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2/15/99 The Senate acquits President Clinton 55-45 on perjury
and 50-50 on obstruction of justice, well short of the two-thirds vote
required. Democrats vote unanimously for acquittal, joined by 10 Republicans on
perjury and five on obstruction. Censure fails on a procedural motion, so
Democrats and several Republicans sign an unofficial censure statement instead.
Clinton says he's "profoundly sorry ... for what I said and did to trigger
these events." Reporters sniff for signs of celebration at the White House but
come up empty. Senators congratulate themselves for conscience, bipartisanship,
and fidelity to the Constitution. Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., the chief House
prosecutor, urges Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr to drop the idea of
indicting Clinton. Polls indicate that the public supports the verdict and
wants to move on.
Chance
of removal from office: Zero .
2/12/99 Amid expectations that neither impeachment article
will get majority support in the Senate, both sides gear up for the aftermath.
Everyone agrees censure is doomed. Thursday's New York Times leak:
Clinton is furious at House Republicans for impeaching him and is determined to
drive them from office. Friday's Times leak: Clinton is furious at the
"advisers" who leaked that story before the Senate vote and is determined to
drive them from office. Zero
2/10/99 Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott aims for a final
vote by 5 p.m. Thursday. The suspense is over how many Republicans will vote no
on the obstruction of justice article. Sens. John Chafee, R-R.I.; James
Jeffords, R-Vt.; and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., say they'll vote no. Meanwhile,
Republicans turn against censure, accusing its Democratic backers of "seeking
cover" for voting to acquit President Clinton. Zero
2/9/99 The Senate begins final deliberations after voting to
close the deliberations to outsiders. The idealistic spin: Kicking out the
media will allow senators to reach their verdict based on reason and
conscience. The cynical spin: Democrats voted to open the deliberations and
Republicans voted to close them because both sides know Democrats are on the
politically popular side of the debate. Facing the certainty of Clinton's
acquittal, a few more Senate Republicans concede they could vote for censure.
Zero
(For
earlier entries and the Clintometer Uncertainty Principle, click .)
--William Saletan
Slate's Complete Flytrap Coverage
Direct
links to all recent
Slate
stories on the scandal.
"Clinton on
Trial"
Dispatches by
Slate
's political correspondent, David Plotz.
: The Senate acquits itself.
: Great expectations.
: A pecking or a choking?
: The rush to judgment.
: A tale of two trials.
: Among the hyenas.
: The managers murder the genie.
: The Senate behaves like itself.
: Notions to dismiss.
: Clinton's other jurors.
: A woman's touch.
: The State of the Union speech.
: Chuck Ruff takes the offensive.
: The sideshow freaks.
: Is the ninth time the charm?
: Why the Senate will become more like the
House.
: The Senate says, "I do."
: The gloom and rancor of the debate.
: The Republicans wag the fox.
: Rep. Lindsey Graham turns indecision into high
art.
: All the Flytrap arguments, numbered for your
convenience.
: One journalist swoons for Charlie Ruff.
: Professor Wilentz goes to Washington.
: Ken Starr goes on
record.
"": Scott Shuger reveals how Linda Tripp got what Monica
wanted.
"Assessment"
"": Walter Shapiro on the
greatness of Monica Lewinsky.
"Readme"
: Michael Kinsley says: Let's impeach Bush and
Reagan, too.
: Kinsley finds striking
similarities between Ken Starr and Bill Clinton.
"Frame
Game"
"": How the House prosecutors' star witness
outsmarted them.
"": The pure spin behind the GOP's latest
gambit.
"": The House managers whine about their
"needs."
"": Clinton obscures his adultery by reinventing
"family values."
"": Why Sen. Tom Harkin killed the "juror" metaphor
in Clinton's trial.
"": Should the Senate call witnesses?
"": Why Clinton should force a Senate trial.
"": Why the GOP will spare his presidency.
"": The debate over Clinton's Iraq attack blazes new
frontiers in cynicism.
"": William Saletan says
Democrats could blow up the impeachment process by crying "coup."
"Strange
Bedfellow"
"": The taxonomy of the Senate.
"": David Plotz on Dennis
Hastert.
"Chatterbox"
Political scuttlebutt,
prepared for you by Walter Shapiro and Tim Noah.
Posted Dec. 22: The tortuous impeachment logic of a moderate
Republican; "William Jefferson Clinton."
Posted Dec. 19: The Hustler , unlisted; CBS punts the
vote; Livingston's second shocker.
Posted Dec. 18: Livingston's first shocker.
Posted Dec. 17: New York Times editorial nuttism.
Posted Dec. 16: The GOP's Wag the Dog fantasies.
Posted Dec. 15: The intelligentsia at the barricades.
Posted Dec. 14: Lying is perjury; Chatterbox in
error!
Posted Dec.
13: Press pool nettles Netanyahu. Blame Bill Clinton.
Posted Dec.
11: The House gets on TV, the WaPo gets it done.
Posted Dec. 9: Do-it-yourself censure.
Posted Dec.
8: Considerate lover? Maybe. Liar? Definitely.
Posted Dec.
5: How might Clinton pay a fine?
Also posted
Dec. 5 (scroll down): The hermeneutics of sexual touching.
Posted Dec.
4: The Senate's inspiration is Alice in Wonderland ?
Posted Dec.
2: More Flytrap in verse.
Posted Dec
1: Flytrap in verse.
"Explainer"
Answers to your Flytrap
questions.
Posted Dec. 18: Clinton's perjury defense. Why not bomb on
Ramadan?
Posted Dec. 10: Can a lame-duck House impeach the president?
Posted Dec.
7: Will Flytrap ruin Hillary's bid for "Person of the Year"?
"International
Papers"
Slate
rounds up reactions from around the globe.
""
Herbert
Stein says Clinton is unfit to serve.
"Pundit
Central"
The
opinion mafia holds forth on the president's predicament.
a
Flytrap musical, by Jamie Malanowski.
Click for
Slate
's summer coverage of Flytrap.
