Important Matters, Unwelcome Or Not

The Watergate scandal left a deep mark on American politics and culture. The impeachment hearings that begin today will make a similar impression.

What kind of impression will it be?

Popular opinion seems to hold that Congress should quit fussing about presidential integrity and get back to “important” matters like tinkering with Social Security and health care.

Without integrity, however, it is not clear how Congress or the president could resolve those important issues. Cynicism will poison our political system, if the country actually buys the White House spin that every leader cheats and lies, and ought to be excused, so long as the polls are favorable and the economy’s good.

This is one legacy the impeachment proceedings could leave. Before the hearings end, perhaps all of us will find some time to think about whether we want this to be our message to the future.

Meanwhile, the hearings could produce a surprise or two. Early this week, the New York Times reported that Republicans may seek testimony from John Huang, a shady Democratic National Committee operative who could provide evidence supporting a bribery charge involving foreign money and silence-buying.

If bribery becomes an issue, all bets are off and impeachment is a real possibility. That’s why Clinton’s defenders huffed so angrily about Huang’s possible appearance.

Democrats, of course, hope the hearings will focus narrowly on charges that Clinton lied and abused his power to conceal his sexual manipulation of Monica Lewinsky. Public opinion finds these charges disgusting. The disgust, so far, has been aimed at the messengers who revealed the conduct rather than the guilty party.

Besides, to lie about sexual misconduct is so common that most Americans, as well as their senators, seem reluctant to oust their president over it.

This raises a double standard that all of us will have to face. Other Americans have been sent to prison, stripped of military careers, fired from their jobs and impeached from high judicial positions for perjury or adultery. Spokane County, for example, recently fired its public works chief for an office affair.

Conduct like Clinton’s will continue to be punished. So, is the president alone exempt?

Former President Gerald Ford has argued he must not be. Ford proposes a rebuke from Congress, as an alternative to impeachment. This, at least, would leave future Americans and their leaders a message that integrity still matters.