Bill Clinton Decries His Impeachment In Speech At Hofstra

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[Sub-Driver]

Bill Clinton Decries His Impeachment In Speech At Hofstra

POSTED: 7:33 pm EST November 10, 2005 UPDATED: 9:14 pm EST November 10, 2005

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Former President Clinton said Thursday that his impeachment was "an egregious abuse of the Constitution" and asked if history judges him poorly because of his White House tryst with Monica Lewinsky, "How many other presidents do you have to downgrade?"

Speaking on the opening day of a three-day conference at Hofstra University examining his presidency, Clinton challenged a statement by noted historian Douglas Brinkley, who opined in a newspaper interview that Clinton would be deemed a great president were it not for his impeachment.

"I completely disagree with that," Clinton said. "You can agree with that statement, but only if you think impeachment was justified. Otherwise, it was an egregious abuse of the Constitution and law and history of our country."

Clinton, who was acquitted by the Senate of perjury and obstruction of justice at his 1999 impeachment trial, contended that the impeachment was not about what he called his "misconduct."

"Now if you want to hold it against me that I did something wrong, that's a fair deal," he said. "If you do that, then you have a whole lot of other questions, which is how many other presidents do you have to downgrade and what are you going to do with all those Republican congressmen, you know, that had problems?"

His remarks were cheered loudly by the audience.

[Beth528]

You had better thank your Lucky stars that you are not wearing the orange jumpsuit you moron..

[mainepatsfan]

Deep down he knows this and it's tearing him apart.

[libs_kma]

"Douglas Brinkley, who opined in a newspaper interview that Clinton would be deemed a great president were it not for his impeachment.

"I completely disagree with that," Clinton said.

I have to go with Bubba Jeff on this one. I completely disagree too. Even without the impeachment Bubba Jeff was a POS as President.

[Zeroisanumber]

Heh... Well, I didn't expect Billy Jeff to extol his impeachment hearings.

[Tai_Chung]

The impeachment was about perjury and obstruction of justice. He could have had his affair with Monica Lewinsky and not been impeached if he didn't lie under oath.

[mainepatsfan]

The only time he pushed for somethig was socialized medicine so like all "great" Democratic Presidents he could hang his hat on another entitlement program. When that blew up and the GOP took over congress he suddenly realized he might wind up being another Jimmy Carter. From then on it was all about getting the approval numbers up rather than making tough decisions.

[cajungirl]

You nailed it.

Memories fade, in a generation people will sort of have faded rather vague interest in "that woman problem".

But impeachment lasts forever.

[RedEyeJack]

"Douglas Brinkley, who opined in a newspaper interview that Clinton would be deemed a great president were it not for his impeachment.

"I completely disagree with that," Clinton said. "

I agree with Willy... He would STILL not be a great president were he not impeached. He did nothing except provide bread and circuses.

Clinton and his sycophants are always pointing to the budget that was balanced during his second term. His only contribution to that was to sign the budget that the Republican congress, elected in the revolution of '94, put in front of him (or more correctly shoved up his ass). When he saw that he would be steam rolled if he fought for the spending and huge deficits that he proposed after the greatest tax increase in American history, Clinton, with superb political sense rolled over. He did not support the budget initially because he triangulated ala Dick Morris. If the budget failed he would have blamed the Republicans but when it succeeded beyond even Newt G's dreams, Clinton, ever the politic opportunist,jumped on the band wagon and now cites it as "his achievement" whenever the emptiness of his administration is pointed out.

[leprechaun9]

Was Monica under the podium? That is his real legacy. A filthy white scar on the Oral Office.

[FreedomPoster]

Nicely done!

[FreedomPoster]

>>The impeachment was about perjury and obstruction of justice. He could have had his affair with Monica Lewinsky and not been impeached if he didn't lie under oath

to avoid the consequences of a sexual harassment lawsuit.


There, that pretty much sums it up.

Idiot Lefties still think "it was just a b.j., what's the big deal?"

[mainepatsfan]

In the future students will remember Bubba as the President between the Bushes.

[The Red Zone]

He wasn't impeached for getting dirty in the Oval Office with Monica; he was impeached for lying about it.

[bill1952]

[Loyal Buckeye]

...noted historian Douglas Brinkley...

Douglas Brinkley = Tour of Duty

by Douglas Brinkley

..... As he campaigns for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, Senator John F. Kerry often cites his experience as a U.S. Navy patrol-boat skipper in Vietnam as a formative element of his character. Next month the historian Douglas Brinkley will publish the first full-scale, intimate account of Kerry's Navy career. In writing that account Brinkley has drawn on extensive interviews with virtually everyone who knew Kerry well in Vietnam, including all but one of the men still living who served under him.

[kabar]

Clinton challenged a statement by noted historian Douglas Brinkley, who opined in a newspaper interview that Clinton would be deemed a great president were it not for his impeachment.

Brinkley has no credibility as a historian whatsover. His suck up biography of Kerry and statements like this indicate that he is just a Dem partisan and not an objective observer of history. There is no way that Clinton would ever be deemed a great President by any measure.

[COUNTrecount]

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[bonfire]

I stopped reading Toni's books after that.

[kabar]

I think you meant Marc Rich instead of Frank Rich.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Yeah...but he wasn't that smart...he thought he was KING CLINTON!