"This nation sits at a crossroads."

While outrage at the President's actions has been fairly bipartisan so far, many of the more openly partisan Republicans seem as likely to support a move for impeaching President Bush as they are to be seen at a pro-choice rally. Given this, I think it is important to remember the rhetoric in Washington when the Congress was preparing Bill Clinton's impeachment. If the "rule of law" (and Clinton did break the law, no doubts there) was important enough to justify impeachment on the grounds of obstructing an investigation into a sexual affair, then I must believe Congress' concern is doubled in an environment of constitutional concern where the President is declaring himself above the Congress and the laws of the judiciary.

From Daily Kos, quotes from the Clinton impeachment-

Rep. Tom Delay (October 9, 1998):

"I believe that this nation sits at a crossroads. One direction points to the higher road of the rule of law. Sometimes hard, sometimes unpleasant, this path relies on truth, justice and the rigorous application of the principle that no man is above the law.

Now, the other road is the path of least resistance. This is where we start making exceptions to our laws based on poll numbers and spin control. This is when we pitch the law completely overboard when the mood fits us, when we ignore the facts in order to cover up the truth.

Shall we follow the rule of law and do our constitutional duty no matter unpleasant, or shall we follow the path of least resistance, close our eyes to the potential lawbreaking, forgive and forget, move on and tear an unfixable hole in our legal system? No man is above the law, and no man is below the law. That's the principle that we all hold very dear in this country."

Sen. Bill Frist:

"I will have no part in the creation of a constitutional double-standard to benefit the President. He is not above the law. If an ordinary citizen committed these crimes, he would go to jail."

Rep. Lamar Smith (December 10, 1998):

"When someone is elected president, they receive the greatest gift possible from the American people, their trust. To violate that trust is to raise questions about fitness for office. My constituents often remind me that if anyone else in a position of authority -- for example, a business executive, a military officer of a professional educator -- had acted as the evidence indicates the president did, their career would be over. The rules under which President Nixon would have been tried for impeachment had he not resigned contain this statement: 'The office of the president is such that it calls for a higher level of conduct than the average citizen in the United States.'"

I just want to state I don't mean these quotes as a game of political "Gotcha!" so popular with both sides; this is a very serious matter and all I hope is these same officials will remember how seriously they took the Constitution and the rule of law once upon a time.