With the world waiting, Congress should soon move forward with impeachment proceedings. There are lawmakers who still support the president and claim his lies about an extramarital affair were of a private, personal nature. Others have called for his resignation and have found support in the editorial pages of major newspapers, including USA Today, the Chicago Tribune, and the Philadelphia Inquirer. The dichotomy in the nation's capitol is reminiscent of something G.K. Chesterton once wrote: "Men do not differ much about what things they will call evils; they differ enormously about what evils they will call excusable."
Rising above party lines and taking a firm stance was Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, who in a floor speech said moral authority is the essence of presidential power and this president has lost his.
High crimes and misdemeanors?
The long-awaited report totaled almost 500 pages and was accompanied by boxes of supporting evidence. The evidence is expected to tie Clinton to at least one of the following charges, which could result in impeachment hearings: lying under oath during the Paula Jones lawsuit about a relationship with Monica Lewinsky, a former White House intern; obstructing justice by covering up the affair; and abusing the power of the presidency by trying to influence testimony.
The subsequent release of the president's videotaped grand jury testimony revealed a brazen and defensive spirit. Clinton admits he lied but contends that his testimony was at the same time legally accurate. Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota said the president needed to stop splitting legal hairs. "It simply stands in the way of what we need to do:
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