People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.
Jesus says…..Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
The Bible tells us…..As ye sow, so shall ye reap. The good Book comments…..How the mighty will fall.
Justin Timberlake wrote a song titled…..What Goes Around, Comes Around.
From biblical times to every day accepted admonitions to modern-day song, the message is clear. Beware. Bad deeds return to bite you in the ass.
The thrust of this column involves the Bill Clinton impeachment proceedings. Brought about by his sexual affair with Monica Lewinsky in the White House. During times when Lewinsky was a federal intern or employee. The affair involved oral copulation. Never intercourse.
Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives and following trial by the Senate acquitted.
Certain elected officials pursuing Clinton’s impeachment were adulterers or guilty of other deviant sexual behavior. Prior to, during and subsequent to Clinton’s acquittal.
This column examines the conduct of such persons. Elected officials dirty themselves. Perfect examples of the pot calling the kettle black.
All to be discussed were Republicans. Clinton a Democrat.
Newt Gingrich was the leader of the Republican revolution in 1994. The Republicans took control of Congress for the first time in 44 years. Gingrich soon became Speaker.
Gingrich led the impeachment drive. He thought it despicable that the President, a federal official, would have sex in a federal building, the White House, with a federal intern/employee.
While the drive to impeachment was going on, Gingrich was having an affair with Callista Bisek, a House of Representative staffer. She was 23 years his junior. The sexual relationship ran 1993 to 1998 at which time Gingrich resigned from the House of Representatives. He admitted to the affair.
Gingrich was married to his second wife during the time of the affair. Divorced the second wife and married Bisek after his resignation.
Robert Livingston was a Louisiana Congressman. He called for the resignation of Clinton. The Republican conference voted for Livingston to succeed Gingrich as Speaker.
Soon after the conference vote and before the official vote, it was discovered Livingston had multiple extramarital affairs. His wife encouraged him to resign from Congress and urge Clinton do the same. Livingston resigned. Clinton did not.
Dennis Hastert of Illinois voted for Clinton’s impeachment. He was elected Speaker following the Gingrich and Livingston resignations.
Hastert served eight years as Speaker. Then resigned. Resigned because he wanted to. He was not forced to do so for any reason.
Last year, Hastert was indicted for violation of federal banking rules.
In his early years, Hastert was a school teacher and coach. It was discovered he had sexually abused three of his students. One of the students wanted Hastert to pay him to not publicly reveal the matter. Hush money.
Hastert paid this individual $1.7 million over a period of time. It was how Hastert made the payments that violated federal law.
Bob Barr of Georgia was one of the leaders in the move to impeach Clinton. He was the first lawmaker to publicly call for Clinton’s resignation because of the Lewinsky matter. He was one of the managers (prosecutors) during the impeachment trial itself before the Senate.
It was discovered Barr had an affair while married.
Dan Burton was another holier than thou.
He too was a leader in seeking Clinton’s impeachment. He said, “No one…..should be allowed to get away with sexual improprieties.”
In 1998, Vanity Fair revealed Barr had an affair in 1983. The affair produced a child. Barr admitted fathering a son with a former state employee.
Helen Chenoweth-Hage was a Congressperson from Idaho. She called and voted for Clinton’s impeachment. In 1998, she admitted to having an affair with a married man for six years. This was before her entering Congress. She was single at the time.
Henry Hyde was a major Congressional figure during impeachment time. He was one of those pushing for Clinton’s impeachment. He was Chairman of the Managers (Chief Prosecutor) who presented evidence against Clinton during the Senate trial.
His affair came to light in 1998, also. It was claimed he had an affair from 1965-1969. Before his election to Congress. The affair was with a married woman who had three children. Hyde was 41 at the time the affair began. He was married.
Hyde admitted to the affair in 1998. He blamed it on “youthful indiscretion.”
News of Hyde’s affair broke while Hyde was spearheading impeachment proceedings.
Stephen C. La Tourette voted to impeach Clinton. He was having an affair at the time with his Chief of Staff, Jennifer Laptook. La Tourettewas married at the time.
David Vitter’s story is interesting. Both Vitter and Livingston were from Louisiana. Vitter took over Robert Livingston’s seat when Livingston resigned because of his extra marital affair.
Vitter said at the time, “I think Livingston’s stepping down makes a very powerful argument that Bill Clinton should resign as well.”
Vitter went on to become a U.S. Senator.
In 2007, Vitter was seeking the Republican nomination for President. His campaign came to an immediate halt when Vitter’s name was discovered in the address book of DC Madam Deborah Jane Palfrey.
You may ask why this article at this time. The reason is the present state of the smoldering Trump/Clinton war.
Clinton charges Trump is a sexist. Probably so. Trump responds with a warning. Saying in effect if you’re going to get into sex, BE CAREFUL.
Neither is Simon pure. There appears to be checkered activities by both in years gone by.
I fear the election is going to get down and dirty. Perhaps the dirtiest Presidential campaign ever. Gutter politics at its worst.
No one will come out clean.
Nor will the American people benefit.
It bothers me that sex continues to be so important in the United States. European nations laugh that we give sex such importance.
I believe we may be at that time when we give less importance to the sexual lives of people. We live in an age where same sex marriage is legal. Transgenderism is accepted In many states. California has laws protecting transgender in certain situations.
People cohabit and live many years or all their years as a family. Bearing children. Never marrying.
Heterosexual divorce is no longer a bar to the Presidency.
Bisexuality does not seem to faze anyone. Homosexuality in the military no longer a problem.
It is a new world. It may be anti-religious. It may not be what all of us like.That is the way it is, however.
So when the dirt starts flying in this campaign, take it in stride. I suspect the two major candidates have skeletons hidden in their closets.
