Statement by Kay Bailey Hutchison on Clinton's impeachment

[WestHoustonDem]

Turns out she issued a long statement http://www.australianpolitics.com/usa/clinton/trial/statements/hutchison.shtml. The last 2 paragraphs are about to come back to haunt her:

<snip>If only the President had followed the simple, high moral principle handed to us by our Nation's first leader as a child and had said early in this episode `I cannot tell a lie,' we would not be here today. We would not be sitting in judgment of a President. We would not be invoking those provisions of the Constitution that have only been applied once before in our Nation's history.

But we should all be thankful that our Constitution is there, and we should take pride in our right and duty to enforce it. A hundred years from now, when history looks back to this moment, we can hope for a conclusion that our Constitution has been applied fairly and survives, that we have come to principled judgments about matters of national importance, and that the rule of law in American has been sustained. </snip>

[hyphenate]

1. I'd love to hear what she's said

about the asshole in there now. Talk about packs of lies, subterfuge and complete and utter disregard for the U.S. Constitution.

[LisaM]

2. Thanks. I figured there was something like this!

I couldn't believe what she said yesterday, I started yelling at the television. What was she thinking?

[tishaLA]

6. She never thinks

She's about the closest one can get to brain dead while still serving in the Senate. I hope whomever pulls the strings that move her mouth gets paid a lot, though. It must be a terrible job to be around her all day.

[sui generis]

3. She's one to talk about lying

She perjured herself to investigators looking into allegations that she used state property, resources and employees to help her with her campaign.

If anyone knows everything there is to know about perjury, it's KBH.

[TimeToGo]

4. Does she really think

that Washington actually said that?

"If only the President had followed the simple, high moral principle handed to us by our Nation's first leader as a child and had said early in this episode `I cannot tell a lie,' we would not be here today."

That is a made up story by Parson Weems -- as every educated American should know by now.

[sui generis]

7. mmmmm Washington state cherries

[WI_DEM]

5. oh, come on everybody knows that lying about a sexual relationship

is worse than outing a CIA operative and lying about the events leading up to a war which has cost thousands of lives!

[BOSSHOG]

8. Why yes kay, I'm thankful the Constitution is "there"

Millions swore an oath to support and defend it. And, by the way kay, it applies to all americans; not just those you bastards are jealous enough of for their successes to hate.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

9. Do grown ups still believe that Washington never told a lie? n/t

[annabanana]

10. I've sent her several emails... quoting her own statements..

unembellished..

followed by "just" perjury... indeed.

[FloridaPat]

11. Technically Clinton didn't lie. He said he didn't have sex with Monica.

Technically he didn't. Just ask any high school student.

[sui generis]

18. he had benefits with that woman

I get it. Many people do.

;)

[drummo]

19. Come on. He did have sex with that woman.

[Acryliccalico]

12. Haunt the old bat to death on this hypocrisy !

:kick: Happy Halloween :)

[hang a left]

13. I bet these *uckers just hate google. eom

[ComerPerro]

14. Such pompous, self-important arrogance

She is a typical republican

[hyphenate]

15. Oh boy!

You got me into a snit! I wrote an email back to her through the website immediately.

Tell me what you think!

I read with some interest your comments from 1999 in respect to Bill Clinton's impeachment process. The comments prompted me to write this email to you as a result.

(http://www.australianpolitics.com/usa/clinton/trial/statements/hutchison.shtml)

In particular, these paragraphs:

"If only the President had followed the simple, high moral principle handed to us by our Nation's first leader as a child and had said early in this episode `I cannot tell a lie,' we would not be here today. We would not be sitting in judgment of a President. We would not be invoking those provisions of the Constitution that have only been applied once before in our Nation's history.

But we should all be thankful that our Constitution is there, and we should take pride in our right and duty to enforce it. A hundred years from now, when history looks back to this moment, we can hope for a conclusion that our Constitution has been applied fairly and survives, that we have come to principled judgments about matters of national importance, and that the rule of law in American has been sustained."


I find it difficult to believe, at this moment in time, how anyone can judge Bill Clinton on the subject of perjury or lying when the current administration has continually lied through its teeth since gaining the white house. If we are to judge a president on the extent of his fabrications and propaganda, it appears to me that the current administration has made some whoppers that have resulted in the deaths of many young soldiers, as well as many thousands of innocent civilians, involving us in a war completely based on those lies. The current administration went into their own plan to begin a preemptive strike and war, without ANY justification based on truth and evidence, and handed the no-bid contracts over to Halliburton without any conscience of thought, allowing their cronies to gain from the entire affair. The people of our country trusted this man to administer this country fairly, and instead, they were shafted from the beginning.

A lie about a personal matter--In this case, Bill Clinton's unfaithfulness to his wife--is hardly worthy of impeachment when what has happened to our country during the past four and five years is atrocious. There is little left of the U.S.'s trustworthiness with most foreign nations when we are acting as nothing less than a bully with our own agenda--and it isn't even the agenda of the American people.

We must end this hubris, this arrogance, and make sure that those who have constantly lied, constantly maintained their own devious agenda and who have greedily taken over our country, will pay for their crimes against America, whether that is through impeachment, criminal trials or outright repudiation. We are only as good a nation as are the reputations of those who administer it, and right now, the United States has failed to be the nation it once promised to be.

No, lying or perjury is one thing--willful disregard of the laws of our country, willful disregard for the people in this country, and willful attendance to a personal agenda do not serve us well. If the United States wants to continue to be a premier nation, it must reject this administration's agenda as it currently exists, and it must make amends for the arrogance and the destruction that has been visited upon us for the past five years. If we do not, there is no question that we will continue to flag in our intentions as a nation once implied to be an equal opportunity maker, a receptacle for tolerance and fairness, and a country where many were finally able to improve their lives by moving here. It is a sin to know that the hope for so many will be destroyed by so few, so powerful.

I stand for the American people as much as any other citizen in this country. I stand for the desire to have the United States remain the country it was envisioned by our founding fathers. I stand for the need to purge our government of all evil, of all personal agendae, of all greed and lies. But how many Congress men and women stand with me? How many are prepared to risk their own power, their own agenda in order to bring our country back from the brink of self-destruction? How can anyone justify the lies perpetrated by this administration, and in any way compare them to the one lie that Bill Clinton made? How can anyone convince themselves that the current course of action is the right one, when so many people in our nation are living in conditions worse than in any third world country?

The horror of Hurricane Katrina spoke volumes about this administration and its lack of humanity. The outing of a CIA agent in Valerie Plame showed callous disregard for the safety of one of our operatives. And the cronyism that continues to occur is blatant evidence that skill and talent are secondary to being friends with an administrative official. It must stop. It needs to stop. And if there is anything good that will come out of it, it is that on both sides of the invisible fence, there will be redoubled efforts to get our country back on the right track, and back to the goal of being that country we all hope it will continue to be.

Sincerely,

[WestHoustonDem]

16. Good for you! I'm still composing mine. Hope you've worked through

your snit now!

[WestHoustonDem]

17. Ok. Here's mine.

Your appearance on Meet the Press was puzzling at best yesterday. I would expect you to hold President Bush and his administration to the same high standards you advocated for President Clinton in your statement on the Clinton impeachment. (http://www.australianpolitics.com/usa/clinton/trial/statements/hutchison.shtml)

You stated:

"If only the President had followed the simple, high moral principle handed to us by our Nation's first leader as a child and had said early in this episode `I cannot tell a lie,' we would not be here today. We would not be sitting in judgment of a President. We would not be invoking those provisions of the Constitution that have only been applied once before in our Nation's history.

But we should all be thankful that our Constitution is there, and we should take pride in our right and duty to enforce it. A hundred years from now, when history looks back to this moment, we can hope for a conclusion that our Constitution has been applied fairly and survives, that we have come to principled judgments about matters of national importance, and that the rule of law in American has been sustained."

But yesterday, you indicated that you now think perjury and obstruction of justice are mere technicalities. Yet the matter under consideration is much more severe. Clinton's impeachment was about an extra-marital affair, while the Fitzgerald investigation is about a leak that put our national security at risk, and may have cost lives in terms of CIA contacts who were put in jeopardy due to the disclosure of Valier Plame's deep cover status.

Are politics truly more important to you than national security? That you would defend the disclosure of national secrets for the sake of defending the cause of an illegal war?

I hope you have a change of heart and remember that you represent people from this great state, not the political aims of a corrupt administration. Otherwise, you will have lost the votes of many patriotic Texans like myself.

[drummo]

20. Actually Clinton's impeachment was about perjury. The Constitution

says nothing about adultery. But lying under oath is a crime. And the Constitution does say a word or two about high Crimes and misdemeanors.

Clinton should have resigned and let Gore become president. Then we wouldn't be in this mess today.

But Bush should be impeached, as well.