I'm going to call this a "bad move." Sen. Hillary Clinton has announced that one of her national campaign co-chairs is Florida Democrat Rep. Alcee Hastings.
What's going to be in the first paragraph of Rep. Hastings obituary?
In 1988, the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives took up the case, and Hastings was impeached for bribery and perjury by a vote of 413-3. Voters to impeach included Democratic Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, John Conyers and Charles Rangel. He was then convicted in 1989 by the United States Senate, becoming the sixth federal judge in the history of the United States to be removed from office by the Senate. The vote on the first article was 69 for and 26 opposed, providing five votes more than the two-thirds of those present that were needed to convict. The first article accused the judge of conspiracy. Conviction on any single article was enough to remove the judge from office. The Senate vote cut across party lines, with Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat of Vermont voting to convict his fellow party member, and Arlen Specter voting to acquit.
And here's another interesting tidbit on the Clinton-Hastings connection.
The Senate had the option to forbid Hastings from ever seeking federal office again, but did not do so. Alleged co-conspirator William Borders went to jail again for refusing to testify in the impeachment proceedings, but was later given a full pardon by Bill Clinton on his last day in office.
Is this really a smart move if Clinton becomes the Democrat nominee? She's going to have enough trouble claiming her White House tenure as First Lady gives her necessary experience while at the same time trying to explain away the scandals she and her husband were involved with. Does having the last judge to be impeached heading up your campaign speak to your ethical propriety? And then you get the added twist that your husband pardoned his alleged co-conspirator as he was walking out the door in 2001?
If I were Obama or Edwards, I'd seriously consider taking a whack at Hillary on this subject. Yes, you're using a fellow Democrat as the stick, but consider it a Sister Souljah moment.
Tags
[...] some intrepid reporter might even have the gall to bring up the fact that her husband pardoned the alleged co-conspirator of her national campaign [...]