Posted by
The INFORMER (Cokie907@yahoo.com) on Tuesday, December 04, 2007 4:32:31 PM
Henry Hyde (R-IL) passed away last week and the United States of America lost an absolute giant among legislators. Hyde's "time in the sun" was the Clinton impeachment trial in the late 90's and if you've not heard some of what he stated so eloquently back then, please search out the clips. It will only take you about 20 key/mouse strokes to hear some class from an elected leader during an era when it was so absent.
Hyde, a former naval officer who served his country during WW2 both on active duty and in the reserves, stood up to the media attack machine when they said that the impeachment was nothing more than a right-wing fight for power driven by that "madman" Newt Gingrich. Now, I'm not a big Newt fan (anymore) but Newt Gingrich led this country at a time when its actual Commander-In-Chief was missing in action. Too busy catering to his own needs for sexual fulfillment and meeting the hard left-wing needs of his wife, Clinton was in no position to lead. Gingrich came in and stole the agenda in January of 1995 to accomplish great things such as welfare reform and would have gotten term limits and legal reform had they not been VETOED by Clinton himself!
By 1998, Gingrich had become such a polarizing figure that his decision to proceed with impeachment against Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice caused a literal firestorm. It took the soothing voice of Henry Hyde to restore calm and remind those of us who paid attention to "history in the making", that what mattered most was enforcement of the rule of law. The president is not a king. He is elected and accountable to the citizenry if he engages in ANY conduct that demeans the office or violates the Constitution. Hyde admitted in his opening statements that sexual pecadillos are personal in nature but ONLY until the moment that an official LIES ABOUT THEM WHILE UNDER OATH in a separate proceeding for sexual harrassment. Then the matter becomes a public one and to ignore it means to threaten the future legitimacy of government by setting a dangerous precedent. By impeaching Clinton in the following days, Hyde and his colleagues ensured that such a precedent would never be set.
So today, I tip my hat to Henry Hyde. The media is conveniently forgetting this great patriot who passed into the hereafter but those conservatives who remember the shameful late 90's will never forget the legacy of honor he left behind. Our divided country and its Constitution were being given yet another test and Congressman Hyde was there to see us through the daunting challenge. Thank God for that.