Clinton's 1974 remarks on Nixon and impeachment

Thornton decision confirmed

ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT, 1974

Rep. Ray Thornton, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said today that President Nixon's statement confirms what he already had decided--that the President was involved in the obstruction of justice.
"It appears his statement does confirm this," Thornton said in a telephone interview from Washington. "I thought it would all come out. But I didn't think the evidence would come as soon or be as clear as it was."
Rep. John Paul Hammerschmidt's admission of withholding evidence from Congress has caused him to give serious consideration to voting for impeachment.
Hammerschmidt said Nixon's admission is "the most damaging thing yet" in the Watergate controversy.
"This puts a different light on the subject," Hammerschmidt said. "This has me giving serious consideration toward impeachment."
"My mind is not made up," he continued. "I'm still waiting. But this tends to help me make up my mind."
A spokesman for Rep. Wilbur Mills said Mills would have "no comment on impeachment until the debate begins on the House floor. At that time, he will make his views know."
Mills previously has called for Nixon's resignation.
A spokesman for Rep. Bill Alexander said Alexander was preparing for an important committee hearing and did not have time to comment on Nixon's statement.
Thorton called it a "very sad, tragic thing" that Nixon did not earlier make the evidence available to Congress.
Thornton said he did not think Nixon should resign or temporarily step aside as provided under the 25th Amendment.
"From the beginning, I've said I do not think the President should resign," he said. "It is my view the impeachment process should proceed in an orderly manner."
Thornton said he did not think the debate in the House would be as lengthy as it would have been prior to the President's statement.
"From reading the papers, I can tell it did have an impact on some congressmen. But it's a hypothetical question whether it will shorten the debate.
"It could be that more congressmen will want to get into the debate now."
Thornton said he thought the 25th Amendment was specifically designed to allow a president to temporarily relinquish his office in time of physical or mental disability.
"I'm not sure that an impeachment trial is that kind of disability," he said.
Hammerschmidt said the President and many of his aides had been guilty of a "terrible display of cynicism, insensitivity and many things I would deplore in government."
The congressman said that, as he watched the House Judiciary Committee debating impeachment charges, the accusations that concerned him the most were those regarding abuse of power.
"I was greatly disturbed by that," he said. "To use government bureaus...like the IRS. That's particularly disturbing."
Hammerschmidt, however, said he was not certain whether Nixon's conduct was legally impeachable. He also said he was undecided on whether Nixon should be censured.
Hammerschmidt said he opposed resignation.
"It might be nationally popular because the people want this matter over with," he said. "But I don't think it's the right solution."
Sen. John L. McClellan said today he would refrain from making a public statement in reaction to President Nixon's admission Monday of withholding evidence from Congress and the special prosecutor on the Watergate case.
"If the House (of Representatives) impeaches the President, I want to be in a position of not having prejudged before hearing the evidence," McClellan said today at Washington.
"I think that a lot is being said in the press," McClellan said. "But I am going to be a juror in a sense and will have tto try the man on his own testimony and not on the press and transcripts."
McClellan said he was going to "try and keep as open a mind as I can" and to "try the case on the basis of official evidence before the Senate at the trial." McClellan said that "the gravity of the situation and the consequences involved indicate a duty on my part to keep an open mind."
McClellan said, "Like all other good citizens, I agonize over the situation. It's greatly distressing."
Sen. J. William Fulbright was not available this morning. Lee Williams, his chief administrative assistant, said Fulbright was probably visiting his wife who had had surgery. Williams said he had not discussed the matter of Nixon's statements with Fulbright, and did not know if Fulbright had a statement.
State Sen. Jim Caldwell of Rogers also said he would be reluctant to support resignation.
"One of the things to be accomplished with the entire procedure being followed constitutionally to its ultimate end is that we will know that democracy works," he said.
Caldwell said it would be wrong for him to prejudge Nixon's guilt or innocence. He also said he could not predict whether resignation was more likely at this time.
"Evidently he (Nixon) is somewhat more skeptical of at least the outcome of the impeachment issue," Caldwell said. "He is at least more concerned about the outcome than in the past."
Rep. Preston Bynum, the only Republican in the state House of Representatives, said today Nixon's revelations have put the presidents strong supporters, including himself, on the spot.
"I accepted his statements on true face value," Bynum said, "so naturally I'm disappointed he didn't tell me the truth."
Nevertheless, Bynum said "I still think he's the greatest President this country's ever had." Nixon's greatness, he said is based on disengaging the country from the Vietnam War, dismantling many federal agencies that led to a massive bureaucracy and simply "being known as a world leader."
Bynum said he's 100 percent certain of a House impeachment now and 90 percent sure of a Senate conviction.
He said he's not ready to make a decision on whether Nixon should resign his office. "In the past I've been right down the line with im," Bynum said; "but the presidency is crumbling right now."
Charles T. Bernard of Earle, former state Republican chairman who was active in Nixon's 1972 re-election campaign in Arkansas, said today, "We've got to have unity in this country and I think unity can only be served in one way, and that's for Mr. Nixon to resign."
Bernard said he "got in dutch" with some party officials 14 or 15 months ago when he said the public deserved to know the truth about Watergate and urged the Republican leadership in Congress to take the initiative in seeing that the truth was revealed.
"I'm heartsick and disturbed about the whole chain of events, and see the statement I made some months ago as somewhat prophetic," Bernard said today.
Bill Clinton, Democratic candidate for the 3rd Congressional District, said, "There's nothing left to say. There's not any point now in his putting the country through an impeachment since he isn't making any pretense of innocence now."
Clinton said he believed the President should have stayed in office and resisted resignation if Nixon thought himself innocent. But now that the President has admitted wrongdoing, he should resign, Clinton said.
He said he wished his opponent, Republican John Paul Hammerschmidt has "seen fir to make a stronger statement" when asked his viewpoint of Nixon's situation. Hammerschmidt said he is considering voting for impeachment after Nixon's latest revelations.
Clinton said, "This country has suffered so long. We need more people to say 'we need to do this' instead of saying 'I might do this'"
David Pryor, the Democratic candidate for governor said there's "no conceivable way the President can survive." He said Nixon has lost all credibility.
"The worst that he's done is compromise the nation, leave unattended the real problems that confront us such as inflation and allow his friends to take his defense when he knew he was guilty."
Pryor recommended that Nixon resign. He said House Impeachment is a foregone conclusion and Senate conviction "is probably inevitable."
He said only history will determine how Nixon's presidency will rank, but "whatever achievements (there were) will be adversely colored by the horrors of Watergate."
Ken Coon, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, said today that "for the good of the country, " President Nixon should "temporarily turn over his duties" to Vice President Gerald Ford.
Coon also suggested that Nixon request an immediate trial on impeachment, but said he did not believe Nixon should resign.
"Not because of his possible innocence of impeachable offenses but because people have the right to find absolute truth and that can come only after a trial in the Senate." Coon said.
"With the President's own admission that he lied to the American people about previous Watergate statements, that he kept pertinent information from the House Judiciary Committee, the courts, as well as his own lawyer, and his admission that, it is a foregone conclusion that the House will impeach him, it might seem to some that he should resign." Coon said. "However, we must remain calm and not overreact. Our system of government provides that a man, even the President is innocent until proven guilty."
Coon said that if Nixon resigned it would set a precedent that, in the long run, could do "irreparable damage" to the United States "...if Nixon resigned because of public opinion, then future presidents, if they made an unpopular decision, might also capitulate, leaving government solely in the hands of Congress," Coon said.

Reprinted from the Arkansas Democrat, August 6, 1974.

This article was published online on Wednesday, September 16, 1998

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