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"This partisan coup d'etat will go down in infamy in the history of our nation," the congressman said.
He was outraged and wanted the nation to know why.
"Mr. Speaker," he said, "this is clearly a partisan railroad job."
He was outraged and wanted the nation to know why.
"Mr. Speaker," he said, "this is clearly a partisan railroad job."
"We are losing sight of the distinction between sins, which ought to be between a person and his family and his God, and crimes which are the concern of the state and of society as a whole," he said.
"Are we going to have a new test if someone wants to run for office: Are you now or have you ever been an adulterer?" he said.
The date was Dec. 19, 1998. The House was considering articles of impeachment that the Judiciary Committee had approved against then-President Bill Clinton. The outraged individual, speaking on the House floor, was Democratic @RepJerryNadler of New York.
Two decades ago, Nadler argued that Bill Clinton's impeachment was purely political — an illegitimate attempt to reverse the outcome of legitimate elections.
"There are clearly some members of the Republican majority who have never accepted the results of the 1992 or 1996 elections," Nadler said on Dec. 18, 1998.
The House approved two articles of impeachment the next day. Contrary to Nadler's characterization, they were not about adultery.
The first said Clinton "willfully provided perjurious, false and misleading testimony" to a federal grand jury. (i.e. lying under oath)
The first said Clinton "willfully provided perjurious, false and misleading testimony" to a federal grand jury. (i.e. lying under oath)
The 2nd said he "prevented, obstructed, and impeded the admin of justice, and...engaged personally, and through his subordinates and agents, in a course of conduct or scheme designed to delay, impede, cover up...
... and conceal the existence of evidence and testimony related to a Federal civil rights action brought against him."
Both articles said Clinton violated "his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed."
Both articles said Clinton violated "his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed."
"Mr. Speaker, the case against the president has not been made," Nadler said. "There is far from sufficient evidence to support the allegations, and the allegations, EVEN IF PROVEN TRUE, do not rise to the level of impeachable offenses."
