History has a way of repeating itself. During the late 1990s it was increasingly clear that Bill Clinton was an awful President and an awful person. When he looked into the camera and flat out lied about having sex with Monica Lewinsky, it was the final straw for a lot of people. When it became clear he had lied about this, under oath, Republicans felt compelled to move for impeachment. At first, Bill Clinton had very little support even among Democrats in the Senate. They all thought that he had disgraced the office of President of the United States. They were right about that.
Everything changed when the trial in the Senate began. Dale Bumpers, former Governor of Arkansas and former Senator from Arkansas led the defense. He had just retired from the Senate. Following is a link to the text of his opening remarks. This is absolutely brilliant, and it is just as applicable today as it was in 1999:
https://australianpolitics.com/1999/01/21/comments-by-dale-bumpers.html
“How did we come to be here?” We are here because of a five-year relentless, unending investigation of the president. Fifty million dollars, hundreds of FBI agents fanning across the nation examining in detail the microscopic lives of people, maybe the most intense investigation not only of a president but of anybody, ever.
…that investigation has also shown that the judicial system in this country can and does get out of kilter unless it’s controlled. Because there are innocent people – innocent people who have been financially and mentally bankrupted.
One woman told me two years ago that her legal fees were $95,000. She said, “I don’t have $95,000 and the only asset I have is the equity in my home, which just happens to correspond to my legal fees of $95,000.” And she says, “The only thing I can think of to do is to deed my home.” This woman was innocent; never charged; testified before the grand jury a number of times. And since that time, she has accumulated an additional $200,000 in attorney fees. Javert’s pursuit of Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables” pales by comparison.
I doubt that there are few people, maybe nobody in this body, who could withstand such scrutiny. And in this case those summoned were terrified not because of their guilt, but because they felt guilt or innocence was not really relevant.
….You’re here today because the president suffered a terrible moral lapse, a marital infidelity. Not a breach of the public trust, not a crime against society, the two things Hamilton talked about in Federalist Paper No. 65 – I recommend it to you before you vote – but it was a breach of his marriage vows.
It was a breach of his family trust. It is a sex scandal. H.L. Mencken said one time, “When you hear somebody say, ‘This is not about money,’ it’s about money.”
And when you hear somebody say, “This is not about sex,” it’s about sex.
You pick your own adjective to describe the president’s conduct. Here are some that I would use: indefensible, outrageous, unforgivable, shameless. I promise you the president would not contest any of those or any others.
Mr. Chairman, we’ve also learned that the rule of law includes presidential elections. That’s a part of the rule of law in this country. We have an event, a quadrennial event in this country, which we call “presidential elections.” And that’s the day when we reach across this aisle and hold hands, Democrats and Republicans. And we say, “Win or lose, we will abide by the decision.”
Colleagues, this is easily the most important vote you will ever cast. If you have difficulty because of an intense dislike of the president – and that’s understandable – rise above it. He is not the issue.
He will be gone. You won’t. So don’t leave a precedent from which we may never recover and almost surely will regret.
Bumper could give that same opening statement today, and he would be equally right. What Bill Clinton did was inexcusable, but his actions did not justify the removal of a President of the United States from office. It was, as he said, all about sex. He was also right in pointing out that few people, including those people serving in the Senate in 1999, could survive such scrutiny.
History will repeat itself, but this time there will be no impeachment and there will be no trial in the Senate. It is time for both sides to reflect on the most important thing Dale Bumpers said in 1999.
We have an event, a quadrennial event in this country, which we call “presidential elections.” And that’s the day when we reach across this aisle and hold hands, Democrats and Republicans. And we say, “Win or lose, we will abide by the decision.”
“WIN OR LOSE, WE WILL ABIDE BY THE DECISION”
Republicans failed to appreciate that in 1999. Democrats are repeating the mistake in 2018. The only question is how much more damage needs to be done before people wake up and stop the nonsense.
TDM