Jeff Miller: “for the second time in my adult life, I have watched ``a long national nightmare'' unfold. I am as anxious for this to…”

“for the second time in my adult life, I have watched ``a long national nightmare'' unfold. I am as anxious for this to be over as I was for the Watergate saga to end. But that does not absolve me of my responsibility to do what I think is right. Given the importance of this vote and the thousands of letters, phone calls and e-mails I have received, I believe my constituents deserve an explanation of why I cast my vote for the impeachment of William Jefferson Clinton. Fifty years from now, what lesson do we want our school children to take from this tragic episode? I want them to learn the importance of always telling the truth. I want them to understand the consequences of lying. I don't want them to learn that you can yourself out of trouble by being ``clever.'' Many have said that impeachment is not about punishing wrongdoing, but about protecting our system of constitutional government. I agree. Punishment is in the hands of President Clinton's family and God. But I believe the facts clearly show that William Jefferson Clinton deliberately sought to obstruct the judicial process in a civil rights case and committed deliberate and pervasive perjury before a federal grand jury and to the Congress. When the President of the United States treats our system of justice with such contempt and selfishness, he must be impeached.”