Actually a "plain language" interpretation of the legal contruct Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors , would treat the listed offenses all as members of the 'same kind' [ejusdem generis]. Since treason and bribery are commonly considered to be crimes against the state, "plain language" argues that the rest of the list should likewise be considered that way.
One of several restrictive interpretations, "plain language" interpretation of Article 2 Section 4. might exclude offenses of a personal nature, such as lying about and covering up adultery, which while offensive do not meet the definition of 'state' crimes.
Of course pointing this out will immediately be construed as a defense of Bill Clinton [as opposed to the Constitution itself, or the Office of the President], which automatically disqualifies it from consideration, and labels the person raising the argument a godless commie. But then that is what passes for 'series' debate on this forum.
In 1970, during an attempt to impeach Supreme Court justice William O. Douglass, House Minority leader (and future President) Gerald Ford stated that 'an impeachable offense is whatever a majority of the House of Representatives considers it to be at a given moment in history.'
Probably the most accurate observation on the entire process
No mac. You and your mentor Wlat have done more than enough to earn that affiliation on your own.
Wlat's Wrods of Wsidom:
"All these deaths of U.S. citizens --the death of EVERY U.S. citizen killed by Arab terror in the United States, can be laid directly at the feet of George Bush I." - WhiskeyPapa, 11/15/02
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/786927/posts?q=1&&page=401#448
"I'll say again that based on what I knew in 1992, I would vote for Bill Clinton ten times out of ten before I would vote for George Bush Sr." - WhiskeyPapa, 11/15/02
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/786927/posts?q=1&&page=401#420
"As you doubtless know, the separation of powers in that Pact with the Devil we call our Constitution, gives only Congress the right to raise and spend money." - WhiskeyPapa, 11/15/02
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/786927/posts?q=1&&page=401#432
"First of all, the AJC [Atlanta Journal-Constitution] is -not- an "ultra-leftist" newspaper, and you know it." - WhiskeyPapa, 11/13/02
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/784464/posts?page=70#70
"I feel that admiration for Reagan has rightly diminished over time, and rightly so." - WhiskeyPapa, 11/15/02
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/786927/posts?q=1&&page=401#432
"I don't retract any of that." - WhiskeyPapa in reference to the liberal statements found above, 11/26/02
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/796067/posts?page=146#146
"If you non-U.S. citizens are wondering what the electoral college is and what bunch of ninnies thought it up: The US Constitution was written by rich white men like Washington, Madison, Hamilton, Randolph, and others. They wrote it for the benefit of rich white men like themselves. They didn't trust the common man --at all--, hence the college of electors, who didn't (and don't) necessarily have to vote for the candidate that carries their state. Here in Georgia, I didn't vote for Al Gore. I voted for nine Democratic Party hacks that promise to vote for Al when the college meets in December. Yeah, I know its crazy, but it works." - Walt, aka WhiskeyPapa, explaining the electoral college to Europeans, 11/12/00
SOURCE: soc.history.war.world-war-ii newsgroup
"What the Reagan adminstration did was worse than Watergate. But he was a nicer guy than Nixon, so he skated. Also, despite all the Reagan worship, I don't think he ever made a tough decision." - WhiskeyPapa, 3/10/03
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/859649/posts?page=38#38
"I think the Bushes both to incompetent clowns." - WhiskeyPapa, 3/10/03
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/859649/posts?page=38#38
"I'd vote for Gore again over Bush jr. It was a no-brainer that if Junior was elected, we'd have Senior running things, and I bet he is. Surely no one thinks that Junior has enough brains to get all this rolling. Cheney and Powell are going to run the war -- to clean up the mess they made 12 years ago." - WhiskeyPapa, 3/18/03
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/866612/posts?page=19#19
"I did say, and say again, that based on what I knew in 1992 I would vote for Clinton over Bush Sr. ten times out of ten." - WhiskeyPapa, 4/7/03
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/backroom/886354/posts?page=119#137
"I do firmly believe that Bush Jr. is nothing but a figurehead. Bush Sr. is running things; he and Cheney and Rumsfeld. I mean, really listen to the president. He sounds like an idiot." - WhiskeyPapa, 4/7/03
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/backroom/886354/posts?page=119#137
"George Bush Jr. sounds like a retard to me. Listen to his sentence structure and his word choice. Sophomoric. You don't think so, fine." - WhiskeyPapa, 5/4/03
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/895504/posts?page=245#245
"A tariff is not a tax." - WhiskeyPapa, 2/27/03
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/852576/posts?page=96#96
"Nationalism and socialism are opposites." - WhiskeyPapa, 11/15/02
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/786927/posts?page=570#516
Wlat's Wrods of Wsidom II: The Apprentice Speaks
"The perjury count against Clinton was for lying about adultery in a deposition during a civil lawsuit that stemmed from an incident that occurred before he was elected President. This misconduct did not flow from his holding the office of President of the United States, in fact one could argue that the civil suit for sexual harassment was brought against him only because he was POTUS." - mac_truck, 7/14/03
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/927614/posts?page=1631#1631
"It should become quite clear to someone who is even mildly objective, that were some serious constitutional questions about whether Clinton's crimes should be considered 'high' or 'petit'. I would further argue that recent events involving the plaintiff in that case make the 'petitness' of the misconduct even more apparent." - mac_truck, 7/14/03
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/927614/posts?page=1631#1631
"No honest person would assert that opposing the Clinton impeachment on constitutional grounds was a left-wing or communist position." - mac_truck, 7/10/03
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/927614/posts?page=1497#1457
"The World Socialist Website (WSWS) is a legitimate political organization..."- mac_truck, 7/10/03 referring to the World Socialist Web Site, a propaganda page run by a communist political party that advocates the Lenin-style revolutionary overthrow of the western world
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/927614/posts?page=1497#1457
"You seem to have difficulty distinguishing the difference between a legitimate political organization like WSWS [World Socialist Web Site], which you disagree with, and other quasi-terrorist or out-right terrorist groups." - mac_truck, 7/9/03 referring to a communist political party that that advocates the Lenin-style revolutionary overthrow of the western world
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/927614/posts?page=1497#1406
" I didn’t mention McPherson being an advisor to Bill Bradley because he wasn’t an advisor to Bill Bradley." - mac_truck, 7/9/03 [NOTE: McPherson was a member of a select group of academic advisors to Bill Bradley's campaigns]
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/927614/posts?page=1497#1406
"BTW didn’t Bradley advocate the ‘flat tax’ back in the 1980s? Now there’s a far left-wing position for you!"- mac_truck, 7/9/03, denying former liberal Democrat Senator and Pres. candidate Bill Bradley's leftist credentials
SOURCE: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/927614/posts?page=1497#1406
Okay, name a misdemeanor that qualifies as a crime against the State.
And correct me if I'm wrong, but the "high" in "high crimes" signifies that it is an official crime, i.e. a crime committed while in office, or using one's official powers. Such as firing the U.S. attorney investigating Madison Guaranty, in order to impede the investigation, or ordering Betty Currie to retrieve a blue dress and a grab-bag box of ties and baubles to impede the Paula Jones civil lawsuit, both of which would be felonies.