Oh man, Clinton was really spinning hard in another pseudo apology yesterday, while the Judiciary committee was busy passing three out of four of the articles of impeachment to be delivered to the full House for a vote. He used the word " sorry ", but rationalized it with " shame " as the reason. He still had to mention people out to get him. Why can't this President get it through his head, we don't want to hear any more phoney apologies ( no matter how many times he bites his lip ). If he is going to truely apologize, he must admitt he " lied " and give up " misled ". It's all an act anyhow. How about the balls of this guy, trying to dictate his own penalty to the Congress. He said, he was ready to accept responsibility for his actions with a rebuke or censure. No way, it is far too late for him to suggest any punishment, especially after his lawyers came in and possibly violated their ethical oaths blatantly misleading the committee, continuing the semantic, hair splitting defense of word games. How dare he try to tell them what his punishment should be, then call his actions, " errors ". This morning, Saturday, he is jetting Airforce One to the Middle East to try some lies on Netanyahu and Arafat, in a frantic, last minute attempt to ' wag the dog '! Mark my words, Clinton will make some lying speech from Israel about how wonderful he is and how great the peace process is proceeding. Our deranged dictator must go!

Today, the Judiciary Committee is meeting, with the Democrat clowns really facing their last chance at the spot light. They will be debating the fourth article of impeachment, abuse of power. I assume the Democrat apologists and defenders of Clinton, will be trying to offer up an extra-Constitutional motion for a rebuke or censure resolution. Hopefully, the Democrats will not feel the need to clown around today, as this is the most important thing they will do this century. After thinking about what happened yesterday, the Democrats seemed to be acting like it was the first day of Judiciary Committee hearings. They brought up points they should ( or could ) have addressed by calling some witnesses, who appeared in the deposition and Grand Jury testimony cited in the OIC referral. Also, it just didn't help that they keep fantasizing about some vast right-wing conspiracy and attacking the Independant Counsel, Kenneth Starr. Possibly the most despicable action by the Democrats, was to leave the hearings and lie to the media about the proceedings. Clinton talked about shame, why don't the Democrat House Judiciary Committee members feel ashamed of their rotten conduct? The real outrage has been, the lies that keep coming from the Whitehouse and it's Democrat minions ( both politicians and media talking heads ). He didn't have to lie in January and he did have a last chance to come clean in August. Clinton is being impeached for lying, partly because the entire DNC machine just refuses to stop the steady flow of lies!

George Gekas ( R ) opened with an amendment to delete; Clinton's public statements, statements to aids and ascerting executive privilege from article four ( abuse of power ). This leaves Clinton's answers to the 81 questions returned to the committee, as the object of the article. I personally believe Clinton's statements to aids were abuse of power. I do understand why they feel the need to draft this article, as Clinton's lying answers were an " assault on Congress ". Bob Goodlatte ( R ) didn't think abuse of power through ascertion of executive privilege was impeachable conduct, and sanctions by the court should be the remedy.

Charles Schumer ( D ), continuing his media clown act from last night, attacked rhetorically, by asking whether it was a misplaced modifier or a comma out of place, that made Clinton's answers possible impeachable conduct. Jerrold Nadler ( D ), not satisfied with the deletions made by the Republicans, started attacking the deleted material. He was obviously was reading from prior prepared material, written before the majority offered the deletions. Henry Hyde finally had to remind him that he was criticizing something that will not be included! Barney Frank ( D ), trying to restrain his clown act, still felt the need to say, the committee is " treating impeachment like it is professional wrestling ". John Conyers ( D ), not to be out done by Frank, said, " this is a coup ".

Bill McCollum ( R ) pointed out that the Senate could convict and the sentence could be barring Clinton from holding future political office ( as opposed to just removal from office or both penalities ). He may have erroneously thought that it was either/or, but removal from office is automatic upon conviction by the Senate. Barring Clinton from holding future office would be optional. Lamar Smith ( R ) ascerted, Clinton's position as a lawyer was a mittigating factor in this instance ( ascerting executive privilege ) but an agravating factor in lying before the courts, as in the other articles.

Steve Rothman ( D ) said there is " no clear and convincing evidence has been produced ". He accused the Republicans of voting for impeachment in a frivilous manner, but could not give one specific example. He cited the impeachment of Andrew Johnson that was not upheld in the Senate. What he didn't want the people to hear ( no Democrat wants the people to become aware of this ), was that the censure resolution against Andrew Johnson was expunged as soon as Johnson's party got control of Congress. So much for the gravity of a rebuke or censure by Congress. You would have to be pretty stupid, to think that Clinton doesn't believe this would happen to any censure applied to him, once the political winds blew his party's way!

Sheila Jackson Lee ( D ) attacked Ken Starr and Linda Tripp, in a subdued clown-like litany not connected to debate of the issue at hand. She said, we didn't have a case against the President, but a case against the prosecutor. Why can't these lying Democrats hold their vicious lies for the media talk shows, where their spinmeister actions are sadly still seen as entertainment? Maxine Waters ( D ) sadly, had to engage in a clown act. She claimed the Republicans have a loose interpretation of the Constitution. She then asked Charles Canady to give her an example of a lie in the 81 answers to the committee's questions. She then cut him off in mid answer, before he finished and said she didn't think he could? Marty Meehan ( D ) once again raised the spectre of Watergate, and possibly accused the Republicans of trying to get even. How can this guy attack the Republican committee members this way? I guess he picked up, where Rev. Drinan left off, in his litany about vengeance. The Democrat clown act has sunk to the lowest level possible, in attacking the members personally and not the facts in the case! Bobby Scott ( D ) said that Clinton's answers were " precise ". Whoa, wait a minute; this just doesn't pass the sniff test. Bobby Scott is one of the mindless Whitehouse defense robots! Mel Watt ( D ) accused the Republicans of putting forth ' spin '. Come on Mel, you and the ' unfairness cops ' are the only spimeisters around the Rayburn building! He also dredged up the Schippers predicted parsing of words defense, again. William Delahunt ( D ) tries to equate Clinton's perjury in court proceedings with unsworn public statements of policy made by past Presidents. Sorry man, this one doesn't fly. He also attacked the motivation of Republicans in the proceedings and challenged them to prove him wrong, while letting his time run out before letting them respond. Robert " Wipe Your Mouth Dude " Wexler ( D ) once again tries to muddle things up with " it's all about a definition of sex ". Look, we all saw the deposition, and this definition of sex thing has been exposed as the bullshit, it totally is!

Bob Inglis ( R ) said, " As late as four o'clock yesterday, it is horrific that he ( Clinton ) continues to not be able to tell the truth ". Bob Barr ( R ) said, of the committee Democrats, ' it doesn't make something true, if you say it fast, loud and repeatedly '. He is referring to the way they seem to play as fast and loose with the truth, as Clinton's lawyers are doing! Asa Hutchinson ( R ) addressed the three deletions and expressed his support for the amendment. He then gave many specific examples of lies in Clinton's answers until he time ran out ( possibly in response to Waters' prior litany ). Steve Chabot ( R ) took umbridge with the personal attacks by Democrats, but finished with his opinion on the amendment in question, offering up some specific examples not addressed by Hutchinson. Lindsey Graham ( R ), who believe is a prince among men, said, " The idea that the committee has not given the President and his defenders ample time to pressent a defense is not valid ". He also reinterated, " he ( Clinton ) lied after he was begged not to lie before the Grand Jury ". Later, Graham refered to an article in today's Arkansas Democrat Gazette, where a Democrat representitive ( Dickey ) said the Whitehouse told him voting for impeachment would be suicide and the Whitehouse would make sure it was suicide. This kind of pressure and intimidation from the administration, is totally uncalled for and disgusting! Tom Barrett, to his own detriment, tried to debunk Graham's reading of the article, by reading a small snippet mentioning pressure by Republicans. Graham countered by reading the entire passage where Dickey seemingly chastises the Whitehouse for the pressure applied to him! James Rogan ( R ) addressed the misleading spin that Democrats have been putting out, about Republicans saying that the House doesn't remove the President from office with a vote for impeachment. The Republicans were responding to questions about the procedure of impeachment and not whether they want to remove Clinton or not. The Senate is the trier and the House the accuser, this is what the Constitution says! For the Democrat clowns to distort this, is willfully false! Ed Bryant ( R ) says he is totally motivated by his principles, and not anything personal or political. Chris Cannon ( R ) announced his intention to vote no on removing the incidents of frivilous ascertions of executive privilege, as abuses of power. This should clearly indicate that representitives are voting their conscience. True to his word, Cannon was the only Republican to vote no on the amendment.

The Democrat clown act once again started with an exchange between Watt and Conyers attacking the Republicans and the committee process. They again want to insert language limiting the statements considered perjurious and want to reduce these statements to the single words or terms, to analyze them semantically? Henry Hyde recessed the committee for lunch, not seeing an end to the Democrat delaying action clown act. The mocking actions of the Democrats have only succeeded in mocking themselves! Bob Barr appeared on MSNBC to debunk the Democrat scare tactic of telling people the vote in the Judiciary Committee removes the President from office! William Delahunt put the latest Whitehouse spin out there, to cover the Democrat heavy pressuring of House legislators. Obviously, he was accusing the Republicans of doing that very thing ( quite predictable, actually ) and demonizing House Majority Whip Tom Delay ( having lost Newt and not stupid enough to attack Speaker of The House elect Bob Livingston ).

The Democrats must have taken a quick poll at lunch, because they temporarily ceased the clown act, to vote on article four. It passed on a party line vote. Debate on the minority resolution of censure began with Rick Boucher ( D ). He boiled it down to being Clinton's personal actions. I guess he forgot it was in front of a Federal ( our ) court? He invoked the scare tactic of how the stock market will collapse and government will be put at a stand still. Ignoring this emtional plea, there could be some decent debate ot this issue.

Democrats. William Delahunt. " This motion represents what the vast majority of the American people want ". He called impeachment a " nuclear missile ". Tom Barrett. " There is nothing in the Constitution preventing the censure of a president ". Sheila Jackson Lee. When going on about what her constituents say, " vote with the President; stick with him to the end ". Zoe Lofgren. " At least vote present ", to the Republicans. John Conyers. " There seems not to be a single Republican on this committee who will support censure ". He invoked names like Livingston, Gephardt, Tripp, Lewinsky, and Goldberg in a litany designed to scare the public. Of censure he said, " it has been done a half a dozen times ". I guess he forgot to mention these past presidents were not under oath in court. Barney Frank boiled it down to, ' just because it doesn't say you can do it, doesn't mean you can't '. Charles Schumer. " Simply because the Constitution mentions impeachment, doesn't rule out censure ". He then brought up Newt Gingrich and tried to equate him with Clinton ( quite cowardly, dude ). Howard Berman offered nothing new ( milk toast all the way ). Jerrold Nadler called the committee, " a partisan impeachment opposed by two thirds of the country ". He then attacked Reagan and Bush, equating their policy statements with the perjury under oath of Clinton? Man, this is Twilight Zone time! Mel Watt. " There are some words in it I have a problem with ", but added later, " if I thought this ( the censure motion document ) was un-Constitutional, I would say it was un-Constitutional ". Bobby Scott rehashed his old " flimsy or insuffifient evidence " arguement against impeachment. Maxine Waters amazingly did no clown act ( oh yeah, right...it was a Democrat motion ). She didn't support the censure motion, because she thinks Clinton is innocent? Steve Rothman. " They have reputed every single one of the charges, every single one of the charges ". He did say he is prepared to censure the President for wagging his finger and having an affair ( persumably for the sake of his family? ).

Republicans. Henry Hyde. The Constitution only pemits Congress to censure members of Congress. Congress only permits removal and not punishment, of members within the other branchs of government. In no way should the allowal of debate, be construed as endorsement of any censure. He also pointed out that they had no ' specificity ' in their censure motion, but he would not muddle debate with any further dialog on it. The motion censures Clinton for sexual misconduct and that is no business of Congress. This was right on point, Clinton is not being impeached for having sex, but lying to the courts! James Sensenbrenner pointed out, " if the censure resolution is passed, it will say that wagging your finger at the cameras and lying, is worse than taking the oath and lying before a Federal Grand Jury ". Bill McCollum said the impeachment is the censure and the Senate may choose not to remove him from office. When asking for an extra 30 seconds, the Democrats objected ( that was sleazy ). George Gekas talked about how divided the scholars are on censure. Howard Coble used less than a minute, saying, " The Constitution provides one action, and it is not censure ". Charles Canady said " The President has been more concerned with keeping his own power than the dignity of the office ", and " he sees the truth as his play thing ". Bob Inglis tried to solicit from the Democrats, what false statements they were censuring Clinton for. Bob Goodlatte. " Those things I would place in that vessel ( the censure document )...are impeachable offenses. That is why I cannot support censure ". He continued, " This President mocks the Congress. He wants this censure ". Steve Buyer addressed questions in the wording with the Democrats, including Rick Boucher. His points were that though very weak on condemnation, it was still un-Constitutional. Finally he said, " the censure motion is punitive in nature, making it un-Constitutional ". Ed Bryant. " The Senate has the power to punish the President, we have no such authority ". He seems to think, that only the Senate could possibly censure the President. " Very clearly, the House has no authority ". Steve Chabot said, " a censure resolution not including the self evident offenses " is not warranted. Elton Gallegly, " I believe censure is a cop-out; and a very dangerous one ". Bob Barr. " This isn't group therapy, this isn't a feel-good session ". Asa Hutchinson. " I appreciate the spirit in which they pffer this resolution " ( censure document ). He then read letters to Delahunt by the Constitutional scholars saying they thought the concensus of the panel was censure was un-Constitutional. Delahunt replied that is was still two to one in favor? Delahunt invoked the censure of Jackson, Polk, Tyler and Buchanan. Ed Pease was brief and didn't favor a toothless censure. Chris Cannon said, " a censure for this President becomes a ' get out of jail free ' card. He then read a letter from Ben Johnson, an ex-Democrat representitive from the House. James Rogan. " This resolution warrants the impeachment of the President ". " Expungement means ' it never happened '. Any future Congress can erase it ".

The vote was along party lines with two exceptions, Bobby Scott voted no and Maxine Waters voted present. No clowning in general, was done after debate on the censure motion authored by Rick Boucher. There were some really polarized opinions expressed in this committee. It certainly was good, for these hearings to end on a somber note. Ya' know, toward the end of the hearing today, I did find myself wondering ( hoping ) when the martian with the big head and a raygun was going to show up?

I think this process should go forward without the clowning around. I realize part of the Democrat strategy is to trivialize the whole thing, but this is much too grave an issue to use this kind of defense tactic. This tactic actually illustrates why I think it is important. First, I believe it is important for the impeachment to go to trial in the Senate; so the people themselves can see witnesses like Monica Lewinsky, Sidney Blumenthal, Betty Currie and Vernon Jordan. I believed the President at first, but the evidence in the OIC referral was strong and convincing. I then began to fall for the Whitehouse spin, but their manner of presentation led me to doubt their sincerity. David Schippers and Lindsey Graham seemed much too believable, when contrasted with Abbe Lowell and Maxine Waters, and I believe Clinton is guilty. Second, I believe the Whitehouse ( and future Whitehouses ) must be put on notice that the type of vicious attacking media assaults on individual Americans they have done, must never happen again. They only way to do that, is for the President to be impeached for orchestrating these actions himself ( obstruction of justice and abuse of power )! Sadly, my prediction is that the President will get his Christmas present, eventually.

- Bongo ( We now know why Clinton wears boxers, not briefs. )