Carter, who left the White House in 1981, said he believed Clinton would likely be the first president since Andrew Johnson in
1868 to be impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives. But he added that he believed Clinton, like Johnson, would
survive trial before the Senate.
''My own belief, not based on any inside information, is that the House Judiciary Committee will recommend to the entire
House of Representatives that impeachment proceedings be held, that a hearing be held, and because of the highly partisan
alignment within the House of Representatives and because Republicans have a majority, I think it is likely -- more than a
50-50 chance -- that the House will vote impeachment,'' Carter said.
He told students that impeachment, which requires a simple majority in the House, was a form of indictment that did not
automatically mean removal from office. Carter said he did not believe the Senate, which serves as a jury in such proceedings,
would have the necessary two-thirds vote to remove Clinton from office.
''My prediction is that the Senate will not marshal a two-thirds vote,'' Carter said, adding the presidency had nonetheless been
damaged ''by his (Clinton's) embarrassing circumstance.''
''I would say a lot of damage has been done, but not in any case fatal or permanent damage,'' Carter said.
''The majority of people in the United States, when polled, do not want President Clinton removed from office,'' he said.
''Even though he will be damaged in his moral reputation and perhaps in his influence with the Congress and maybe with the
American people, our nation will survive.''
Carter's criticism was the second time in less than a week that he has broken ranks with the White House.
Last Thursday he urged an investigation into whether a Sudanese factory wrecked by U.S. missiles last month was making
ingredients for chemical weapons, as the White House charged when the Khartoum plant was wrecked by missiles in
retaliation for bomb attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
Carter on Tuesday night repeated his call for an investigation into the factory and warned the White House that military attacks
were not the best way to fight terrorism.
''We are responsible, in many ways, to help reduce terrorism. (But) I don't think the best way is to make direct military
attacks, which in the process can kill innocent people, which arouses more support for the terrorists,'' Carter said.
''Sometimes, we might be mistaken.'' |
