SUPPORT WANING FOR CALLING LEWINSKY; KEY SENATORS REJECT PLAN FOR TESTIMONY.Byline: Alison Mitchell Alison Mitchell is an English sports broadcaster. She is a regular part of the Test Match Special, BBC Radio Five Live and Five Live Sports Extra commentary teams. BBC Career The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times With the impeachment impeachment, formal accusation issued by a legislature against a public official charged with crime or other serious misconduct. In a looser sense the term is sometimes applied also to the trial by the legislature that may follow. trial of President Clinton set to reconvene reconvene Verb to gather together again after an interval: we reconvene tomorrow Verb 1. reconvene - meet again; "The bill will be considered when the Legislature reconvenes next Fall" today for what is likely to be its final phase, House prosecutors favor bringing Monica Lewinsky Monica Samille Lewinsky (born July 23, 1973) is an American woman with whom the former United States President Bill Clinton admitted (after initially denying) to having had an "inappropriate relationship"[1] while Lewinsky worked at the White House in 1995 and 1996. to the Senate floor, even though their chances of prevailing look dim. But several influential Republicans made it clear Wednesday that they were reluctant to call witnesses to appear in person in the well of the Senate, amid signs that a number of Senate Republicans were no longer rallying around the House prosecutors. The prosecutors interviewed the last of three witnesses behind closed doors Wednesday, questioning Sidney Blumenthal Sidney Blumenthal (born November 6, 1948) is a widely published American journalist, especially on American politics and foreign policy. Born in Chicago, he earned a BA in sociology from Brandeis University in 1969 and started his career in Boston as a journalist who wrote , a senior White House aide, for about an hour and 15 minutes, excluding breaks. They questioned Lewinsky for several hours Monday and Clinton's close friend Vernon Jordan on Tuesday. The way is now clear for several decisive votes, confronting senators with decisions as early as today on whether to make the videotapes of the depositions public and whether to allow the three witnesses to be questioned once again, this time in the Senate. ``If they're going to have a verdict that will withstand the test of history, these witnesses should come forward,'' said Rep. James E. Rogan, R-Calif. But even Rep. Henry J. Hyde, R-Ill., head of the House prosecution team, sounded pessimistic about the chances that the Senate would approve the request to question Lewinsky, Blumenthal and Jordan in the well of the Senate. ``I haven't received a world of encouragement, but I'm ever hopeful,'' Hyde said. In fact, there were strong signs that a number of Senate Republicans would oppose witnesses. Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, said: ``I'm not really for live witnesses. I think we took the depositions for discovery, and I don't think anything's been added.'' Sen. John Warner, R-Va., said, ``I lean very, very strongly against any appearance by Monica Lewinsky.'' And Sen. Olympia J. Snowe, R-Maine, said, ``I cannot personally foresee circumstances in which we would call Monica Lewinsky or the other witnesses.'' Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said: ``My inclination is to support what the House finally requests. But I think the votes are probably not there.'' Letter to Clinton Wednesday night 28 Republican senators wrote to Clinton to ask him to voluntarily testify in the trial. ``Your knowledge, intent, actions and omissions are central to the charges the House of Representatives have made against you,'' the letter said. ``Personal answers from you should prove beneficial in our effort to reconcile conflicting testimony.'' The White House steadfastly has said Clinton would not take such a step. Already looking toward the trial's conclusion, Senate Democrats and the White House began a concerted campaign against a Republican proposal to approve ``findings of fact'' accusing Clinton of misconduct before taking the final vote on the two articles of impeachment Formal written allegations of the causes that warrant the criminal trial of a public official before a quasi-political court. In cases of Impeachment, involving the president, vice president, or other federal officers, the House of Representatives prepares the articles of . Democratic efforts last week to end the trial showed that there are not the 67 votes needed to convict Clinton on the charges of perjury perjury (pûr`jərē), in criminal law, the act of willfully and knowingly stating a falsehood under oath or under affirmation in judicial or administrative proceedings. and obstruction of justice A criminal offense that involves interference, through words or actions, with the proper operations of a court or officers of the court. The integrity of the judicial system depends on the participants' acting honestly and without fear of reprisals. . But the statement of facts could be approved with as few as 51 votes. Democrats contend that the idea is unconstitutional. ``The Constitution gives the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. Senate the opportunity to convict, remove or to acquit To set free, release or discharge as from an obligation, burden or accusation. To absolve one from an obligation or a liability; or to legally certify the innocence of one charged with a crime. acquit v. ,'' said Sen. Robert G. Torricelli, D-N.J., after a closed-door party caucus. ``The Senate is not free to rewrite the Constitution and draw its own conclusions because Republicans need to choose between an element of their constituency that wants conviction and an American public which wants acquittal.'' And Sen. Tom Daschle, the minority leader from South Dakota South Dakota (dəkō`tə), state in the N central United States. It is bordered by North Dakota (N), Minnesota and Iowa (E), Nebraska (S), and Wyoming and Montana (W). , threatened that the Democrats would use the right of ``unlimited amendment'' to keep the proposal from ever coming to a vote. ``If Republicans persist in Verb 1. persist in - do something repeatedly and showing no intention to stop; "We continued our research into the cause of the illness"; "The landlord persists in asking us to move" continue demanding live witnesses and demanding more depositions and demanding extra legal devices like findings of fact findings of fact n. (See: finding) , the more it becomes a Republican trial,'' Daschle said. White House echo The White House echoed the theme. Joe Lockhart, the White House press secretary, said of the senators, ``As they move toward the exits, they shouldn't try to trample on the Constitution in the process.'' He also tried to allay the fears of Senate Republicans that Clinton will celebrate his acquittal as a political victory. ``There will be a certain sense of relief here at the White House if this process were to end quickly and go away,'' Lockhart said. ``But I don't think that there's anybody here who thinks anything out of this process constitutes a victory.'' Wednesday's questioning of Blumenthal, a communications aide who is a bete noire bête noire n. One that is particularly disliked or that is to be avoided: "Tax shelters had long been the bête noire of reformers" Irwin Ross. of conservatives, took place in a secure room on the fourth floor of the Capitol and was videotaped. Officials said Blumenthal repeated his prior testimony to a grand jury that the president had described Lewinsky to him as a ``stalker.'' Only this time he had to concede that the president had lied to him. Officials familiar with the session said Blumenthal stated that he had never spread that description of Lewinsky to reporters and that the president had not instructed him to do so. Blumenthal was the last of three witnesses whom the House Republicans had questioned in hopes of bolstering the article of impeachment charging Clinton with obstruction of justice in his effort to cover up his affair with Lewinsky. A second article accuses him of perjury. What's next TODAY: The Senate reconvenes as a court of impeachment and entertains possible motions from House prosecutors, including one to make public the videotaped depositions of Monica Lewinsky, Vernon Jordan and Sidney Blumenthal. FRIDAY: The Senate could vote on a possible motion by House prosecutors to call Lewinsky, Jordan or Blumenthal to testify live in the Senate. SATURDAY: The Senate would likely hear final arguments. MONDAY: The Senate might vote on a finding of fact that accuses the president of misdeeds but does not convict him. TUESDAY: Possible final vote on the two articles of impeachment. Source: Knight Ridder Newspapers CAPTION(S): box Box: What's next (see text) |
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