Recently, several congressmen have overtly expressed concern about a series of allegations involving pardons issued by former President Clinton during his last day of office.
Foremost among those questionable pardons is that of infamous billionaire fugitive Marc Rich, who faced charges for several crimes, including tax evasion. The current viewpoint among the congressmen is that Clinton should properly face the process of impeachment as an obligatory recourse for his possibly criminal actions.
While I am in no way seeking to justify his actions, I do believe that having a formal impeachment trial in the House of Representatives is an unnecessary waste of the taxpayers’ hard-earned money and congressional time, and is a ridiculous notion in principle.
Since Clinton no longer holds the office of president, the possibility of his impeachment is not only not covered by the Constitution, but also serves no clear, significant purpose in regards to the nation’s best interest. If Clinton were still president of the U.S., then that would be quite a different matter entirely; however, that is not currently the case being considered.
Further, as the reader probably knows, in a similar instance Clinton was previously impeached and acquitted of all charges faced during the Monica Lewinsky scandal in 1998. A second impeachment trial could even be seen by some as the impeachment process’s ridiculous version of "double jeopardy." Consequently, Congress would receive much-needed appreciation from the public if they would just drop their whole impeachment stance entirely and let only a federal trial of Clinton’s criminal actions take place, if having one does become necessary in the future.
It would seem to me that the image many individuals currently hold of the congressional branch of government was already tarnished exceedingly in 1998, as evidenced by an increase in Democrats elected to congressional office since then. Congress’s time would be far better served considering meaningful issues such as social security, balancing the federal budget, and improving public health care.
Those of Congress who possess a certain vehement desire to conduct an endless witch hunt of former President Bill Clinton should just let the whole thing go now.
