Date: Fri 18-Dec-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

politics-impeachment-Clinton

Full Text:

Local Political Leaders Have Mixed Opinions On Impeachment

BY STEVE BIGHAM

So how would you vote -- for or against impeachment?

It is a question being asked all across the country this week as the US House

of Representatives prepares to vote on the impeachment question. And the delay

in the House vote because of military action in Iraq is only likely to

heighten the debate for several more days.

As the week moved along, more and more Congressmen were indicating they would

vote for impeachment. Some inside the Beltway were referring to the trend as a

"tidal wave" of doom moving toward Mr Clinton.

A vote to impeach simply moves the process to the US Senate, which would then

hold a trial before taking a final vote on whether to remove the President

from office. There are few who think the Senate, which requires a two-thirds

vote on the issue, will muster enough votes to remove the President from

office.

This week, The Bee asked the impeachment question of all 12 members of

Newtown's Legislative Council, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal, State Rep Julia

Wasserman, and Marie Sturdevant and Earl J. Smith, chairs of both the

Republican and Democratic town committees, respectively.

Here's what they had to say to the question "Would you vote for impeachment?"

Pierre Rochman (R): Yes. I'm sorry the process has been played out as far as

it has, but there was evidence of perjury found. There is no choice but to

vote in favor of impeachment. I don't like it, but the law is the law.

Melissa Pilchard (D): No. High crimes and misdemeanors are crimes against the

state. This does not fall into that category.

Joe Borst (R): Yes. Forget about Monica Lewinsky. We're talking about perjury

and lies. This man has almost destroyed the integrity of the office. If it

goes to the Senate -- so be it.

Karen Blawie (R): Absolutely. Since when is lying under oath not perjury?

Since when is perjury not a felony? Since when do we not hold our President

accountable to the laws of this country?

Lisa Schwartz (D): I'm undecided because I don't feel it is an impeachable

crime that he has done. However, there ought to be some measure of punishment

he ought to pay to the public. He did a great disservice to the presidency. I

wish he would resign in order to eliminate the need to make that very

difficult choice.

John Kortze (R): No. I think he should be held accountable. I think it is

awful what he did. It is a private matter, but it deals with the person's

judgment and sense of morality. The people who suffer here are his wife and

daughter, but I would not impeach him. I think removing the President either

by impeachment or resignation will only serve to hurt everybody substantially

more. We should not be lenient on him. Prosperity is not an excuse for a lack

of morality.

Will Rodgers (R): Yes. I would vote to impeach in a heartbeat. He lied under

oath. The subject of his lie is irrelevant. I don't care if he said his eyes

were brown and they are really blue. He lied in court.

Brian White (R): It's a tough question. It appears that he did commit perjury

so he should pay the price. However, if impeaching him the best thing for the

country. I'm kind of on the fence, but if push came to shove, I would probably

impeach him.

Donald Studley (R): I would vote against impeachment. I certainly wouldn't

condone what was done. I don't have all the facts, but it doesn't appear to me

to be an impeachable act. No one should condone lying but I'm not sure his act

of lying merits putting the country through an impeachment process.

Tim Holian (D): Yes, for now, simply to get the debate in front of the full

House.

Peggy Baiad (D): I would vote to impeach him. It's about perjury, it's about

lying under oath and that's what it comes down to. I don't think he's sorry. I

think he's sorry he got caught.

Ed Lucas (R): Yes, the man lied under oath. I don't care if he lied about the

last yogurt in the refrigerator. He should resign. He lied to the entire

nation.

Julia Wasserman (R): No, however, the President should resign.

Earl J. Smith (D): I would not vote for impeachment. The charges are not

sufficient to remove a President who has been elected by the people. I'm

concerned that this could set a precedent. Partisan politics could supersede

the desires of the people as expressed by their vote on election day.

Herb Rosenthal (D): No, unless I thought the President should be removed from

office. I wouldn't vote yes simply to hear his position on the four articles

of impeachment.

Marie Sturdevant (R): Yes. I would vote for impeachment on all four charges. I

hope that he would resign before it got to that.