ABC NEWS SPECIAL REPORT: HOUSE IMPEACHMENT VOTE
{TAPE 1 OF 3} (TV)
Summary
This special report features a live telecast of the House debate on the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. Anchor Peter Jennings and ABC News correspondents and analysts open the program with commentary on America's current political situation: Jennings and Cokie Roberts provide an overview of the imminent proceedings in the House of Representatives, and Roberts explains why censure will not occur; Sam Donaldson notes the president's focus on the U.S. military campaign in Iraq; Linda Douglass comments on the decreasing public support of the Republican party; George Stephanopoulos discusses the significance of public opinion; Bill Kristol calls the debates a chance to determine standards for impeachment; Bill Blakemore reports from Baghdad on the effects of the recent air strikes, and explains the traditions of Ramadan; and John McWethy reports from the Pentagon on the possibilities of more bombings in Iraq. The program continues with live coverage of the debate from the House chamber, with intermittent commentary from the ABC News team. Highlights from the debate include the following: Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) describes the House Judiciary Committee's move to impeach as a one-party attempt to overthrow an elected official and undermine the opposing party's political agenda; House Speaker designate Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.) announces his own resignation and publicly asks President Clinton to resign from office; Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) is called upon by Democrats and he states that Clinton's offenses are not impeachable; Rep. J.C. Watts (R-Okla.) criticizes Clinton for setting an unacceptable moral example for the youth of America; House Judiciary Committee minority leader Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) makes point-by-point rebuttals to the articles of impeachment; Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas) asks elected officials to place principles and respect for office before any personal agendas; and Jerrold Nadler of the House Judiciary Committee emphasizes the distinction between personal transgressions and crimes against the state. During the telecast, reporters Roberts and Kristol and former Secretary of Education William Bennett make comments on the repercussions of Livingston's announcement, which has sent shock waves in Washington, and on the future of the Republican party; Richard Benvenisti also compares the current impeachment process to that of President Nixon. No commercials. This program is closed-captioned. Continues with T:55936.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: December 19, 1998 9:00 AM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:02:34
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:55934
- GENRE: News; Specials
- SUBJECT HEADING: Impeachment; U S - Foreign relations - Iraq; U S - Presidency; U S Congress; U S House Judiciary Committee
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1998
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Peter Jennings … Anchor
- Bill Blakemore … Reporter
- Sam Donaldson … Reporter
- Linda Douglass … Reporter
- John McWethy … Reporter
- Cokie Roberts … Reporter
- George Stephanopoulos … Commentator
- Bill Kristol … Commentator
- Bill Bennett … Guest
- Richard Benvenisti … Guest
- Bill Clinton
- John Conyers
- Tom DeLay
- Barbara Lee
- Bob Livingston
- Jerrold Nadler
- Richard Nixon
- Christopher Shays
- J.C. Watts