Princeton Weekly Bulletin December 14, 1998
In the news
History professor testifies for Clinton
From the New York Times, December 9, 1998
The White House opened its formal defense of President Clinton Tuesday, addressing in greater detail than before the facts and issues of the impeachment case against Clinton.
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The morning session before the committee included scholars from Harvard, Princeton and Yale who had previously expressed opposition to impeachment, as well as Nicholas deB. Katzenbach ['43], who served as Attorney General under President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Sean Wilentz, professor of American history at Princeton, angered several Republican members of the committee by warning them that what he characterized as an unjustified vote to impeach Clinton would bring them the opprobrium of history.
Wilentz argued that Clinton's alleged offense -- seven if all were proven true -- do not warrant impeachment.
"If you believe they do rise to that level, you will vote for impeachment and take your risk at going down in history with the zealots and the fanatics," Wilentz said. "If you understand that the charges do not rise to the level of impeachment, or if you are at all unsure, and yet you vote in favor of impeachment anyway for some other reason, history will track you down and condemn you for your cravenness.
"Alternatively, you could muster the courage of your convictions. The choice is yours."
"Defenders of the President," NYT, 12/9/98
By John Broder with Lizette Alvarez
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