Bill Clinton Decries His Impeachment In Speech At Hofstra
POSTED: 7:33 pm EST November 10, 2005
UPDATED: 11:43 am EST November 11, 2005
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Former President Clinton said Thursday that his impeachment was "an egregious abuse of the Constitution" and asked if history judges him poorly because of his White House tryst with Monica Lewinsky, "How many other presidents do you have to downgrade?"
Speaking on the opening day of a three-day conference at Hofstra University examining his presidency, Clinton challenged a statement by noted historian Douglas Brinkley, who opined in a newspaper interview that Clinton would be deemed a great president were it not for his impeachment.
"I completely disagree with that," Clinton said. "You can agree with that statement, but only if you think impeachment was justified. Otherwise, it was an egregious abuse of the Constitution and law and history of our country."
Clinton, who was acquitted by the Senate of perjury and obstruction of justice at his 1999 impeachment trial, contended that the impeachment was not about what he called his "misconduct."
"Now if you want to hold it against me that I did something wrong, that's a fair deal," he said. "If you do that, then you have a whole lot of other questions, which is how many other presidents do you have to downgrade and what are you going to do with all those Republican congressmen, you know, that had problems?"
His remarks were cheered loudly by the audience.
In a speech that lasted more than an hour, Clinton touched on many of what he called the achievements of his eight-year presidency, citing everything from Middle East peace initiatives to turning around the U.S. economy.
Among his Democratic administration's failures, he said, were its slowness to act to stop genocide in Rwanda and the decision to allow FBI agents to raid a cult leader's compound in Waco, Texas. Nearly 80 cult followers died in a fire during the 1993 confrontation.
"We should have waited them out," Clinton said.
Former cabinet members, White House staffers and academicians converged at Hofstra for the conference, which will touch on issues including the economy, relations with Congress, the Middle East and Northern Ireland peace processes and confronting terrorism.
Those participating include former Attorney General Janet Reno, ex-Defense Secretary William Perry, former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin and advisers Paul Begala, David Gergen and Harold Ickes.
During an opening keynote speech, former chief of staff Leon Panetta quipped that he appreciated "the opportunity to, considering the problems that are confronting this White House, to take some comfort in the ability to say when we were in the White House those were the good old days."
The presidential conference is the 11th to be held at Hofstra; the first was held in 1982 and examined the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Hofstra President Stuart Rabinowitz said this year's conference was "one of the very first attempts to write the historical record of the Clinton presidency."
Brinkley, who is serving as a moderator at several events, said the transcripts and other records from the Hofstra sessions are considered important reference materials for students of history across the country.
Madeleine Albright, Clinton's secretary of state from 1997 to 2001, introduced him Thursday evening. In remarks earlier Thursday, she recalled some of the administration's foreign policy efforts during her term.
"I have always believed America is an exceptional country. But that is because we have led in creating standards that work for everyone, not because we are an exception to the rules," she said. "Countries should know that America is a nation whose leaders can be trusted and who will practice what they preach. By that high standard, I am proud of the Clinton administration's record."
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Originally Posted by Kristy
