Paul Coverdell: “Mr. Chief Justice and fellow colleagues, in the Capitol's Mansfield Room where our Conference has met over the last few…”

“Mr. Chief Justice and fellow colleagues, in the Capitol's Mansfield Room where our Conference has met over the last few weeks, there is a picture of our first president--George Washington-- who celebrates a birthday this Monday. I was reminded that, from childhood through adulthood, George Washington carried around with him a copy of the Rules of Civility. The rules could be seen as a roadmap of how one should conduct himself or herself appropriately in society. As the Senate began its course through uncharted waters, civility has been our goal, if not our duty. We have done our best to work together, to be respectful of each other's views and to do justice according to the Constitution. Had we not started with this goal in mind, I fear the debate would have quickly descended into rancor doing a disservice to our Nation. In the next few minutes, I want to explain how this trial unfolded for me, as well as the rationale behind some of the votes I've cast, including on the Articles of Impeachment. When the historians write their accounts of the impeachment trial of William Jefferson Clinton, I trust that, regardless of where one comes down on the facts of the case, they will agree that the Senate did it right. We conducted a trial that was fair to all sides, correct according to the Constitution and expeditious in accordance with the wishes of the American people. We also did our best to conduct our deliberations on a bipartisan basis.”