Death of American Virtue - Ken Gormley [525]
cautioned Starr that this move: Paul Rosenzweig to “All Attorneys.” Myers proposed “dropping the mail fraud count,” which would at least eliminate the most egregious double-jeopardy problem.
A confidential OIC report: Jerry Seper, “Once-Secret Memos Question Clinton’s Honesty,” Washington Times, 8 May 2008.
In mid-November, Henry Hyde drafted: Henry J. Hyde, interview by author.
“smart-alecky,” “sarcastic”: Committee on the Judiciary, Requests for Admission of William J. Clinton, President of the United States, and Responses to the Requests for Admission, No. 43, Nov. 1998, David Schippers papers. See also Baker, The Breach, 179–81.
Hyde had hoped: Henry J. Hyde, interview by author.
Representative Barney Frank likened it: Barney Frank, interview by author; Tom Daschle, interview by author.
Many OIC prosecutors had envisioned: Stephen Bates, interview by author.
Now, to OIC’s horror: Sam Dash, interview by author.
House Republicans, for their part, were fed up: David Schippers, comments made during author’s interview with Henry J. Hyde; David Schippers, follow-up interview by author, 20 Mar. 2009. The efforts in part involved obtaining memos written by Louis Freeh, FBI director, and Charles G. LaBella, head of DOJ’s campaign task force; the memos were still under seal (Baker, The Breach, 183–85).
Schippers also tried: Baker, The Breach, 182–85.
Attorney General Janet Reno: Ronald J. Ostrow and Robert L. Jackson, “Excerpt from Reno’s Report Rejecting Independent Counsel in Gore Case,” New York Times, 25 Nov. 1998. Not only did Reno refuse to commence an investigation into whether Vice President Gore had lied to federal officials on this matter, she also rejected a separate inquiry relating to both Clinton and Gore. See also “Reno Rejects Outside Probe of ’96 Campaign,” Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 1998.
On December 12: Baker, The Breach, 216.
“We had a bill of impeachment”: Henry J. Hyde, interview by author.
According to Clinton’s intelligence: Bill Clinton, interview by author; Barney Frank, interview by author.
Moderate Republicans looking for an out: Barney Frank, interview by author; Baker, The Breach, 263. Two days after the House vote, Congressmen Gilman and Boehlert along with Mike Castle and Jim Greenwood—all Republicans who had voted for several articles of impeachment—wrote to Senator Trent Lott: “We are not convinced, and do not want our votes interpreted to mean that we viewed removal from office as the only reasonable conclusion of this case” (Baker, The Breach, 263; Jonathan Weis-man, “GOP Faction Makes Pitch for Censure,” Baltimore Sun, 22 Dec. 1998).
“folded like Dick’s hatband”: Bill Clinton, interview by author.
“true believer right-wing fundamentalists”: Barney Frank, interview by author.
all hell broke loose in the Middle East: Woodward, Shadow, 490–94; Baker, The Breach, 226–28.
“If you looked”: Doug Sosnik, interview by author.
Republican leaders in Congress went ballistic: Brian Knowlton, “Republicans Lash Out at the Timing; Gulf Action May Delay Impeachment Vote,” International Herald Tribune, 17 Dec. 1998.
With dark bags under his eyes: “Clinton Announces Iraq Strikes,” BBC News, 17 Dec. 1998.
“He could work himself”: Harold Ickes, interview by author.
“Almost every day”: Paul Begala, interview by author.
Frank reconstructed the scene: Barney Frank, interview by author.
he knew Frank’s optimistic nose-count was wrong: Bill Clinton, interview by author.
“He wanted to know”: Amory Houghton, Jr., interview by author.
“We’d better just batten down”: David Kendall, interview by author.
The final vote: Article II, relating to perjury in the Paula Jones deposition, failed by a vote of 229 to 205. Article IV, relating to abuse of power, failed, 285 to 148 (“House Impeaches Clinton,” CNN AllPolitics, 19 Dec. 1998). Only four Republicans had broken ranks and voted against all four articles, while only a handful of Democrats voted to impeach.
“You know, this guy wasn’t up”: Barney Frank, interview by author.
“high school pep rally”: Henry J. Hyde, interview by author.
“Here’s a guy