I always thought President Nixon was threatened with impeachment if he didn't resign. He did resign so, as far as I'm concerned, was not impeached. President Clinton was threatened the same way but DIDN"T resign and went on to be impeached. I was reading a quiz book which asked 'who was the last American President to be impeached' and they gave the answer as Nixon. I'm very confused. What exactly IS impeachment and which of them actually was?
2006-07-13 13:24:44 · 14 answers · asked by Rachel Maria 6 in Politics & Government ➔ Other - Politics & Government
I would stake $50 that Clinton WAS impeached cos I remember him answering the questions on TV. Also, that Nixon was not.
2006-07-13 13:33:14 · update #1
Liam clarifies it very well for me. That is exactly what I thought. If I were at a pub quiz and gave my answer I would not get a point. Impeachment should be explained properly to people.
2006-07-13 13:37:16 · update #2
So far, there have been only two American Presidents actually impeached: Andrew Johnson (which happens to also be my son's name) and William Jefferson Clinton.
Impeachment is a trial of a President, to determine if he (or she) has committed crimes worthy of removal from office. So yes, Nixon was not technically impeached. He would have been, but he avoided it by resigning.
Clinton didn't avoid it, because he knew that he was not guilty of high crimes, simply of personal foibles that didn't affect his ability to do his job correctly, and he saw no reason to hand a partisan victory to his opponents when their impeachment was almost entirely politically motivated, rather than based on any failings of his Presidency.
UPDATE: To correct a few other people who answered while I was writing this, yes, Clinton WAS impeached. Impeachment is not removal from office. Impeachment is the TRIAL. There was a trial.
It's just like if you're arrested for a crime you didn't commit and you are found not guilty, then you aren't SENTENCED, but you can't say you weren't on trial.
2006-07-13 13:31:32 · answer #1 · answered by Liam 2 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Nixon wasn't impeached. He resigned. He could of gotten big time lawyers on the tax payer's dollars, but he chose to spare Americans from all that pain. Unlike Clinton, Nixon actually cared about the people. Clinton was impeached for lying to a grand jury. He didn't have enough consideration to resign, so he drug himself, and everyone envovled, and most of all, the American people through the mud. Would also like to add, Clinton was indeed impeached for lying, and was disbarred from practicing law for a very long time, because of his defiant dishonesty. Also, it should be known that Bill Clinton has been accussed many times of sexual assault, and paid Paula Jones a 700k settlement to keep it out of court. He also paid Kathleen Willey an undisclosed amount in a settlement for her claims of sexual assualt as well. Or at least that's what the news reported on back in that day. That will be his life time legacy. A liar, a cheater, disbarred for being all of the above. What a total, and complete embarrassment.
2006-07-13 20:35:47 · answer #2 · answered by mojojo66 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sadly, it has nothing to do with peaches (it would be a whole lot sweeter deal, eh?)
"In the constitutions of several countries, impeachment is the first of two stages in a specific process for a legislative body to remove a government official without that official's agreement."
Basically, when a president is impeached, he's indicted- accused and brought to trial.
No, Nixon was NOT impeached. You are correct- he was threatened with it and resigned.
On the other hand, Clinton WAS impeached and exonerated- found not guilty.
2006-07-13 20:35:06 · answer #3 · answered by Yoda's Duck 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They began impeachment against Nixon but he resigned before it could pass, so he wasn't impeached, as for Clinton, he wasn't impeached either and there was never any truly serious talk of ever doing so. What are they teaching our kids today? It doesn't seem they are teaching the truth.
2006-07-13 20:33:15 · answer #4 · answered by Daydream Believer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nixon resigned just before impeachment or due to fear of impeachment.Clinton did face the trial but was not impeached.No doubt Nixon was a noble person.
2006-07-14 02:17:09 · answer #5 · answered by khan a 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There has never been an impeached President. Clinton wasn't and neither was Nixon. Who writes theses damn quiz books?
2006-07-13 20:29:29 · answer #6 · answered by shakia27 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Two presidents: Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, both acquitted. (Richard Nixon resigned after impeachment hearings against him started.)
Take a look through these links :-
http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/Impeachment
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/events/clinton_under_fire/latest_news/238784.stm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impeachment_of_Bill_Clinton
(It would seam to me there are a lot of yanks out there, that don't know their own political history, or how to use a search engine)!!!
2006-07-13 20:38:53 · answer #7 · answered by englands.glory 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Clinton WAS impeached. But impeachment does not mean relinguishing office.
2006-07-13 20:31:08 · answer #8 · answered by commonsense 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, Clinton was not impeached.
2006-07-13 20:27:57 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
slap on the wrist and clinton was
2006-07-13 20:28:00 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋