Impeachment of Clinton

* Re “Impeach, No; Censure, Yes,” editorial, Dec. 8: How can The Times argue that President Clinton should be censured when the Constitution does not provide for Congress to censure the president? Once again, you do not inform the public on what censure is, but rather flatly state that the president should be censured. An impeachment is nothing more than an indictment and there are plenty of Americans indicted daily and exonerated later. This is the appropriate punishment for the highest constitutional officer in the land.

JOHN M. KINSTLE

La Quinta

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Censure, what is censure? Let’s send the president to bed without any dessert or not let him watch TV until his birthday. The political system has become a joke; unfortunately it is on us.

WILLIAM V. FERRARO

Seal Beach

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Has there ever been a clearer case of Republican partisanship than the current fiasco in the impeachment hearings? First, Chairman Henry Hyde pontificates about the evils of presidential lying. He then stoutly defends his 1987 statement that condemnation of all lying is “too simplistic.” This was in defense of a Republican administration that lied about about Iran-Contra and arms for hostages. He then brings in the campaign funding controversy. That wasn’t too damning to the president, so the charges are dropped and he bounces back to the lying issue.

When White House lawyers want to mount a defense that would take only three days, they are accused of delaying tactics. Someone should tell Hyde that the Marx brothers would have conducted more dignified hearings than Reps. Hyde, Bob Barr and Tom DeLay.

GENE COFSKY

Tarzana

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So, Rep. Hyde is having articles of impeachment drawn up even before the defense has had a chance to present its case. Maybe it’s time the Republicans replaced their symbol with a kangaroo.

KENNETH H. GOLDMAN

La Crescenta

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Ronald Brownstein is right (“Shift to Tough Impeachment Stance Fits GOP’s Self-Destructive Clinging,” Dec. 7). This is one Republican, who has voted in every election since 1956, who will stay home on election day if they do not take a firm stand on impeachment.

ROBERT WAGNER

Sherman Oaks