Oberlin politics professors had their say this week, as they hosted a forum on President Clinton's impeachment and trial.
Approximately 50 people showed up to hear former congressman Don Pease and professors Harlan Wilson, Mark Blecher and Paul Dawson speak on the impeachment.
Each professor spoke on a particular topic. Pease presented the impeachment trial from the perspective of a former legislator. Wilson gave a constitutional background for the case. Blecher discussed the continuation of proceedings despite their unpopularity, and Dawson talked about the politics of continuous campaigning.
Former Congressman Pease said rather than Senate engaging in Clinton's trial they should have gone straight to censure or resolution of the case. According to Pease, it is common for Senators and Representatives of the same party to avoid embarrasing each other, and the impeachment trial is partially occurring so Senate Republicans may avoid embarrassing House Republicans.
"I am not hopeful for a productive relationship this year between the President and the Congress because of the poisonous atmosphere that has been created," said Pease. He said the timing of the trial is important because the next election is 20 months away, and Republicans are counting on the fact that voters will have other issues to focus on by then. Pease also said Clinton should be censured so that, "he cannot claim exoneration and vindication."
Wilson brought up the fact that criminal offenses are not necessarily impeachable offenses. He discussed the writing of Constitutional Framer Alexander Hamilton, which warned of factionalism. Hamilton emphasized the danger of partisan proceedings, the importance of protecting impeachment from public opinion, and the need to proceed with caution.
Blecher discussed why Republicans proceeded with the impeachment when it seems to be so politically bad for them. He brought up a Republican practice of negative campaigning that has occurred from the 1970s to the Gingrich campaign.
"[It is an] undemocratic strategy developed in the 1970s of casting politics into the gutter ... Dirtier politics get support for Republicans," Blecher said. He said they were attacking our democracy by creating cynicism in the general public, calling it a "coup d'etat through an illegitimate impeachment" and a "reversal of democratic elections."
It seems bad for the party, but in this country, party leadership was not centralized and powerful enough to stop the impeachment. Blecher noticed that during interviews with members of Congress, those from more well-off districts discussed the nature of perjury and what Clinton did or said, while representatives from poorer districts brought up other issues.
Blecher quoted one representative who said, "'We know what this is about. This is about Social Security. This is about welfare. This is about race,' but those voices were drowned out."
Dawson felt that the meaning of this trial, below the surface, is a new kind of politics which have been called, "Politics by Other Means." Instead of trying to expand the base of voters, politicians are secure with their traditional supporters who they know how to please.
"They don't want to change the mix and the dynamic," Dawson said. He described a pattern of revelation, investigation and prosecution which goes back and forth between Congresses and Presidents. These conflicts use non-electoral means to win power. "Elites struggle with other elites rather than expand the electorate or look for radical change," Dawson said.
Students had various perspectives on the forum. College junior David Rubter said he attended because, "I wanted to see if it could engage my interest, although I have to admit I'm somewhat biased against American politics. I think it was as good as it could be. That said, I'm still not interested."
College sophomore Eve Bratman enjoyed the discussion. "It was very informative, with new perspectives on the impeachment trial. I think it's wonderful that the Politics Department took time to offer their insight on the trial," she said.
Copyright © 1999, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 127, Number 13, February 12, 1999
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