The name Alicia, or Alice means truth or lover of truth so I
will tell you a little secret about this mess in Washington. The
Republicans do not want Clinton to leave office and the Democrats
do. I know what you're going to say , Alicia, you're crazy but I
swear it's true. Why would I think this? Because it's the only
thing that makes sense.
Let's admit it. The Republicans had no choice but to impeach the
president. According to his own party he disgraced the office of
the presidency with his "reprehensible" behavior and he
broke the law. Nevertheless the Democrats continue to defend him
and insist that Clinton remain in office but this loyalty just
doesn't make sense.
Clinton has become a detriment to his party and if he remains in
office he endangers any chance the Democrats have for retaining
the executive office in 2000. Clinton will be a severely weakened
president and will still be under investigation for campaign
finance abuses, an investigation that may end up embroiling VP Al
Gore.
There is little doubt that the Republicans despise Clinton. He's
co-opted all their achievements. They have never forgotten that
he fought so vigorously against a balanced budget and then
claimed all the glory when it resulted in a vibrant economy.
Furthermore, they have little respect for his personal morals.
But, and this is a big but, they also realize that they'll be
able to work with him as they have in the past to fulfill the
rest of the Contract With America.
Al Gore as president would be an entirely different animal. He
would be an activist president with a liberal agenda that they
would have to contend with. If Clinton is removed from office and
Al Gore ascends to the presidency then Gore will benefit from the
strong economy and be virtually unbeatable in the year 2000. He
also garners more respect in Congress and would find more support
to pass his programs than a beleaguered and disgraced Clinton. In
addition the Republicans may lose their majority in Congress
because the Democrats will have succeeded in blaming them for the
expulsion of a popular president.
So why was the president impeached? Contrary to popular belief,
this entire affair was not about sex. Clinton was not impeached
because he had sex with Monica Lewinsky but because he lied
before a grand jury, which is a serious felony. The Republicans
all but begged him not to do it before his testimony in August,
1998. Utah Senator Orrin Hatch went on ``Meet the Press'' and
warned the president that lying before the grand jury was
something that could not be overlooked, hinting that if he told
the truth perhaps something could be worked out.
The conventional wisdom assumed that Hatch was trying to trick
Clinton into confessing but the truth is he knew that if Clinton
lied before the grand jury the Independent Prosecutor would have
no choice but to bring a case before Congress. The Republicans
definitely did not want to deal with the scandal even if most of
their constituency desired it. They knew they would be portrayed
as right-wing conspiracy nuts with a vendetta against the
president and this assessment has been proven correct. The entire
impeachment and trial is being presented as a witch-hunt by
Republicans and the popular consensus is that they will do
anything in their power to remove the president. Nevertheless,
the GOP majority must proceed with the process with as much
integrity as possible or they will lose their core voters.
The Democrats will continue to outwardly defend the president but
will allow the trial to continue because they believe that
eventually the tide may turn against Clinton if witnesses testify
at the trial. If Clinton is removed from office they will scream
and yell partisanship and blame the Republicans for overturning a
valid election. Come the year 2000 they will regain the House and
possibly the Senate but only if Clinton is removed.
On the other hand, if the Republicans can put through a fair and
thorough trial without convicting Clinton, they will be regarded
as true believers of justice and the Constitution.
Now here's the nasty truth about any censure. Any valid censure
with teeth is unconstitutional. Congress can not punish the
president. They can only remove him. That's why Andrew Jackson's
censure was rescinded. A verbal censure castigating Clinton is
meaningless but will stigmatize and destroy his legacy.
Here's another little tidbit. No matter how much the public
insist that it is bored or disgusted with the scandal, it will
not go away. Too many people are making money off of the affair
(no pun intended). Sales of magazines and books about political
scandals have skyrocketed. Ratings for the cable news providing
24-hour coverage of the latest events have soared. This thing
will drag on for the next few months but I honestly think this
will ultimately have a positive effect on the country.
The American people are learning more and more about how their
government operates. They are reading up on the Constitution for
the first time in their lives. They are e-mailing and writing
their congressional representatives in record numbers. History is
in the making and now school teachers are able to involve their
students in the process by reviewing current events shown on
television. Concerned Americans going to the polls in the next
election will be more involved and informed about their choices.
Who knows, maybe we'll actually witness an increase in voters.
I find it all very exciting and proof that we have the most
stable form of government. Besides, this is usually the slowest
time of the year in Congress anyway so let's all lighten up, sit
back and enjoy the show.
I really want to know what you think. I can be reached by e-mail
at AliColon@aol.com or AliciaColon@columnist.net. Drop me a line.
I can't guarantee a personal response but I will definitely
devote a column to reader mail that I find the most intriguing. I
also read the Advance's web page regularly to read what our
community is talking about so post your opinions at
http://www.silive.com.