Who is the first Impeached President? Johnson or Clinton?

Whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/ ^

[AgThorn]

reading a bit on the whitehouse.gov site concerning 'history' of past presidents. First I started reading what they had to say about Clinton. ...

William Jefferson Clinton

Interesting how 'cleaned up' it is, but I also noted that there were not a lot of accomplishments listed. What really caught my eye though was the statement that he was the 'second' president impeached by the house, and found not guilty by the senate.

Well, this ain't exactly how I remember it .. so I then tried to find the 'first' impeached president, according to this website. Checking Nixon, no, they correctly said he resigned first. So then on to Andrew Johnson:

Andrew Johnson

This one says that "the House voted eleven articles of impeachment against him. He was tried by the Senate in the spring of 1868 and acquitted by one vote." So, I guess according to the whitehouse.gov history, Andrew was the FIRST impeached President.

But I was under the impression that this is not so ... i.e. that the Congress actually DID impeach Clinton, and that HE was the first President really IMPEACHED by both houses. So, I guess I may be totally wrong on this or else the whitehouse.gov is, which is it ... (maybe the shortest thread on record! ;-)

Lastly, what is all this garbage about the "Radical Republicans" of the south leading to Andrew Johnson's downfall? When you read this history page, you get the impression that the Republicans wanted slavery. Sounds like some creative writing to me.

[familyofman]

"...BOTH impeached presidents were Democrats..."

I thought Johnson was a Republican since he became POTUS after Abe was killed (and Lincoln was a Republican). But, I also seem to recall that the VPOTUS used to be the person with the 2nd highest vote total in the election (not always from the same party as POTUS).

[BadAndy]

"Presidential Historian" and KKKlinton apologist Doris Kerns Goodwin repeatedly stated that Andrew Jackson was the first impeached president, and that his face was still on the $20 bill. So much for experts.

[cvq3842]

I think the "second highest vote total" rule was changed after the 1800 election. Johnson was a Northern Democrat who stayed loyal to the North, so Lincoln put him on the ticket as a "unity" gesture. Johnson therefore probably started out without much loyalty from either Lincon's party or his own.

I read once that Lincoln's first Vice President was mad for being dumped, and got Johnson drunk before his inaugural as VP. Johnson supposedly made a fool of himself. sounds a bit like a contrived story, though, no?

[TRY ONE]

"The Senate either convicts or doesn't...."

At the time I was very angry that the Senate did NOT convict and remove Klintoon.

In hindsight, had that happened, algore would most likely be Presidente still today because GW would not have unseated him due to the mass sympathy for his ascension to the throne.

[cvq3842]

I think Andrew JACKSON (the one on the $20, which now looks like Monopoly money) was censured by the Senate once for something having to do with the national bank, but even my knowledge of american political trivia is maxed out at this point. Goodwin's comment is pretty stupid, though. I think her reputation is pretty well tarnished by the recent plagarism scandal anyway.

[Coeur de Lion]

The Radical Republicans did lead to Johnson's downfall. Johnson was a "unionist democrat." He was put on the ticket in order to attract other "unionist democrats." When he succeeded Lincoln as a result of the assasination, he objected to the policies concerning Reconstruction and what was required for readmission of the Southern States into the Union. He felt what was proposed by the "Radical Republican" and inevitably enacted by Congress to be too Draconian. It's argued that this was also the view held by Lincoln prior to his death.

[DonQ]

You're wrong. Both Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached by the House (only the House can impeach .... the equivalent of indict) and acquitted by the Senate (the Senate conducts the trial).

[wardaddy]

a bit?

LOL

[Cboldt]

Mmmmm, the smell of ZOT is in the air ....

[pogo101]

algore would most likely be Presidente still today

Absolutely correct. Democrats had a chance to clean house of Clinton and skip a close election in 2000. "Gore: Like Clinton, but without the lying!" He'd have beaten the untested Bush in 2000. Instead, Clinton's lying hung around Gore's neck like an albatross.

[AgThorn]

oh oh ... I sense a ZOT coming on ... Newbie with an attitude has entered.

[Junior]

Clinton was the first elected president to be impeached.

[HEY4QDEMS]

Actually, Impeachment articles are drawn by the Lower House of congress.
If the lower house(House of representatives) votes by simple majority to impeach, the trial portion of the impeachment process is moved to the Upper House (Senate) where a 2/3rds majority is needed to complete the process, otherwise the process ends in aquittal.

[Monty22]

"no amount of gyrations can make it so."

That's not what Monica said.

[KC Burke]

...but when his impeachment ended without a conviction, he was clean, baby. Impeachment is in an indictment but it is not a conviction and no amount of gyrations can make it so.

It things that can give comfort to a Democrat are endless.

Of course Clinton remained in office. Few website forums know that as well as this one.

But like the similar impeachment of the rampant corruption and criminality of Warren Hastings, the hard fought impeachment will forever stand as a warning and barrier for all of similar small character that follow him.

His legacy was set and the impeachment was vindicated by his conduct as he left office. Pardons were obviously sold and the Legacy was thereby set in concrete.

No, it isn't conservatives that can't let go of Clinton, it is the Democrats. They still long for him. They want that impervious television icon that they loved to see escape from his own conduct time after time.

When your whole political program is built on thievery, the Master of Thieves is a ideal that is always with you.

[jamaksin]

Or, a better question:

Why was the first pardoned felon (of a Federal crime) to be elected President of the United States of America?

Bonus Points:

Why executed said pardon?

[MosesKnows]

the Congress actually DID impeach Clinton

An impeachment is an indictment and the grand jury is the House of Representatives. The House decides if there is enough evidence to conduct a trial. They demonstrate this by voting for impeachment. The Senate is then expected to conduct a trial by reviewing the evidence and then voting whether to convict of impeachment or not.

Neither President was convicted of impeachment.

[KC Burke]

Like my failure to substitute "The" for "Its" in my post, it appears something is slipped in your sentence structure. Ask again, plainly.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

Interesting how 'cleaned up' it is, but I also noted that there were not a lot of accomplishments listed.

They don't mention his support of pornography as a growth industry?