Posted on 12/19/2008 4:29:45 PM PST by STARWISE
It was 10 years ago today that the U.S. House voted to impeach President Bill Clinton and send the case on for a trial in the U.S. Senate.
Then-U.S. Rep. Rod Blagojevich was just finishing his first term in Congress and voted "no" on all four impeachment counts - two counts of perjury, one count of obstruction of justice, and one count of abuse of power - against the two-term Democratic president.
Now that Blagojevich, a two-term Democratic governor, finds himself the subject of impeachment proceedings for alleged abuse of power, his comments have newfound meaning and offer a possible insight into whether he'll resign or force lawmakers to try to remove him.
"In the long view, our actions today will be a stain on President Clinton, but it will be a bigger stain on the 105th Congress," Blagojevich told the Chicago Sun-Times after the 1998 vote.
Blagojevich seems to have been proven right.
Following Clinton's 1998 impeachment his approval rating rebounded, his wife was elected to the U.S. Senate, he made millions of dollars on a worldwide lecture tour, he and his wife both wrote best-selling books, his wife nearly won the Democratic nomination for president in 2008, and Hillary Clinton will be secretary of state come January.
Meanwhile, Congress' approval dipped as the impeachment was viewed as a political witch hunt wasting taxpayer money.
Had Clinton resigned amid the scandal, it is likely none of that would have come to pass. In fact, the new film "Frost/Nixon" shows how President Richard Nixon agreed to the David Frost interviews because he needed money following his resignation as lawmakers were considering removing him from office.
It's likely none of this is lost on Blagojevich or his legal team. The federal complaint used to arrest the governor paints the picture of a man interested in money and power. Both would vanish upon his resignation.
"There is no sense in resigning," said veteran Illinois political observer Paul Green.
The governor's office is one of the few bargaining chips the governor holds in any possible plea negotiations with federal authorities. His security detail and taxpayer-provided transportation would both end, as would state health coverage and the $177,412 annual salary.
Blagojevich, 52, does not have personal wealth to tap into, federal authorities have threatened to put his once-lucrative campaign fund in the deep freeze and his political operation is still on the hook for nearly three quarters of a million dollars in legal fees.
Meanwhile, he's become a national political pariah, the subject of late-night television host jokes and Saturday Night Live skits.
In short, he has little to turn to if he's not governor.
"Though the state may suffer, Blagojevich would be out of his mind to go gently into the night. It takes away any leverage he has left," said Green, director of Roosevelt University's School of Policy Studies. "The fact of the matter is, governor is not something you give up. You make them take it from you."
Yup, he learned from the Master. Furthermore, the fact that the Senate seat goes unfilled—depriving Dingy Harry of a vote—helps Blago put the screws to the Dem establishment.
Isn’t it incredible how God works in such powerfully mysterious ways ?
~~~Glance backward .. PING!
I am thinking that in the end it will be Papa and Baby Mandigan that pay for their preemuptive stikes against Blago before he was found guilty by any court.
It’s sad America rallied around the Criminal-in-Chief and that it prevented gain in 1998 election.
Blago's desperate for money---he's renting his head to the Hair Club as an
example of the dire things that can happen when you have TOO MUCH hair.
Posted on 12/08/2002 3:40:13 PM PST by doug from upland
The articles of impeachment voted on by the House of Representatives.
Article 1
This article alleges President Clinton "willfully provided perjurious, false and misleading testimony" before independent counsel Kenneth Starr's grand jury on Aug. 17.
In his conduct while President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has willfully corrupted and manipulated the judicial process of the United States for his personal gain and exoneration, impeding the administration of justice, in that:
On August 17, 1998, William Jefferson Clinton swore to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth before a Federal grand jury of the United States. Contrary to that oath, William Jefferson Clinton willfully provided perjurious, false and misleading testimony to the grand jury concerning one or more of the following: (1) the nature and details of his relationship with a subordinate Government employee; (2) prior perjurious, false and misleading testimony he gave in a Federal civil rights action brought against him; (3) prior false and misleading statements he allowed his attorney to make to a Federal judge in that civil rights action; and (4) his corrupt efforts to influence the testimony of witnesses and to impede the discovery of evidence in that civil rights action.
In doing this, William Jefferson Clinton has undermined the integrity of his office, has brought disrepute on the Presidency, has betrayed his trust as President, and has acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, William Jefferson Clinton, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
Article II
This article alleges President Clinton "willfully provided perjurious, false and misleading testimony" in sworn, written answers on Dec. 23, and during his videotaped testimony on Jan. 17 in the sexual-harassment suit filed by Paula Corbin Jones.
In his conduct while President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has willfully corrupted and manipulated the judicial process of the United States for his personal gain and exoneration, impeding the administration of justice, in that:
(1) On December 23, 1997, William Jefferson Clinton, in sworn answers to written questions asked as part of a Federal civil rights action brought against him, willfully provided perjurious, false and misleading testimony in response to questions deemed relevant by a Federal judge concerning conduct and proposed conduct with subordinate employees.
(2) On January 17, 1998, William Jefferson Clinton swore under oath to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in a deposition given as part of a Federal civil rights action brought against him. Contrary to that oath, William Jefferson Clinton willfully provided perjurious, false and misleading testimony in response to questions deemed relevant by a Federal judge concerning the nature and details of his relationship with a subordinate Government employee, his knowledge of that employee's involvement and participation in the civil rights action brought against him, and his corrupt efforts to influence the testimony of that employee.
In all of this, William Jefferson Clinton has undermined the integrity of his office, has brought disrepute on the Presidency, has betrayed his trust as President, and has acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, William Jefferson Clinton, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
Article III
This article alleges President Clinton "prevented, obstructed and impeded the administration of justice and has to that end engaged personally, and through his subordinates and agents, in a course of conduct or scheme designed to delay, impede, cover up and conceal the existence of evidence and testimony" related to the Paula Corbin Jones sexual-harassment suit.
In his conduct while President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice, and has to that end engaged personally, and through his subordinates and agents, in a course of conduct or scheme designed to delay, impede, cover up, and conceal the existence of evidence and testimony related to a Federal civil rights action brought against him in a duly instituted judicial proceeding.
The means used to implement this course of conduct or scheme included one or more of the following acts:
(1) On or about December 17, 1997, William Jefferson Clinton corruptly encouraged a witness in a Federal civil rights action brought against him to execute a sworn affidavit in that proceeding that he knew to be perjurious, false and misleading.
(2) On or about December 17, 1997, William Jefferson Clinton corruptly encouraged a witness in a Federal civil rights action brought against him to give perjurious, false and misleading testimony if and when called to testify personally in that proceeding.
(3) On or about December 28, 1997, William Jefferson Clinton corruptly engaged in, encouraged, or supported a scheme to conceal evidence that had been subpoenaed in a Federal civil rights action brought against him.
(4) Beginning on or about December 7, 1997, and continuing through and including January 14, 1998, William Jefferson Clinton intensified and succeeded in an effort to secure job assistance to a witness in a Federal civil rights action brought against him in order to corruptly prevent the truthful testimony of that witness in that proceeding at a time when the truthful testimony of that witness would have been harmful to him.
(5) On January 17, 1998, at his deposition in a Federal civil rights action brought against him, William Jefferson Clinton corruptly allowed his attorney to make false and misleading statements to a Federal judge characterizing an affidavit, in order to prevent questioning deemed relevant by the judge. Such false and misleading statements were subsequently acknowledged by his attorney in a communication to that judge.
(6) On or about January 18 and January 20-21, 1998, William Jefferson Clinton related a false and misleading account of events relevant to a Federal civil rights action brought against him to a potential witness in that proceeding, in order to corruptly influence the testimony of that witness.
(7) On or about January 21, 23 and 26, 1998, William Jefferson Clinton made false and misleading statements to potential witnesses in a Federal grand jury proceeding in order to corruptly influence the testimony of those witnesses. The false and misleading statements made by William Jefferson Clinton were repeated by the witnesses to the grand jury, causing the grand jury to receive false and misleading information.
In all of this, William Jefferson Clinton has undermined the integrity of his office, has brought disrepute on the Presidency, has betrayed his trust as President, and has acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, William Jefferson Clinton, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
Article IV
This article alleges that President Clinton "engaged in conduct that resulted in misuse and abuse of his high office" in his responses to the 81 questions posed to him by the Judiciary Committee.
Using the powers and influence of the office of President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in disregard of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, has engaged in conduct that resulted in misuse and abuse of his high office, impaired the due and proper administration of justice and the conduct of lawful inquiries, and contravened the authority of the legislative branch and the truth-seeking purpose of a coordinate investigative proceeding in that, as President, William Jefferson Clinton, refused and failed to respond to certain written requests for admission and willfully made perjurious, false and misleading sworn statements in response to certain written requests for admission propounded to him as part of the impeachment inquiry authorized by the House of Representatives of the Congress of the United States.
William Jefferson Clinton, in refusing and failing to respond, and in making perjurious, false and misleading statements, assumed to himself functions and judgments necessary to the exercise of the sole power of impeachment vested by the Constitution in the House of Representatives and exhibited contempt for the inquiry.
In doing this, William Jefferson Clinton has undermined the integrity of his office, has brought disrepute on the Presidency, has betrayed his trust as President, and has acted in a manner subversive of the rule of law and justice, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, William Jefferson Clinton, by such conduct, warrants impeachment and trial, and removal from office and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.
Never consider clintoon a “statesman”. He’s a joke. Blago, obamanation, Emanuel cut their teeth on corrupt IL politics. These jokers aren’t clean. Yet, they’re led their state & now this country. No wonder this country is a joke.
yeah . come F me and F my wife...... i just going to be your gov . until you git your f’ing pitbulll to pull it uotya my mouth deeep pockets or wherever .... just show wheha’ve Ondiga’s pockets okay 0bama we might be calm ///// maybe
Thank you for adding that vital information, Doug.
No it is much more than that. By Fitzy holding off on filing before the election it did not taint or stain bHo in any way. Even as weak as McCain was it might have been just enough to make it a much closer election.
Maybe kicked out many of the 5% he won by, likely to have gotten a bunch of electoral states back in play.
Fitzy is supposed to lose this and not going after any big wheels. He will probably find a way to bring some Republican lower level hack in on some unrelated perjury charge, and the Republican will spend jail time (which even Clinton did not for perjury).
Timed nearly perfectly, this was screwed up just enough it never had a real chance to snag some higher level dem. Fitzy is not bringing down any big Dem of importance and certainly NOT bHo.
Ms. Lewinsky testified that in the early-morning hours of December 17, at roughly 2:00 or 2:30 a.m., she received a call from the President.(791) The call lasted about half an hour.(792)
The President gave Ms. Lewinsky two items of news: Ms. Currie's brother had died in a car accident, and Ms. Lewinsky's name had appeared on the witness list in the Jones case.(793)"
This is the same brother who, on the eve of Curries testimony in the fund raising scandals, was brutally beaten.
Just to jog the old memories since Currie is now working for Obama:
"Virginia State Police recently concluded that the brother of President Clinton's personal secretary, Betty Currie, did not intend to commit suicide when he ran onto an interstate after a traffic accident and was struck and killed by an oncoming tractor-trailer.
Police say there is no explanation why Theodore R. Williams Jr. of Fort Washington, MD, darted from the highway shoulder after talking to a trooper who was investigating the accident with another truck. Williams had escaped the crash without injury."
"Currie is demure but unflinching. Last summer she was ordered to testify to congressional investigators about visits and calls to the White House by various figures in the campaign-fund-raising scandal. For nearly five hours she was only a misstep or forgotten fact away from potentially implicating the president. She didn't make a mistake, and at one point even joked that she had no knowledge of the White House coffees "regular or decaffeinated." The performance was remarkable for another reason. The day before, her brother had been mugged and severely beaten in Washington. She insisted on going ahead with her appearance as originally scheduled."
And on another note: Clinton Goon Pellicano Got Sentenced to 15 Years
Still no word on what they did with the dead animals he left on peoples cars or the C-4 they found in his safe. His trial was very interesting. Especially his work on getting curious deaths ruled as accidents.
2/2/98
Washington Weekly: "The Clinton White House has its agents scouring the country digging up dirt on the 24-year-old girl who made claims of a sexual involvement with Bill Clinton. The old Bimbo Eruption Swat Team has gone into overdrive, recruiting private investigator Anthony Pellicano, whose last claim to Clinton damage control fame was his "scientific determination" that the Gennifer Flowers tapes had been edited. (An independent laboratory analysis later confirmed their unedited authenticity) Now Pellicano has resurrected Monica Lewinsky's old drama coach, who did his own Gennifer Flowers number on her just minutes before Clinton's State of the Union Address."
Thanks for the ping!
And he testified only because the Supreme Court demanded it, in denying his petition to be excused from testifying in a civil suit based on the office he held. Having been ordered by the Supreme Court to testify under oath, he lied!
Yet, he’s a god in the Democrat pantheon. Regretably, he was given credibility and respect by the Bush Family.
Did you know Betty Currie’s now answering Obama’s office phones ? Nice turnaround, huh? What is she, 75 ?
While I admite a good conspiracy this one only exists in your imagination. Obama was not a significant target when Fitzgerald’s investigation started.
If Blow J resigns he will lose his security detail. That might be a tad dangerous for his health.
With all due respect, I don’t think the Almighty would pick up such filthy instruments to work his will. Let’s just say that bad guys shootin’ bad guys sometimes works to the good.
Hasn’t he always used evil scum to work his will? He will use a Pharoah or a Hitler if necessary.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.