Where would Hillary be if Senator John Edwards had not defended Bill so brilliantly?

[Ninga]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/2/11/172649/129


perhaps SENATOR EDWARDS accomplished exactly what he was supposed to....and did it damn well.


The Man Who Saved Bill Clinton's Ass, An Anniversary 2/12/99
by catchawave

Sun Feb 11, 2007 at 03:29:17 PM PST

On the 8th anniversary of what I would call a "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" moment on Capitol Hill, one voice stood out at the end of President Bill Clinton's worse nightmare while in office, his impeachment trial, the final statement by Senator John Edwards (D-NC) was released into Congressional Record on February 12, 1999.

Edwards' skill as a trial attorney was evident during the 1999 Senate impeachment trial of President Clinton, and Edwards was also responsible for the deposition of witnesses Monica Lewinsky and Vernon Jordan, which played a critical role in the Senate proceedings that eventually ended in the President's acquittal.

Senator Edwards had prepared remarks, but chose not to use them, enjoy the ride, courtesy of http://edition.cnn.com/... and public record :

catchawave's diary :: ::
Sen. John Edwards (D-North Carolina): I add my praise, Mr. Chief Justice, for the work you have done, but I would add one other thing. The last time I saw you before this impeachment trial you were leading a sing-along at the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference. I thought it might be a good idea for this group.
The CHIEF JUSTICE. A healing device.

(Laughter.)

Mr. EDWARDS. Thank you, Mr. Chief Justice. I have prepared remarks. But I am not going to use them. I made that decision about 20 minutes ago.

I have been sitting, listening to my fellow Senators speak, and I want to speak to you from the heart. I want to speak to you about a struggle, because I have been through a struggle. It is a real struggle. And I suspect that there are an awful lot of you who have been through the same struggle--both before we voted on the motion to dismiss and, for me, since we voted on the motion to dismiss.

For me, the law is a sacred thing. And that is part of my life. I have seen what the law can do. It is a powerful, powerful thing. It can do extraordinary things for ordinary people. And I believe we have been given a sacred responsibility. I will tell you what that sacred responsibility means to me personally. It means that when I walked in here the first day of this impeachment trial I was 100 percent completely open to voting to remove this President.

And I have to tell you all something, my friends on this side of the aisle, that wasn't a hard thing for me to do. I think this President has shown a remarkable disrespect for his office, for the moral dimensions of leadership, for his friends, for his wife, for his precious daughter. It is breathtaking to me the level to which that disrespect has risen.

So I said to myself, what is the right and fair thing to do? And this is what I have done. I have looked--many times until 3 a.m. in the morning--at the evidence in this case. Because I think that is the way we need to make this decision.

[surfermaw]

1. YOu got that right

He got up to make a speech he had written, however he spoke from the heart, and Clinton was there to finish his administration...And then did the Clintons put Clark, in the race to stop the popular Edwards....

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. It Was Simple Math

98% of the Democratic House members voted against impeachment and 100% of the Democratic senators voted against removal... I could have defended him in the Senate...It was a "show trial"...

[Ninga]

6. Does this sound like something you would say????

These things all lead me to the conclusion that however reprehensible the President's conduct is, I have to vote to acquit on both articles of impeachment.

I have one last thing I want to say to you all, and it is actually most important. If you don't remember anything else I said, and you weren't listening to anything else I have said, please listen to what I am about to say because it is so important to me.

I have learned so much during the 30 days that I have been here. I have had a mentor in Senator Byrd, who has probably been a mentor to many others before me. I have formed friendships with people on both sides. Senators Leahy and Dodd, who I worked with on these depositions--wonderful, wonderful Senators. I have learned what leadership is about from these two men sitting right here--Senators Lott and Daschle. I have loved working with Senators DeWine and Thompson. And Senator Specter and I worked together on a deposition. He showed me great deference and respect. I have no idea why, but he did; and I appreciate it. I have deep respect and admiration for my senior Senator from North Carolina, who has been extraordinarily kind and gracious to me since I arrived here.

Let me tell you what I will be thinking about when my name is called and I cast my vote, hopefully tomorrow. I will be thinking about juries all over this country who are sitting in deliberation in rooms that are not nearly as grand as this but who are struggling, just as you all have and I have, to do the right thing. I have to say, I have a boundless faith in the American people sitting on those juries. They want to do what is right. They want to do what is right in the worst kind of way.

An extraordinary thing has happened to me in the last 30 days. I have watched you struggle, every one of you. I have watched you come to this podium. I have listened to what you have had to say. I talked to you informally; I watched you suffer. I believe in my heart that every single one of you wants to do the right thing. The result of that for me is a gift. And that gift is that I now have a boundless faith in you.

Thank you, Mr. Chief Justice.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. Sure

I could have probably wrote it myself or had a staff member write it for me... It was a show trial where the outcome was predetermined...The impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton had as much legitimacy as Stalin's "Doctor's Plot" trials...

[Ninga]

10. To this day, Edwards does not employ a speech writer. He is sharp, and smart. He was

then, he is now.....only older, wiser, more seasoned and still gifted.

[surfermaw]

11. You are funny,

[Ninga]

12. Thanks. A person has to have a sense of humor in order to fight off the thread rats.

Do you have any stale cheese for them?

They have been gnawing all day, and are frustrated.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

16. I Normally Don't Post In Other Candidate's "Happy" Threads

It was the slap at HRC that caused me to respond...

[rinsd]

3. It was a partisan show trial.

Also considering how well Hillary came out of the impeachment proceeding in terms of public perception, I would guess she would still have run for Senate.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. I Remember When The Rethuglican Impeachment Managers Had Their First Meting With Majority Leader

Lott...

He said to Henry Hyde "why did you bring this shit over here?"

He knew he didn't have the votes or popular support....

Darkest moment in American political history after the McCarthy era...

[Adelante]

4. Edwards contribution was deposing Monica Lewinsky and Vernon Jordan

For that he deserves credit. His speech was nothing, less than nothing, in terms of affecting the vote which had already been determined when he gave the speech. In fact, the beginning of that speech was such that any Republican might have been speaking.

[Cameron27]

7. Thanks for pointing that out.

[Ninga]

8. He was able to "frame" the speech, extemporaneously, in a brilliant and well received

way.

[desi]

13. I beg to differ...

Ms. Mills' presentation was a work of art, Clarence Darrow would have been proud.



White House Deputy Counsel Cheryl Mills, the first woman to address the trial, is widely regarded as the shining star of the defence team, and gave an effective presentation on President Clinton's behalf on the second day of defence arguments.

She slapped down both the obstruction of justice charge and the House case that leaving Mr Clinton in office would undermine the rule of law.

A 33-year-old African-American, she is known as a devoted protector of the president and first lady, having served in the White House since Mr Clinton came to power.

Ms Mills is herself no stranger to controversy. She came under fire from House Republicans who questioned her truthfulness during a congressional investigation into allegations that White House computer files were misused to aid the president's campaign.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/events/clinton_under_fire/profiles/259798.stm

[slipslidingaway]

14. This bothers me...

"I have looked--many times until 3 a.m. in the morning--at the evidence in this case. Because I think that is the way we need to make this decision."


And he could not take the time, just one time, to read the classified NIE before voting to send our nation to war :(

[waiting for hope]

15. Did Hillary?

No: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/05/25/204032.aspx

[slipslidingaway]

18. This is a thread about Edwards saying he stayed up many times

til 3 a.m. in the morning looking at the evidence and what I was saying is that I wished he could say the same about looking at the evidence before voting to take our nation to war.

I am sure that some members of Congress did stay up late reading the intelligence reports and questioning them before casting their vote.

In addition Edwards knew, or should have known, in the beginning of September that an NIE had not even been prepared, yet he gave a speech and wrote an article for the Washington Post knowing the information was not up to date.

So again I wish he had poured over the Iraq evidence, or lack of, in early September before arguing the case for war.


And this has nothing to do with Hillary, everyone is responsible for their own actions.

[illinoisprogressive]

17. Very good point, Ninga. very good.

[geek tragedy]

19. In the Senate representing New York state.

Edwards didn't change a single vote with that defense of Clinton. Get real.

[BenDavid]

20. Edwards did not save anyone's ass. The folks most

responsible for saving Clinton was the African American community. They knew this was nothing even before the rest of America saw exactly what it was. One of the first that came to the defense of President Clinton was Nelson Mandela. Rmemember who the last President of the United States to receive a standing ovation at the United Nations was? Uh huh President Clinton. Yes a standing ovation during the impeachment, and I am sure the world saw exactly what the republicans were doing and President Clinton received world wide support for him as President. Now folks that is saying something.

Ben David

[Cameron27]

21. You're absolutely right about that.

and I remember being very grateful to Nelson Mandela at the time.

[karynnj]

22. Though a decent defense, it was not the most compelling

or the one cited by Senators speaking after min (Moynahan's was mentioned very often). Edwards was not the first Senator to speak, many declared their positions in their speeches before his. Unless you have some quotes, I doubt a single Senator changed their position on Impeachment because of Edwards' speech. Most very likely had already spent weeks writing their own Speeches.

The vast majority of Senators are lawyers, many more versed in constitutional law than Edwards. The laws and precedents that were referenced by other Senators to back their decision did not come from anything Edwards said.

To me the interesting thing in those speeches, including Edwards', is that they show which values were important to the various Senators - in a way that set of speeches show more about the Senators than they did about Clinton.

[Demeter]

23. Edwards Did It For the Country--Not for the Clintons

and that is why they treat him like dirt.

[Freddie Stubbs]

24. Did anyone really beleive that there was a chance in Hell that the 2/3 of the Senate would have

voted to convict?

Some one could have read a script from Leave it to Beaver and the Senate would have voted the same way.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

25. LOL

Some one could have read a script from Leave it to Beaver and the Senate would have voted the same way.

[Ninga]

26. We we will never know that will we??? Second guessers are flame throwers who torch

the past because they have no vision or constructive opinions for the future.

[Ninga]

27. self delete

[Major Hogwash]

28. Excellent article. And it shows how much Edwards loves this country.

I doubt if Hillary would have become a Senator without Edwards defending her husband like that.

[robbedvoter]

29. Sooo...you are saying Edwards actually changed votes in the senate with his speech?

melted the hearts of Republicans? On Clinton???/ :shrug: