Letter to the editor: Impeachment déjà vu

The Starr investigation, 20 some years ago, into President William Jefferson Clinton’s shady, possible criminal dealings in Whitewater land management brought about an endless barrage of details, some sordid. In the end, an exhausted and exasperated American public learned the House of Representatives filed charges of perjury regarding an extramarital tryst and obstruction of justice, information the average person didn’t give two hoots about.

These “serious” charges found in the House of Representatives were not shared by the Senate following a trial and in the court of public opinion. Now Rep. Adam Schiff is beginning to follow through on the Republican playbook from 20 years ago regarding our current president: Russian collusion to inappropriate “quid pro quo” with the Ukrainian president. If I hear quid pro quo one more time, the TV will be turned to Nat Geo Wild or anything else but a quid pro quo channel.

Schiff and other House members will give us a prolonged browbeating with “serious” charges only professional Washingtonians care about. In the end, some superfluous charges, like those against Clinton, will be filed by the Democratic House of Representatives, then following a Senate trial they will dismiss the charges.

Like the Republicans of 20 years ago, the current Democratic House will be voted out, this time because they greatly annoyed us to the point of exhaustion with quid pro quo. Ignorance of history allows stupidity to repeat itself.

What about President Clinton? Well, he is not only an honorable former president but a statesman as well. So much for impeachment.

The Rev. James Holland

West Deer