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>: The Forsyth County Newt
Opinion
; ‘ This is a page of opinions- ours, yours and others.
Signed columns and cartoons are the opinions of the
writers and artists and may not reflect our views.
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iWhat do you think?
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about the deregulation of natural gas which is giving customers a choice !
•I) service providers? Have you found the process of Identifying a provider !
idMicult? Have providers been helpful in answering your questions?
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Forsyth County News
P.O. Box 210
Cumming, Ga. 30028
A call for the Senate to restore the rule of law
Ken Starr has done his duty,
' carefully mailing the trail of pres
'idential wrongdoing. Faced with
a boldly uncooperative White
House and a venomous public
' assault on his character, Starr built
‘'his case with unfailing dignity and
‘grace.
The House has done its duty. At
long last, the House weighed
Starr’s evidence of perjury and
‘[obstruction of justice. At signifi
cant political peril, Republicans
/and a few bold Democrats
" impeached the president, passing
to the Senate a pair of indict-
J rnents.'
Now the call of duty sounds in
the Senate. In Article I, Section 3,
the Constitution states that “the
, Senate shall have the sole Power
to try all Impeachments [and]
•' Judgment in Cases of
'lmpeachment shall not extend fur
ther than to removal from Office,
;and disqualification to hold and
enjoy any office of honor.”
Yet, early this week, the unam
biguous words of the Constitution
*were being ignored. Unfazed by
♦the Constitution’s direct prohibi
tion against action beyond
removal, Democratic and
Republican senators were pushing
a backroom deal that could derail
'the trial train, allowing the Senate
•to censure and fine the president
'without removing him. A biparti
san group, including Republican
‘Majority Leader Trent Lott, was
"searching desperately for away
•out. On Sunday’s political talk
.On Your Payroll
V
. CTTYCOUNCIL
> Mayor, K Ford Gravitt, 212 Kefiy MM Road,
< Cunrrtng,Ga. 30040. (770) 887-2352
*Mayor Pro-Tem, Lewis Ledbetter, 205 Mountain
Brook Drive, Cumming, Ga. 30040.
(770)887-3019
-'Ralph Rsny, 1420 Pilgrim Road, Cumming,
• Ga. 30040. (770) 887-7474
>Qulncy Holton, 103 Hickory Ridge Drive,
< Cumming, Ga 30040. (770)887-5279
‘Rupert Sexton, 705 Pine Lake Drive,
** Cumming, Ga. 30040. (770) 887-4332
Pugh, 10813th St, Cumming, Ga 30040.
r (770) 887-3342
o
£ COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Xhakrnm BB Jonidne, 430 Oakleaf Tral, Suwanee,
Ga 30174.
< (770) 887-0935; office, (770) 886-2809
Ymwn “Andy” Andaraon, 9740 Misty Comb Lane,
< Gainesvie, Ga 30606.889-1829; office (770) 886-
' 2806
.John Ktefter, 4403 Pine Tree Ctoee, Cumming, Ga
• 3004 U 889-3255; office, (770) 8862810
.JalmßcraM, 5035 Pilgrim
Ga 30041 (770) 887-0784; office, (770) 8862802
-tfchasi Bennett, 4301 Rost Road, Cumming,
Ga. 30040(770)889-4515; office, (770)781-2101
& ' ■' .
BOARD OF EDUCATION
rahatanan Bin Bannon, 1265 Dahlonega Highway,
F Cumming, Ga 30040. (770) 889-9892.
MAoteCMman Rad Kreager, 9810 Kings Road,
f Gainecvfle, Ga 30606. (770) 889-9971
soon Hendricks, 5985 Rato Drive,
• ’ Cumming, Ga 30040. (770) 8892909.
'OMnySqpmßar, 1480 Squire Lane, .
| Cumming, Ga 30040. (770) 887-8388.
• Eddtelkytor, 4195 Morningside Drive,
L Curttring.Ga 30040. (770) 887-4405.
■*> ♦ 4
shows, they chatted up a plan for
an abbreviated, four-day legal
event, the extraconstitutional
brainchild of Republican Sen.
Slade Gorton of Washington state
and Democratic Sen. Joseph
Lieberman of Connecticut.
House prosecutors would have
two days to make their case.
Clinton’s legal Scheme Team
would follow, getting two days to
make its case whatever it might
be. (Possible summation: “The
Gap dress may fit, but you must
acquit.”) Without the benefit of
standard legal niceties like wit
nesses, the Senate would then
vote to proceed or not to proceed
with the trial the Constitution
demands.
And getting to a trial would take
a two-thirds vote. It was pure
political genius, away for the
Senate to cover its collective rear
and get back to its everyday busi
ness. The public may want this
over yesterday, but four days
would be pretty close. In the legal
world, four days is nothing. In
four days, a half-dozen attorneys
might be able to decide where to
eat lunch on day five.
Under this plan, as few as 34
senators could have halted the
process. Meanwhile, up to 66 leg
islator-amoebas could dive for
political cover, saying they voted
to have a trial but, sadly, lost.
Clinton stays in power, the Senate
keeps its precious dignity and
everyone but the founders is satis
fied.
NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES
U& Senator Raul CoverdaH
200 Russel Senate Office Building,
Washington, QQ 20510
Atlanta: 100 Colony Square, Suite 300,
1175 Reachtree St,
Atlanta. Ga 30361
Telephone: (202) 224-3643;
Atlanta (404) 347-2202
Washington, (202) 224-3643
ns Senator Max Cleland
75 Spring Street, Suite 1700
Atlanta, Ga. 30303
Telephone: (404) 331-4811
Washington: (202) 224-3521 -
US. Ftep. Nathan Deal, 9tr Dtetrict
2437 Raybum House Office Buidhg,
W&shington, DC. 20615
Gaineavfle: RO. Boe 1015, Gainesvie, Ga. 30603
Telephone: (202)
Gaineavie, (770) 5352592
Washington:
STATE REPRESENTATIVES
Senator BBy Rbk 48A DtoMct
State -
Alimta,Ga 30334; (tax) (404) 6506581
Telephone: (404) 656-0048 (office) or
(770)8220800, emat boyßlaglß4tate.ga.uß
Senator CnaayOGkdMhDlaMct
3258 Office Buldng, Atlanta, Ga. 30334;
(fax) (404) 657-1424 Telephone: (404) 6568678
Rape Mffie Evens, 28lh Dtetrict
18 Capitol Square, Legislative Office Bufidng,
Room 604, Allante, Ga-30334
Telephone: (404)6660266 (tad (404)463-7662
a mat mavansßliigte
Rap. Bobby
Reese wifi receive hte legialidve office assignment
prior to the start of the 1999 session o< the Georgia
Assembly. \
*✓ * K *
r'-
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The Little Engine That Could... And Did!
At mid-week, however, this bal
loon was dropping rapidly, the
chance for a more substantial trial
rising just as quickly. House
Republicans were crying foul,
blasting the effort to short-circuit
the Constitution. Senators, too,
came forward in opposition. Sen.
Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) summed
up the case for a trial. “I’m a
stickler for the Constitution,” he
said, and “the Constitution calls
for a trial and, customarily, there
are witnesses at a trial. [There is]
going to be a long shadow on
what we do, and I think we have
to do it right”
Any senators still interested in
giving the President a free pass oni
peijury and obstruction of justice i
should consider the abject con
tempt Clinton continues to sfyow i
toward the Senate itself. Nearly I
13 months ago, Clinton named)
Bill Lann Lee “acting” head of die
Justice Department’s Civil Rights,
Division. Lee’s nomination to the 1
post had failed, rejected by the 1
Senate Judiciary Committee when
it became clear that the nominee
favored unconstitutional quotas
based on race, ethnicity and sex.
Lee has since proved the Senate’s
fears well grounded. For what its
worth and it obviously isn’t
worth much to Bill Clinton the
Constitution is clear. Article 11,
Section 2 states that the President
“shall nominate, and by and with
the Advice and Consent of the
Senate, shall appoint
Ambassadors” and other high
public officials. The post held by
Bill Lann Lee requires Senate
approval. Yet, he has not been
approved. The will of the Senate
has been wrongly frustrated. At
the White House, they are pledg
ing to defend Clinton “vigorous
ly” in any trial. While this vow is
hardly surprising, it will be very
interesting to see how the White
House delivers on it, considering
that the President’s lawyers dis
puted not one evidentiary fact in
their House performances.
Compared to the dressed-up whin
ing Clinton’s lawyers did in the
House, any defense would look
“vigorous.”
'LAST CHANCE NOON FRIDAY, JANUARY22JVD.
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Share The Joy Os Your New Arrival!
On Wednesday, Jan. 29th, the Forsyth County News Advertising
Department will publish a special page featuring the babies born in
1996. Along with a picture of the baby, we’ll Include the nnmee of the
baby and parents, birthdate, and birthplace, creating a special keepsake.
Fin In the information on the form below with a picture of your baby
along with the SIO.OO fee and bring or mail it to the Forsyth County
News, P.O. Box 219, Cumming, GA. 10128. Any mother featuring twins,
triplets, etc. pays SIO.OO for the first baby and gets the other oneCs)
FREE!
DEADLINE IS NOON WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22nd.
JTlail To: Welcome Babies of 1998 ”1
Forsyth County News
| P.O. Box 210 Payment Enclosed |
Cumming, Ga. 30128
■ Baby’s Name ■
’ Sex Date of Birth Place of Birth l. .
! Parents .
. "Address |
I City/State/Zip ’
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Actual Size: 1 M” x 1 fc"
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Forsyth County News ;
J w- -t - CM»— f GAP J At/
W AWW HwWJwWN IzVO W MY y
770*887-1120 • i
“Welcome Babies of 199sS
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS —Friday, January 8,1895—1
With its “vigorous” defense line,
the White House is telling law
makers it will drag out any serious
trial in an effort to make the
Senate look bad. As the Wall
Street Journal reported: “White
House officials warn that once the
Senate decides to call witnesses,
they will feel compelled to pre
sent an extensive defense of Mr.
Clinton that could prolong the
proceedings.” Just as he tried to
stop the House inquiry through
smear and intimidation, Clinton is
now trying to bully the Senate.
This approach may well back
fire. As Alexander Hamilton
wrote in Federalist No. 66, “We
Luther
Boggs Jr.
need not be apprehensive of the
want of a disposition in [the
Senate] to punish the abuse of
their confidence or to vindicate
their own authority. We may thps
far count upon their pride, if hot
upon their virtue.” The pride of
men just might restore the rule of
law. > .'
Luther M. Boggs Jr. is an area
speech writer and a regular con
tributing columnist to the Forsyth
County News. His column appears
on Fridays.
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