Conservatives were right about Bill Clinton; once he failed to resign he deserved to be impeached

New York Times ^ | November 18th 2017 | Ross Douthat

[Ennis85]

In the longstanding liberal narrative about Bill Clinton and his scandals, the one pushed by Clinton courtiers and ratified in media coverage of his post-presidency, our 42nd president was only guilty of being a horndog, his affairs were nobody’s business but his family’s, and oral sex with Monica Lewinsky was a small thing that should never have put his presidency in peril.

That narrative could not survive the current wave of outrage over male sexual misconduct.

So now a new one may be forming for the age of Harvey Weinstein and Donald Trump. In this story, Kenneth Starr and the Republicans are still dismissed as partisan witch hunters. But liberals might be willing to concede that the Lewinsky affair was a pretty big deal morally, a clear abuse of sexual power, for which Clinton probably should have been pressured to resign.

This new narrative lines up with what’s often been my own assessment of the Clinton scandals. I have never been a Clinton hater; indeed, I’ve always been a little mystified by the scale of Republican dislike for the most centrist of recent Democratic leaders. So I’ve generally held what I’ve considered a sensible middle-ground position on his sins — that he should have stepped down when the Lewinsky affair came to light, but that the Republican effort to impeach him was a hopeless attempt to legislate against dishonor.

But a moment of reassessment is a good time to reassess things for yourself, so I spent this week reading about the lost world of the 1990s. I skimmed the Starr Report. I leafed through books by George Stephanopoulos and Joe Klein and Michael Isikoff. I dug into Troopergate and Whitewater and other first-term scandals. I reacquainted myself with Gennifer Flowers and Webb Hubbell, James Riady and Marc Rich.

[Be Careful]

They are trying to play the long game to set up a path to impeach Trump

[rbg81]

They are trying to play the long game to set up a path to impeach Trump

---

Yup.

[Eddie01]

The historical record is their doom.

[eyedigress]

BJ lied to a grand jury. That is why he was impeached.

The moonbats refuse to acknowledge that. He LIED under OATH.

GTH New York Times, you are full of crap and you know it.

[DIRTYSECRET]

Like it was really going to happen. The alternative was President Gore. Rats had a bigger problem with that than the GOP.

[Sacajaweau]

Clinton said being impeached was “A Badge of Honor”.

[alstewartfan]

Shaddap, you freaking frauds.

[Cicero]

Somehow, I don’t remember the New York Slimes clamoring for Clinton’s impeachment back then.

[Henry Hnyellar]

Ross Douchehat

[BobL]

So by DEMOCRAT RULES - we should start to second-guess our support of Trump roughly 25 YEARS FROM NOW. Until then, we should consider him a Republican hero (which he is, of course).

[morphing libertarian]

Before the senate convened after the house passed the articles of impeachment Sr. Grand Keagle Sheets Byrd said, “While these (charges) rise to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors, I’ll not vote to remove.” That’s why Clinton stayed in office. The dems were complicit in his crimes.

[stockpirate]

The setup for the Coup. The end game is to overthrow Trump....

We we let them?

[BatGuano]

Bill Clinton or Hilliary Clinton would not know “Honor,” if it punched them in the face. “Badge?” Billy Jeff was mocking the world with that statement. A pox on his syphilitic body. Her’s too.

[dragnet2]

I wouldn’t click on the link.

This is 3rd rate propaganda for suckers.

[martinidon]

Bingo! The problem with the “slimes” narrative (it the same with liberals and Dems) Clinton did not get impeached for getting a blow job; he got impeached for committing perjury!

[AmericanVictory]

The undermining in the Senate was led by Trent Lott from the outset. He said he did not want “that crap” sent over to the Senate.

[BenLurkin]

Clinton was impeached for perjuring himself in a workplace sexual harassment case where he was the defendant.

[Colo9250]

Right and that bird brain Trent Lott refused to convict slick willy.

[DoodleBob]

This NY Times piece is the equivalent of:

-an editorial in 1960 reproaching Japan, saying they had no right to attack Pearl Harbor and that the US was justified in declaring war on the Empire.

-a scholarly article in 1931 stating that an iceberg has struck the Titanic, that the passengers will likely freeze to death in the water and that all nearby vessels should travel at flank speed toward the last know location of the mighty ocean liner.

-a DC constable in 1884 warning that local actor John Wilkes Booth doesn't seem right, and someone should tail him.

-DJs in 1992 telling listeners that Lynyrd Skynyrd is pronounced "Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd"