WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, December 22) -- After four moderate House Republicans who voted to impeach President Bill Clinton sent a letter Tuesday to Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Mississippi) calling for a "strong censure" of the president, a source told CNN "at least a dozen more (House Republicans) hold similar views."

Rep. Sherwood Boehlert

The four, Sherwood Boehlert and Benjamin Gilman of New York, James Greenwood of Pennsylvania and Michael Castle of Delaware, all voted for the first article of impeachment, charging Clinton with perjury in his August 17 grand jury testimony.

Boehlert also voted for Article II, alleging perjury in the Paula Jones case, Greenwood and Gilman supported the obstruction of justice charge in Article III, and Castle voted against Articles II and IV, which alleged abuse of power.

"We are not convinced and do not want our votes interpreted to mean that we view removal from office as the only conclusion of this case," their letter reads.

"In considering this matter," the four representatives continue, "the Senate should take into account the subject of the President's false testimony, the degree to which his conduct threatens the integrity and functioning of the Government of the United States, and the will of the American voters. We believe those factors may lead the Senate to conclude that a remedy short of removal is in order."

Rep. Michael Castle

They also recommended the censure "impose a fine and block any pardon."

"I feel strongly that the president did not speak the truth...and in my judgment it had to go over to the Senate," Castle told CNN Tuesday. "But I still feel the Senate which can look at and may want to go for a full trial should at least take this opportunity to look at the possibilities of censure and what can be done to bring this to a close."

But some Democrats feel the letter is too little too late.

"I'm disturbed that they didn't say that before they voted in the House," said Sen. Carl Levin. "That seems to me it would have been a more timely place and time to make that point. I sure wish they would have said that to their colleagues and to themselves, prior to the vote in the House."

White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart said the letter to Lott was proof a vote on censure would have passed if the Republicans leaders had not strong-armed impeachment through the House.

"This letter is a positive sign that members on the Hill... don't believe that the president should be removed from office and want to find a bipartisan way to put this behind us in a prompt manner," Lockhart said.

Rep. Bob Franks of New Jersey, another House Republican centrist who voted for impeachment, released a statement Tuesday saying he will "endorse the framework of the proposal put forward by two Presidents," Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford, who have recommended a censure proposal that would require the president to admit he lied.

"The president must acknowledge he lied under oath," said Franks, a position he took in the House.

Clinton's supporters are working on a two-pronged defense strategy, looking for a possible compromise on censure while also considering a constitutional challenge to the House impeachment proceedings.

On the first front, the White House hopes to work with sympathizers in the Senate to craft a censure proposal as a way of avoiding a protracted Senate trial.

Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, the Senate's senior Democrat and an expert on Senate procedures, hinted Monday that a censure could replace a trial.

But the strict constitutionalist said only senators could decide on a censure.

"Whether there is a trial or whether there is some other solution, that decision must be made by senators, and it must be bipartisan or it will have absolutely no credibility with the public," Byrd said in a statement. "There must be no deal involving the White House or any entity beyond the ... U.S. Senate."

A source in Byrd's office said the senator has specifically told his staff, "Censure is not unconstitutional. It has no constitutional basis, but censure is a constitutional possibility."

But many Republicans have expressed their opposition to censure.

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter said censure "is not worth a tinker's damn."

The White House strategy's second prong is more aggressive, with the possibility the White House could question whether it was constitutional for the House of Representatives of the 105th Congress to take action on impeachment and refer its charges to the Senate in the 106th Congress.

Rev. Schuller suggests Clinton resignation

Others outside of Washington are also weighing in on what should happen to Clinton now.

Conservative TV evangelist Robert Schuller, who once gave spiritual guidance to Clinton, suggests the president resign if the impeachment process reaches a trial in the Senate to spare the nation "repulsive testimony."

Schuller, who also served as a spiritual adviser to former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, made his comments in a Wall Street Journal opinion article and a CNN interview.

"If there is no avoiding a trial in the Senate, by stepping aside (Clinton could) spare our nation weeks, perhaps months, of divisive debate and repulsive testimony," Schuller said.

Criticizing Clinton for a "lack of moral integrity," Schuller, the founder of the conservative Crystal Cathedral based in Garden Grove, California, said he believes Clinton would prefer a Senate trial rather than resigning.

"It would be my fear that Clinton is probably not prepared to accept one ultimate last-resort option and that is resignation if the only alternative is a long, costly embarrassing trial."

Schuller added that if Clinton remains in office the president needs to recapture his moral base to be an effective leader over the next two years.

"My fear is if there is a trial we're going to see the partisanship getting involved again -- attack, counter-attack, a challenge, a counter-challenge and it's disastrous to this country," Schuller said.

Schuller's "Hour of Power" syndicated program reaches more than 20 million people in 180 countries.

Tuesday, December 22, 1998

• Republican House moderates endorse censure
• Who is Sen. John McCain?
• Sen. Moseley-Braun offered New Zealand ambassadorship
• Colleagues' respect gives Senator Byrd clout in impeachment debate
• President Clinton's Christmas message
• Poll: Impeachment vote interest Low
• Hastert maps plans for speakership
• First lady rests aggravated back
• House clerk resigns after critical report
• Prosecutor: Trie may have planned to flee
• Judge strikes down ban on abortion procedure
• Associated Press corrects Warner story
• New district mayor to regain most authority stripped from Barry
• Treasury to correct glitch that is benefiting Social Security

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