Letter to the editor:

Clinton impeached for lying, not for sex

Ruth H. Sidorowicz, Las Vegas

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 | 2:02 a.m.

In response to New York Times writer Gail Collins’ column published in Friday’s Las Vegas Sun, when are Democrats going to apologize to Republicans for trying for all these years to make people believe that the impeachment of Bill Clinton was all about sex? It was not at all about sex.

Nearly everyone knew Clinton was a womanizer long before he ran for the presidency, except those who hid their heads in the sand, as did his wife. It was never about sex. It was because President Clinton, a lawyer, supposedly learned in the laws of the land, lied under oath, the strongest pillar in a true democratic society.

His shameful disregard for the dignity of the White House Oval Office is the only complaint I have with his behavior. But then, I never expected him to cease his philandering — people like that, with that history, seldom do.

But that’s his problem. Mine is that he set such a blatant example of disregarding the law to the point that one must certainly wonder whether, indeed, our leaders are truly above the law.

Apologies? I‘m still waiting for him to apologize to the American people for lying under oath. What do you think the odds are that that will ever happen?

Discussion: 17 comments so far…

By duncanjohnston

6/30/09 at 5:56 a.m.

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Of course it was about sex. And of course he lied in an attempt to minimize it. He's a politician, lying is his normal form of communication. It's what a politician lies about that defines him/her. Clinton lied about messing around with an intern. JFK was a NOTORIOUS womanizer but was never asked about it by the press, it was considered bad form then. Bush lied about why we started a war. YOU decide who's lie was the more damaging.
By WillieTanner

6/30/09 at 6:10 a.m.

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Forcing Clinton to lie about the Lewinski affair was a ploy by the Republican Party to embarrass him and nothing more. The $60,000,000.00 investigation only proved that Clinton would do the same thing as any cheating husband would do, lie about an affair.
Remember that Newt Gingrich was cheating on his wife at the same time he was leading the impeachment effort against Clinton.
The proceedings had no place in american politics and history will show the whole affair to be an embarrassment to the country.
High crime and misdemeanor? HA, not any more. It's typical behavior. The Republican Party owes the country $60 million!
By WillieTanner

6/30/09 at 6:15 a.m.

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Bush/Iraq invasion. His presidency was a handbook for lying and rises to the level of High Crimes & Misdemeanors.
By Future

6/30/09 at 6:54 a.m.

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And Obama is lied about not going to raise taxes.

Obama lied about getting out of two wars

Obama lied about the stimulus package had to be passed so unemployment did not go over 8.1%.

And Ted Kennedy did not lied about killing that girl.

Nobody cares so get over it
By SgtRock

6/30/09 at 7:12 a.m.

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"Forcing Clinton to lie about the Lewinski affair "

That is a good one.

We FORCED him to lie in a court of law.

What did we do? Somebody was twisting his arm or something?

I did not know he so easy of a guy to force.

Oh well........I guess that is why he did not kill Bin Laden when he about 5 attempts to do so. I guess that is why he let terrorists sneak into the country to take flight lessons.

He was a puffy softy. We FORCED him.......LOL.
By DouglasDemocrat

6/30/09 at 7:21 a.m.

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"Nobody cares so get over it"

What we care about is when the Governor of South Carolina abandons his office, leaving his state without any sort of leadership, for six days.

We care when a Senator uses his own money, in violation of federal election law, to "pay off" his mistress.

It's not about the sex - I could care less about the sex. It's about the abuse of office. It's about the abandonment of the duties that they swore to uphold.

Stop fighting a 15-year-old battle (or in Kennedy's case, a nearly 40-year-old battle). It just looks like grudge-holding.
By Future

6/30/09 at 8:29 a.m.

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"What we care about is when the Governor of South Carolina.."

This is Nevada last I look
By Joe_Friday

6/30/09 at 9:03 a.m.

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Let's not forget that he was found guilty of perjury in a federal court, an act that cost him his law license and other penalties. He didn't just lie to the American people on television. Had there been a capable Vice President to take his place instead of Al Gore he would have been removed from office.
By getalife

6/30/09 at 9:07 a.m.

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Doug,

You don't think Clinton wasted tax payer money while he was getting his jollies off?

The Dem appologists are goofier than I thought.

For the record; Ensign and both the LUV gov's should step down.

But then again, I think Reid should step down because he has had unlawful carnal knowledge with the citizens of an entire state. As long as he stays in power the idiot power brokers will keep their mouths shut.
By DouglasDemocrat

6/30/09 at 9:37 a.m.

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"You don't think Clinton wasted tax payer money while he was getting his jollies off?"

Did he leave the country without telling anyone? Did he leave himself incommunicado? Governor Sanford did.

Did he break election law and pay his mistress out of his own pocket? Senator Ensign did.

I know the GOP spent over $70 million in taxpayer money trying to prove that there was more to the Clinton story than what was revealed. So really, if wasting taxpayer money is the argument you're going to use I'm just going to hit back with an argument of scale - it would be like a store spending $500 in security costs to deal with someone who shoplifted a .69 cent candy bar.
By DouglasDemocrat

6/30/09 at 9:38 a.m.

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""What we care about is when the Governor of South Carolina.."

This is Nevada last I look"

Two stories - but the GOP is spinning the "Clinton did it too!" defense on both.

So what if I answered both? Your argument could just as easily apply to both cases. Sanford lied, Ensign lied.
By indythinker

6/30/09 at 10:30 a.m.

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Is it really important who did it...or that they did it? Frankly, I think the whole point has been missed.

To the right-leaners (and I'm one) I would argue that if we had an issue with Clinton we better darn well have an issue with Ensign and Sanford. PERIOD.

And, as far as Sanford is concerned, he much more guilty then either Clinton or Ensign inasmuch that he fairly abandoned his office. Who does that and doesn't think there will be issues to be dealt with later? I think the Republican party is better off without either of them. Our party touts its morals and values and has no issue raising the bar for higher standards and speaking openly about it...there is no room for hypocrisy!!! You teach and lead by example and these examples are only a show of power and stupidity.
By SgtRock

6/30/09 at 11:58 a.m.

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"We care when a Senator uses his own money, in violation of federal election law, to "pay off" his mistress."

She was doing a job, got promoted and earn the salary that others got doing that job.

If you want to infer that into breaking election law then your pal Clinton did the exact same thing except with taxpayer money and not campaign money.

I doubt that you brought that up back then because that would trigger "Clinton is the best president ever" rule.

Hypocrites......
By Justmy02

6/30/09 at 1:09 p.m.

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It amuses me when people characterize any political party by a few of its bad apples.

If one cares to dig deeply enough there are plenty of bad apples in both the Democratic and the Republican parties. At least Ensign told the truth once confronted by blackmail, and I find it curious he is being so ostracized when prominent Dems have done so much worse, including multiple mistresses and even murder (and have gotten away with it, btw!)

As for the current Democratic administration, I have never seen more corrupt, lying, cheating bushels of bad apples (very plural!) in all my days (and I'm no naive child.) A childish president, an evil witch, and a power hungry bunch of senators and representatives who just push through whatever their childish leader wants without even reading it. The American people are getting the very short end of the stick this time around and I wonder if there will even be a USA by the time they get done!
By indythinker

6/30/09 at 2:17 p.m.

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Justmy02: Nice post...right on the money!
By DouglasDemocrat

6/30/09 at 2:22 p.m.

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"She was doing a job, got promoted and earn the salary that others got doing that job."

Actually, no. She only got promoted in ONE job. Her salary got doubled for TWO jobs that she was doing for the Ensign campaign.

And Senator Ensign broke election law by paying her severance out of his own pocket. That's illegal. Clinton didn't do that (if he did, it sure would have come up in the impeachment hearings).

But of course Rock, if you have any EVIDENCE to back up your claims...

"It amuses me when people characterize any political party by a few of its bad apples."

And yet, without any evidence, you do exactly that...but only on the Democratic side of the aisle. That kinda damages your credibility, Justmy02.
By Justmy02

7/1/09 at 2:15 p.m.

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DouglasDemocrat,

Without any evidence? Care to look up how many mistresses JKF had? It was at least seven...

And brother Ted did leave a young woman to drown, and received only a slap on the wrist -- a two month suspended sentence.

For you to call me out for NO evidence when I certainly do have some kinda damages your credibility, DouglasD. BTW, I was trying to make a point that both sides have bad apples because this article seemed to point fingers only at the Repub side. BTW, I am NOT a Dem or a Repub, but an Independent who has NEVER voted strict party lines.

As for this current administration, I have my own opinion of them and their actions so far seem to bear out that opinion. If you wish wear rose-colored glasses and think they're all a bunch of saviours, have at it!