Was Bill Clinton impeached or not???

[KansDem]

Yesterday, I heard Sen. McCain say on “Face the Nation” that Pres. Bill Clinton WAS NOT impeached (???) I thought Bill Clinton was impeached (by the GOP House), but not removed from office (by the GOP Senate). Yet, yesterday on “Face the Nation” Sen. McCain said he was not impeached…

So which is it?

Was Clinton impeached...

“Clinton impeached”*
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/events/clinton_under_fire/latest_news/238784.stm
(*selected as a typical news story)

...or was Clinton not impeached?
“Sen. McCain: He <Clinton> was not impeached”

SCHIEFFER: But the president says—President Clinton says there was no excuse for the whole Monica Lewinsky situation, but he also says in his book, Senator McCain, that the impeachment process, he wears that as a badge of honor. What is your reaction to that statement?

Sen. McCAIN: It’s—it’s very hard for me to make a judgment on—on this. He was not impeached, but it certainly wasn’t a prospect that I would look forward to if I were president of the United States.

http://www.cbsnews.com/htdocs/pdf/face_062004.pdf

What’s up with the Senator? It was HIS party that brought charges against Pres. Clinton, so I assume he should know. Yet, Republicans say that Clinton was impeached but the Senator says “no, he wasn't”???

[truthspeaker]

1. He misspoke, or like thousands of Americans misunderstands "impeach"

Impeachment is the trial. Clinton was impeached, and aquitted.

No US president has ever been removed from office by an impeachment.

[onehandle]

9. One would have. That's why he quit. nt

[Misunderestimator]

2. See? McCain IS an idiot...

:)

[Monte Carlo]

3. Strictly, 'impeachment' is the formal accusation.

Bill Clinton was impeached by the House, and acquitted by the Senate, which are two distinct processes.

It has, for whatever reason, become commonplace to refer as the actual conviction of crimes as the impeachment. This is how McCain uses the word in the above. It's just one of those quirks.

[orthogonal]

4. He was not.

Impeaching is what the Senate does after the House votes to bring the charges -- the "Articles of Impeachment".

The House voted to bring the charges; the Senate voted against impeachment, so Bill was not impeached -- but he was tried.

McCain was using the technical language correctly.

More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment#United_States

[lancdem]

6. Heck, even I thought he was impeached

but not convicted.

[shoelace414]

7. From your link

Impeachment is regarded as a power to be used only in extreme cases; impeachment proceedings have been initiated in the House only sixty-two times since 1789. Only seventeen federal officers have been impeached: two presidents (Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, who were both acquitted

he was impeached.

the word is comparable to tried. Except it's not a trial it's an impeachement

[nixonwasbetterthanW]

8. YES, he WAS impeached!

Impeach: to bring a public official (as the House did) before the proper tribunal (the Senate) on charges of wrongdoing.

[Spazito]

12. Clinton was impeached....

impeachment is simply the bringing of charges forward.

Here is a great link from the American Bar Association on the question of Impeachment, the process and what it means:

http://www.abanet.org/publiced/impeach2.html


Q. What is the role of the House of Representatives in impeachment under the Constitution?
A. Article 1, Section 2, of the Constitution specifies that "the House of Representatives...shall have the sole power of impeachment." This means that it has the power to bring charges against an official.

Q. What is the Senate's role under the Constitution?
A. Once impeached, high officials are tried by the Senate. Article 1, Section 3, specifies, "The Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments. When sitting for that purpose, they shall be on oath or affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two thirds of the members present."

[orthogonal]

22. I'm wrong, you're right

Here is a great link from the American Bar Association on the question of Impeachment,

Ok, if the ABA disagrees by quoting the Constitution, I'll admit I was wrong.

Thank you for your correction.

[Misunderestimator]

14. Impeached but not Convicted... simple

[Spazito]

5. It seems to me that...

impeachment is the equivalent of a pre-trial hearing which the House is responsible and the actual trial is conducted by the Senate.

The house felt there was enough evidence in the "pre-trial hearing" to send the case to the Senate who, after holding a "trial" aquitted Clinton of all charges.

[immoderate]

10. Impeached is the same as charged

He was impeached.

--IMM

[Justitia]

11. impeached is somewhat equivalent to "indicted"

in my understanding. Therefore, yes, Bill Clinton was impeached (read: formally accused) by the House.

[Cush]

13. Yes, but not removed

[Spazito]

18. There was no question of removal as he was aquitted of the charges...

He was aquitted not convicted which is the role of the Senate.

[JI7]

15. some people think impeachment is removal

mccain should know this. i actually heard a history professor say clinton was never impeached also. and some others. people need to learn that impeachment is more like an accusation or a "charge" such as would be in regular courts, except this is done by congress. and if impeached they have a trial in the senate.

[Q3JR4]

16. ...

www.yourdictionary.com says,

"im*peach Listen: < m-pch >
tr.v. im*peached, im*peach*ing, im*peach*es

a. To make an accusation against.

b. To charge (a public official) with improper conduct in office before a proper tribunal.

To challenge the validity of; try to discredit: impeach a witness's credibility. "

and later,

"Usage Note: When an irate citizen demands that a disfavored public official be impeached, the citizen clearly intends for the official to be removed from office. This popular use of impeach as a synonym of "throw out" (even if by due process) does not accord with the legal meaning of the word. As recent history has shown, when a public official is impeached, that is, formally accused of wrongdoing, this is only the start of what can be a lengthy process that may or may not lead to the official's removal from office. In strict usage, an official is impeached (accused), tried, and then convicted or acquitted. The vaguer use of impeach reflects disgruntled citizens' indifference to whether the official is forced from office by legal means or chooses to resign to avoid further disgrace..."

So according to this Clinton WAS impeached, just not removed from office.

[WI_DEM]

17. yes, but not convicted.

It was nothing more than a partisan witch hunt though.

[VolcanoJen]

19. There are many ways to say it - "Impeached but Not Removed"

That's the way I look at it...

[Blue-Jay]

20. Simply put,

I can be charged (impeached) by a prosecutor (the House) for crapping on my neighbor's front porch. If a judge (Senate) thinks that the charges are frivolous or unwarranted, the judge (Senate) can throw the case out.

Clinton was formally charged, but it was thrown out.

[leftynyc]

25. I don't believe the case was thrown out

He was put on trial by the Senate and acquitted (as I understand it).

[freetobegay]

21. Oy vey.

Anyone remember the Bush cabal?

[daa]

23. Here are the articles of impeachment

1. The president provided perjurious, false and misleading testimony to the grand jury regarding the Paula Jones case and his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

3. The president obstructed justice in an effort to delay, impede, cover up and conceal the existence of evidence related to the Jones case.

Now what about that lying shrub? You telling me he isn't worse than anything Clinton ever imagined?

Impeach Bush NOW.

[KansDem]

24. "Impeach Bush NOW"

I couldn't agree more. But let's now say "Impeach AND remove Bush NOW." Judging from the posts here, "impeaching" just isn't enough!!!