The Soapbox: It's politics as usual

Well, they have finally gone and done it. Despite all the polling to the contrary, and a large dose of common sense, the House Judiciary panel voted 21-16 to open an impeachment inquiry of President Clinton. The vote, which fell strictly along party lines, merely served to confirm to most people that the Republicans in the House are more concerned with trying to "get" the president than doing their duty to uphold the constitution.

Our founding fathers must be rolling in their graves.

This is not about trying to protect the constitution.

This is not about a president gone mad with power and trying to destroy our liberties. This is purely and simply partisan politics.

If anything the Republicans in Congress are the ones who should be impeached. If that were possible. They are trying to undo the decision made by the nation's voters in 1996 and since they could stop his reelection then, they must figure this is the next best thing.

The charges they cite are simply ridiculous and the American public knows this. It is reflected in the polls that show between 53 and 60 percent of the public stating categorically that they do not see anything President Clinton has done as being worthy of being removed from office.

No the reasons for starting down this slippery slope are complex, but they are sinister. If this is allowed to happened will will no longer have three seperate but equal branches of government.

No, we will have moved to having the chief executive serving at the whim of Congress. After all, if he or she doesn't behave, we'll simply impeach them.

This is not the system esatblished more than 200 years ago. This is a change that the voters should decide, not power-hungry political hacks.The Republicans should be wary of the next step...a vote by the full House tomorrow as to whether the committee should continue it's "work."

After the vote is taken the congressman will be heading back to see their constituents. And the voters in their districts may "impeach them" by throwing them out of office.

For shame, House Republicans, for shame!