House Prosecutors Open Impeachment Case Against Clinton

Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON -- Before 100 seated and silent members of the U.S. Senate, Republican House prosecutors opened their impeachment case Thursday against President Clinton, portraying a pattern of perjury and obstruction of justice that they repeatedly said could be bolstered by live testimony from key witnesses in the Monica S. Lewinsky scandal.

Every pair of desks representing the 50 states was occupied, the gallery was full, and the historic Senate chamber fell hushed just after 1 p.m. when the chief justice of the United States, William H. Rehnquist, gaveled to order the case that for a year has consumed Washington and deeply troubled the rest of the nation. Outside in a gloomy freezing drizzle, long lines of visitors shivered toward the Capitol building hoping for their short turn to watch what history will record as just the second time Congress has gathered its might to place on trial the country's chief executive. Rep. Henry J. Hyde, R-Ill., speaking in a grave and measured clip, evoked the principles of England's Sir Thomas More and the poetry of William Shakespeare. "You've taken an oath of impartiality," he told the senators. "You have pledged to put aside personal bias and partisan interest and to do impartial justice. "Your willingness to take up this calling has once again reminded the world of the unique brilliance of America's constitutional system of government." Should they not live up to their sworn oath to listen to the evidence and render a fair verdict, he told the senators, then justice will "become a mere convention full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." Hyde was followed to the well of the Senate by other House "managers," and they previewed their evidence that Clinton lied before a federal grand jury to hide his sexual affair with Lewinsky and then orchestrated an effort to further obstruct justice by enlisting his staff to conceal his moral failings. At their desks, senators for the most part appeared closely attentive, often taking notes, sometimes leaning forward to read large graphic charts prepared by the managers. Thursday evening, when the proceedings ended and senators left the chamber, those who spoke to reporters generally came away along party lines. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo., for instance, said he was particularly impressed by the words of Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R- Wis., who urged the senators to hear from witnesses and pointed out the absurdity of Clinton's position that while Lewinsky may believe they had sex, he does not. "Sensenbrenner, I thought, was very compelling," Campbell said. And, he wondered, "How in the hell does one person have sex unless the other person has sex?" Some Democratic senators said they believed the Republican team scored some good points. But they are eager to hear from the White House side next week. Even Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., a defender of the president, said the Republican congressmen gave "an effective presentation." But he quickly added, "They must still reach the central test -- even if all these allegations are true: Does it rise to the level of impeachable offenses?" The House managers will need at least a dozen Democratic senators to vote with Republicans in favor of Clinton's removal. But many Democrats weren't awed by the managers' first day of presentations. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, noted that the managers said they had enough evidence already, but still wanted witness testimony anyway. "Either you have the evidence or you don't," he said. But GOP senators said they also would like to hear from Clinton himself. "I think he should be invited, or at least I don't have a problem with him being invited," said GOP Whip Sen. Don Nickles, R-Okla. Hyde agreed afterward that the president should testify. "I'd like to hear him," he said. While Clinton's lawyers sat through the day without speaking in the chamber, the White House wasn't holding its tongue. Chief spokesman Joe Lockhart said the White House was particularly unnerved at the managers' suggestions, repeated again by Hyde to the senators, that Clinton himself should testify on his own behalf. "Any witness opens up this process to lengthy delays," complained Lockhart. Jim Kennedy, spokesman for the White House Counsel's Office, watched some of the proceedings from the visitors' gallery. He later stepped outside in the rain and ice and read a two-paragraph statement to reporters, refusing to take questions. He criticized the managers and said they "have begun to lay out a case that is both unsubstantiated and circumstantial." Clinton had planned to leave town. But the ugly weather grounded those plans, so he plans to fly today to New York for an appearance with the Rev. Jesse Jackson to encourage Wall Street to invest in minority communities. In the morning, he visited an Alexandria, Va., police station to propose a new $6 billion initiative to add more police officers on beats nationwide. With Clinton trying to focus on matters beyond the trial, partisan rancor filled much of the air outside the Senate chamber. Once again, Republicans and Democrats accused one another of holding one-sided strategy sessions that violated the spirit of last Friday's unanimous agreement to postpone a decision on whether to call witnesses. But when Rehnquist took the presiding officer's chair, that political animosity seemed to have been checked in the Senate cloakroom. The Rev. Lloyd Ogilvie, who serves as the Senate chaplain, opened with a prayer, asking God to keep them focused in a spirit "of nonpartisan patriotism today and in the crucial days to come." He was followed by Senate Sergeant-At-Arms James Ziglar, who warned the room to keep quiet under the "pain of imprisonment." Then rose Hyde, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, stepping to a single microphone in front of the 100 rapt faces. He introduced his team, and it fell to Sensenbrenner to describe their case. Sensenbrenner outlined both articles of impeachment against Clinton. The first, citing him for perjury before the grand jury in August, accused him of making a number of key false statements. The congressman said Clinton's lies occurred when he said: * His involvement with Lewinsky didn't fall under the definition of "sexual relations." * He had been truthful in his earlier deposition in the Paula Corbin Jones sexual harassment case. * He didn't try to influence his secretary, Betty Currie, to protect him from being found out in the Lewinsky scandal. * He told his staff the truth about his relationship with the former White House intern. The second article accuses Clinton of obstruction of justice. On that score, Sensenbrenner said the president: * Joined with Lewinsky in concocting a cover story about their relationship. * Suggested she provide an affidavit to avoid testifying in the Jones lawsuit, knowing that such an affidavit would have to be false to get her out of the Jones matter. * Conspired with Lewinsky and Currie to hide evidence, such as gifts he had given Lewinsky. * And used the power of his office to help procure a new job for Lewinsky in return for her false affidavit in the Jones case. "What he did was criminal time and time again," Sensenbrenner said.

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