized the event in only three weeks. Its organizers are all members of the conservative Free Republic web-site, www.FreeRepublic.com. It was the largest anti- Clinton demonstration since protestors began to dog the President in his travels around the country after he went on national television in August and admitted he had lied to the American people when he had no sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky. Media coverage was thin, with C-SPAN and CNN apparently among the few broadcast media present."The mainstream media tell us no one cares, but the truth is that the American people are sick are tired of people lying to them" says Hair. "They make people who care think they're rabid. We're not. We're people you live next door to, or people you work with, or people you go to church with," she said.."
Freeper Jack Aubrey 11/15/98 reports ".When I referred to my pals in the White House "swamp" as "whores," I know exactly whereof I speak because I was a whore myself until I got religion about five years ago. By that I mean I have behind me (and I do mean BEHIND me) a thirty-year career in "broadcast news" as .Over the years my various jobs took me to 22 countries in Asia (including four years in Vietnam, 71--75); 22 countries in Central and South America, plus Iraq (5 times), Israel, and Russia among other places, obviously almost aways working as a foreign correspondent, or in the United States on stories with a domestic foreign-affairs angle, like the Iran-contra mess. I know PRECISELY how the media (often, Harvard) harlots tilt, slant, distort, omit, lie, and basically behave like whores. I know many of these people personally, and I would and will say to their faces what I said at the White House today. Most, but, it is very important to note, NOT ALL, are whores and flacks for the White House. They do it on remote control. Nobody explictly says, "Write this, say that." Nope, to get up that slippery, greasy, cut-throat-loaded ladder of the broadcast media, you learn how to do it yourself. It doesn't take a lot of brains to figure out what the PARTY LINE is and to follow it slavishly.."
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The following is from the D.C. Chapter's freep report from Impeachment Day:
A while later the first article of impeachment passed the House ! Being that we had spread out along the avenue by that time, we sought each other out to cheer the good news. We then gathered at the Swamp to inform the WH press corps that "The Constitution lives !" and that it was "a great day to be an American !"
During the next hour or so the remaining three articles were voted on. Article three was the only other one to pass. We rejoiced that the President was being called to account for perjury before a Federal grand jury and for obstructing justice. Much to their appreciation, we took care to inform the police and press as the results were announced.
A special treat today was the presence of CNN's Wolf Blitzer. Our feelings of contempt for Mr. Blitzer have increased since the day he and CNN went along with Presidential spokesman Joe Lockhart's suggestion that CNN break away from live coverage of his briefing when the subject matter got embarrassing for the White House. Mr. Blitzer caught heavy flak from Freepers at irregular intervals throughout our time there. We freeped him with calls such as "Lies of omission are still lies !", "What did Joe Lockhart tell you to say today ?", and when ABC's Sam Donaldson arrived at the swamp, "Hey Sam ! Why don't you show Wolf how a real reporter does it !"
The coup de grace was supplied by DoctorRaoul who unfurled a three foot squar (sic) banner about Mr.Blitzer that was hilariously on target. I'll leave it to him to describe it further.
Further down the thread, Doctor Raoul reported on his banner (CORRECTED FOR TYPOS):
For those of you curious about what upset Wolfie:
A 4 foot by 4 foot hot pink banner said;
CNN CAMERAMAN Pan Down and Show Lockhart's Arm Up Wolf Blitzer's Butt Working His Jaw
He stood there mad as hell and didn't know whether to you know what or go blind.
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I first posted a version of the following on Clinton Impeachment Day 2003:
Congratulations! It was eleven years ago today the House of Representatives impeached President William Jefferson Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice.
Those brave representatives survived an all-out war of political brinksmanship which included public threats of retaliation and private threats to bring down the government if Clinton was impeached.
James Carville threatened Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr with "kneecapping;" Alec Baldwin called for the murder of House Judiciary Committee Chairman Henry Hyde; George Stephanopoulos passed along the threat to employ the "Ellen Rometsch defense"--a public blackmailing of Congress; Hillary Clinton said on the Today Show that those plotting against her husband "would have alot to answer for" when this was done; Paula Jones was called "trailer trash" and worse for simply seeking justice and an apology; Linda Tripp had her reputation destroyed by a conspiracy of Clinton administration officials and media operatives. Even Monica Lewinsky feared for her life and kept the infamous blue dress stained with presidue for insurance.
Thank God that people like Linda Tripp stood tall and refused to back down in their determination to see that a president of the United States could not commit felonies in office with impunity.
And thank God for people like Jim Robinson, Matt Drudge, Bob Barr, Gary Aldrich, Alan Keyes, Larry Klayman, Lucianne Goldberg, Billy Dale and all the rest who spoke at, organized and attended Free Republic's nationally televised rally supporting Clinton's impeachment on October 31, 1998.
You done good! Impeachment is forever. You can be proud that in America's hour of need, you answered the call to preserve protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.
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A refresher course on the Ellen Rometsch strategy from Richard Poe:
Poe: Well, in many cases, these threats were made quite openly. For example, on February 8, 1998, with pressure mounting to impeach Bill Clinton, George Stephanopoulos appeared on ABC’s This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts. Stephanopoulos had resigned as White House communications chief in 1996 and become an ABC news analyst. But he was still carrying the Clintons’ water, as his next words made clear.
Stephanopoulos announced that the Clinton White House was planning what he called an “Ellen Rometsch” strategy. He explained that Rometsch was an East German spy who had managed to become John F. Kennedy’s lover. According to Stephanopoulos, the Kennedy White House threatened to open up the FBI files and divulge embarrassing or incriminating information on anyone who attempted to blow the whistle on JFK’s affair with Rometsch. If pressed to the wall, the Clinton White House would do likewise, said Stephanopoulos.
Sam Donaldson asked, “Are you suggesting for a moment that what they’re beginning to say is that if you investigate this too much, we’ll put all your dirty linen right on the table? Every member of the Senate? Every member of the press corps?” To which Stephanopoulos replied, “Absolutely. The president said he would never resign, and I think some around him are willing to take everyone down with him.”
This was a clear threat, delivered openly, on national television. Through Stephanopoulos, the Clintons were warning Congress and the media to back off. The threat worked. David P. Schippers, who was Chief Investigative Counsel for the Clinton impeachment, reveals in his book Sell-Out that Republican leaders, from the get-go, had no intention of holding a proper impeachment trial or of convicting Bill Clinton. It was all a charade.
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I'll close with the full page color ad Freepers designed and placed in The Washington Times on February 11, 1999, the day before the Senate voted to let Clinton off the hook:
Happy Clinton Impeachment Day!
As I recall it was on a saturday and I believe I was watching a football game on tv when it happened.
We were probably watching the same game.
Sadly, things under Clinton's 8 years with the early R congresses were darn nice.
scratch that, it was 1998 and I was still boycotting the NFL.
What is needed, obviously and painfully, is a voters' bill of rights and the first item of such a bill HAS TO BE runoff elections or instant runoff elections for all public offices.
Nobody should ever fear to vote his first choice, at least on a first ballot, and nobody should ever hold any public office with less than 50% of the vote.
There should also be a None-Of-Above choice on all ballots for public office and if that choice ever wins, then the other candidates should be barred for life from holding any public office and the parties sponsoring them should be barred for at least ten years from sponsoring candidates for that particular office. The penalty for running dead wood for public offices should be severe.
Another item on such a voters' bill of rights should be something which would eliminate voting fraud for all time and if that means getting rid of the secret ballot or at least limiting it somehow or other, so be it, we're paying too high a price for it. Somehow or other it has to be possible to check up on votes when there are questions or evidence of fraud.
One last item on such a list would be a provision that when a president is impeached and removed, his VP goes out the door with him and the office is either vacant until the next election or an emergency election is held to fill the office for the remainder of the current term. Granted removing a president should be difficult but it should not be impossible and if we couldn't remove Slick, we'd not have been able to remove Hitler or Nero either.
What happened in 98/99 was that Trent Lott simply refused to hand the presidency over to Algor with a year to go on Slick's second term, for obvious reasons. The situation should not be possible.
Ahhhh...the good ole days!
Wish we could impeach the current freak!
Well, if you consider selling out our national security to the ChiComs, a truly illegal war in Kosovo over truly made up reasons, a totally corrupt Justice Department, cozying up to terrorists, blackmailing Congress and the media, siccing the IRS on political enemies, and on and on “darn nice” your Bush hatred has truly made you ‘sick’.
Al Gore should have been impeached for Chinagate as Clinton should have been too in addition to the perjury and obstruction of justice.
This was the day that the Democrats proved party was stronger than ethics. They could have uninimously impeached him, then not voted to remove.
Instead, they would not hold Clinton accountable, nor would they address the ethics. In the end, Clinton accepted the punishment, after he claimed to be not guilty.
With that, our nation took another step into the sewer.
I’ve got some copies tucked away, also.
The ‘Rats put party before country. I remember Chuck Schumer saying, “So what!” when called to hold Clinton accountable for his crimes.
...and the republic’s slide into hell hasn’t abated. The republican party was not the answer to that situation, and is even further removed from the present situation. We’re in deep um, trouble, Bucko.
Impeachment should’ve been over all of that and not about Monica.
Great post, kristinn. Thanks to those who were there and YOU for all of your work/dedication/activism. FR’s finest.
They and the media made it all about Monica 24/7, and it worked.
I was at the MFJ with Gracie, Humidston, BlackBeret, and Rejoice. It was a fabulous time.
I also have the Houston Chronicle annoucing impeachment.
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