Libertarian Party Requests Impeachment of President Clinton
Courtesy of Bob Phipps
[email protected]
Special to The Libertarian Enterprise
The Libertarian Party has become America's first political party
to officially demand the impeachment of President Clinton.
On Wednesday [July 5], the party sent letters to House Speaker
Newt Gingrich and Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, formally
requesting that the "United States House begin Articles of
Impeachment" against Clinton and Vice President Gore.
The action followed the party's national convention in Washington,
DC, where delegates approved a resolution urging Clinton's
impeachment.
Passed overwhelmingly by voice vote, the motion called for
Clinton and Gore to be removed from office for "violation of their
oath of office, specifically their failure to uphold and defend the
United States Constitution."
In the letter to Gingrich and Gephardt, the party's National
Director Ron Crickenberger wrote: "Given their scandalously bad
record of protecting the basic civil and economic liberties of the
American people, it is imperative that the United States House begin
Articles of Impeachment against President Clinton and Vice President
Gore."
The party called for impeachment hearings to begin immediately.
"Clinton has the worst record on civil liberties since Richard
Nixon, and the worst record on economic issues since Fidel Castro,"
explained Crickenberger. "What he's done to the Constitution should
be classified as a hate crime. That's why he deserves to be
impeached."
Crickenberger noted in the letter that the party's action was not
motivated by the current sex-and-lies investigation of the president,
which focuses on whether Clinton lied about a sexual relationship with
a White House intern.
"This impeachment request has nothing to do with the ongoing
investigation of President Clinton by Special Prosecutor Kenneth
Starr," he wrote. "We are making this request based solely on the
violations of the Constitution that have been perpetrated by President
Clinton and Vice President Gore during the time they have been in
office."
The party documented a long list of constitutional violations in
the letter, noting that Clinton and Gore:
* Violated the First Amendment by supporting censorship of the
Internet and by demanding a ban on commercial advertising by cigarette
companies.
* Violated the Second Amendment by signing the Brady Bill and by
arbitrarily banning so-called "assault weapons."
* Violated the Fourth Amendment by restricting the right of
Americans to employ encryption technology to prevent government spying
on electronic communications and by supporting legislation that will
mandate national ID cards with biometric identifiers, such as
fingerprints.
* Violated the Fifth Amendment by supporting and expanding the
power of the federal government to seize private property without
compensation under asset forfeiture laws and by signing
"anti-terrorism" legislation that sharply curtailed the right of
habeas corpus.
* Violated the Ninth and Tenth Amendments -- which reserve all
power not specifically delegated to the federal government to the
states and to the people -- by attempting to put America's health care
industry under federal control and by numerous other executive actions
and decrees.
"Our members are tired of watching a president -- who put his hand
on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution -- spend his entire
term of office ignoring, abusing, and violating the guiding document
of this nation," said Crickenberger. "Based on his record as
president, Clinton deserves nothing better than impeachment."
The Libertarian Party may be reached at 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite
100, Washington, DC 20037. Voice: 202-333-0008 Fax: 202-333-0072
The Libertarian Enterprise suggests that you call them and tell them
what you think about the fact that this was a mealy-mouthed "request"
instead of the righteous demand that it should have been, and failed
altogether to mention the Waco Massacre.