Underlying offense
The break-in at Democratic headquarters took place without Nixon’s
knowledge or approval. The participants were former U.S. government agents
who had conducted similar activities, both legal illegal, under Democratic
administrations. Mistakenly or not, they understood their task to be related
to protecting our national security.
Bill Clinton had sex with a White House intern barely older than his daughter in the Oval Office. According to Lewinsky, Clinton did not know her name until the third encounter, calling her “Kiddo.” Solely for his own self-gratification, Clinton recklessly endangered our national security. Clinton talked with Lewinsky on open telephone lines. Lewinsky told 11 individuals of the relationship.
Presidential Crimes
Clinton personally committed felonies by lying under oath in a civil
deposition and to a Grand Jury. Nixon faced three Articles of Impeachment
which held him responsible for the acts of subordinates of which he had
no advance knowledge. The Articles did not accuse him of personally committing
a felony.
Presidential Lying
One Article of Impeachment against Nixon was that he lied to the American
people. Nixon was never accused of lying under oath. Clinton has lied repeatedly
to the American people. He is the first President in history to be accused
of lying under oath.
Invasions of Privacy
Nixon aides went to prison for viewing the contents of a handful of
FBI files. Clinton staffers pawed through hundreds. Evidence suggests that
the First Lady may have initiated and/or orchestrated file invasions. Defense
Department spokesman Kenneth Bacon got caught leaking Linda Tripp’s personnel
file. He hasn’t even been fired.
Misuse of the FBI and IRS
I believe that abuses have been far more extensive under Clinton, from
the White House ordering the FBI to put out a press release accusing the
innocent Billy Dale of crimes, to the IRS audits of dozens of conservative
organizations. (After NLPC successfully filed suit to open the meetings
of Hillary’s health care task force, our attorney Kent Brown was audited.
For good measure, Brown, a Civil War scholar and author, was booted off
a Gettysburg advisory committee.)
Assertions of Privilege
Nixon’s assertion of Executive Privilege led to a charge of an “Imperial
Presidency,” but Clinton trumps Nixon on this one. First Clinton asserted
an attorney-client privilege to prevent government lawyers from handing
over notes made in meetings with Hillary. Then Clinton fought for two years,
all the way to the Supreme Court (where he lost 9-0) to claim he was immune
from the Paula Jones civil lawsuit. At one point, Clinton’s lawyers even
claimed that as Commander-in-Chief, Clinton was on “active military duty”
and could not be sued. Clinton even sought to invent a new “protective
privilege” to prevent Secret Service agents from talking to Ken Starr.
Clinton is still fighting in court to prevent confidant Bruce Lindsay from
having to testify.
Impact on the Country
Richard Nixon’s forced resignation weakened the nation while it was
at war in Vietnam. The 1974 elections resulted in a Congress which cut
off aid to South Vietnam, unleashing a Communist bloodbath in Southeast
Asia which claimed millions of lives. Today, I suspect Clinton’s leadership
would be missed for about ten minutes.
While 1974 Impeachment Articles do not accuse Nixon of any specific crime, they do accuse him of violating his oath of office. They make a general case that Nixon brought disrepute to his office and that he was morally unfit to serve. By this standard, Clinton fares a lot worse.
In the end, we are told that Clinton’s felonies are excusable because he only “lied about sex.” Of course, the lies were in response to a sexual harassment lawsuit. If it is all right to lie about sex in a sexual harassment case, I don’t think laws against sexual harassment are going to mean much. Funny, I don’t hear much liberal angst about that.
EW