John Conyers

I believe are some of the best arguments in defense of the president, and I understand that's why you're here, and we appreciate your perspective on this.

I think beyond a reasonable doubt, that at that moment the President committed the first of a series of felony crimes that led us to here today.

Well, you know, we don't have a parliamentary system here, we have presidents who are mighty unpopular

Even if you take what Miss Lewinsky said when she talked to the President about what to do with the gifts, you wouldn't have a case, because she says he said, I don't know,'' or Let me think about it

Again, it's a specific-intent crime, and the question is, what was the president thinking when he said this? We can look at his words and try and analyze his words

You know, the president's action of being less than truthful has caused and continues to cause serious problems

As I'm sure all members of the panel know, the last impeachment took place nine years ago, in 1989, against Judge Walter Nixon of Mississippi

It is difficult to think of a fail-safe structure that could protect anyone from allegations of bias in a decision to prosecute or not prosecute the president

The president denied that he did based on his understanding of the definition of the term, quote, sexual relations,'' quote, adopted by the court in the Jones case

S actions, and they have urged that we not turn our backs on this matter. Our duty today is not pleasant and, contrary to the misguided charges of some of the President

And members of the committee, and to this very-much-appreciated panel; this is a critical phase of the hearings

The gentleman from Illinois has said that we should not be on a fishing expedition, but others in the party, I have heard even leaders in the party, the Republican Party, say, well, we have to look at Travelgate, and we have to look at…

I believe it would be a bad precedent and a big mistake to remove the President, whom the people elected twice and whose performance in office the people still support, over a private consensual relationship.

Counsel whose office resorts to bullying, threats and intimidation; a mad rush to put the report of the Counsel on the internet without giving the President the basic right to review the charges against him; the release of the President

I urge my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to listen to your conscience, to realize the gravity of your vote and to realize that at the end of the day, you can act in a fair and reasonable manner and disprove Mr.

I think constitutes an impeachable offense would be willful, reckless behavior in office '' The President consciously and persistently made an effort to deceive, give misleading answers, and tell lies.

I think in response to some of this questioning, suggested that the president can defend on the basis that the definition was changed--that is, the definition of sex''--and that the new definition may somehow have excluded a certain act or…

I think the defect in this prosecution is, among others--and I don't think it would be brought, because it's ancillary to a civil deposition--is to establish that the president knew what he said was false.

I think it comes down to this: If when the president goes to a high school and colleges and universities, really his strongest point, if he looks out at those kinds, those students and their teachers and sees a sea of signs that says…

I believe, on your part that if it were an ordinary citizen, not the president of the United States, that this case would have been dismissed out of hand, and therefore, the same premise should have been accorded to the president because…

It's clear to me that the president's interpretation is a reasonable one, especially because the words which seem to describe oral sex--the words which seem to describe directly oral sex were stricken from the definition by the judge

Ladies and gentlemen of this body, we are confronted with an overzealous and non- Page H11783 independent counsel report combined with a totally politicized process in the committee with party line votes on nearly every issue

I believe that we can learn from these lessons as we contemplate our constitutional responsibility to handle the Starr allegations.

I believe that the investigation of whether or not his conduct should be the subject of impeachment is one that must be concluded quickly and responsibly.

I think my Republican colleagues fear that there is not enough in those accusations to meet the impeachment standard.