Online NewsHour: Impeachment Coverage-- December 14, 1998



	IMPEACHMENT COVERAGE

December 14, 1998

How has the media covered the House Judiciary Committee's impeachment hearings? Following a report by Media correspondent Terence Smith, pollster Andrew Kohut discusses the American people's reaction to the impeachment vote.

Full coverage of the impeachment hearings

Text of draft articles of impeachment.

Dec. 9, 1998:
How effective was the president's defense team?

Dec. 9, 1998:
Extended excerpts from day two of the president's defense.

The full text of Kenneth Starr's report to Congress and the White House rebuttal (From Online NewsHour)

Text and analysis of President Clinton's address to the nation following his grand jury testimony.

A look at the independent counsel law and how it affected one case (From Frontline)

President Clinton's interview with Jim Lehrer in which he denies any relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

NewsHour coverage of Media issues

The House Judiciary Committee

The White House

Background on the impeachment process from JURIST, the Law Professor Network

TERENCE SMITH: It may have been an historic weekend, but there was no history in the making on the nation's broadcast networks. They stuck mostly to regular programming while the weary members of the House Judiciary Committee began to worry that no one was paying attention.

Barrett REP. THOMAS BARRETT, (D-WI): I had someone ask me today whether I thought America had awakened to this yet. And I said, well, I think they hit the alarm button, or they hit the snooze button. They know there's something going on, but they want another ten minutes to sleep.

REP. ROBERT WEXLER, (D-FL): If you're sick of all Monica all the time, you ain't seen nothing yet. Be prepared to turn on your TV and watch the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court swear in Lucianne Goldberg (laughter) Linda Tripp, endless testimony in front of the whole world, showcasing America at its most absurd.

The importance of the moment.

TERENCE SMITH: The impeachment juggernaut had led the evening news broadcasts since mid-week, with anchormen emphasizing the importance of the moment and offering some dire forecasts about the outcome.

PETER JENNINGS, ABC News: The country may not be paying close attention, but unless there's a dramatic change in the Congress, the President is one step closer tonight to being impeached.

DAN RATHER, CBS Anchor: By any reasonable analysis, the chances that President Clinton will be impeached by the House and face a Senate trial that could remove him from office are increasing by the hour.

TERENCE SMITH: But for the networks, it seemed less a constitutional crisis than a campaign-style horse-race.

DAN RATHER: Scott, what's the read on the nose-count right now?

PETER JENNINGS: Now, there is still a powerful tug of war in the full House of Representatives about what to do.

TERENCE SMITH: On public television the NewsHour provided gavel-to-gavel coverage of the president's defense on Tuesday and Wednesday. But not every PBS station carried it. By the time the committee voted, proceedings were being reported by the NewsHour and summarized later in the evening.

Clinton PRESIDENT CLINTON: I am profoundly sorry for all I have done wrong in words and deeds.

TERENCE SMITH: By the week's end, CBS Evening News acknowledged the importance of the moment -- and the delicacy of the president's position -- by running the entire four minutes of his Rose Garden apologia -- a rare development in this era of the ten-second sound bite. The Judiciary Committee hearing continued through the day Saturday but was carried live only on some cable networks.

REP. HENRY HYDE: In my opinion, the no's have it.

Was anyone watching?

panel TERENCE SMITH: Was anyone watching? CNN tripled its normal audience to 1.5 million viewers, but attracted only a fraction of the five million who regularly watched the O.J. Simpson trial.

JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN Anchor: In two days, the committee voted four articles of impeachment.

TERENCE SMITH: The hearings may not have been a major ratings draw for television, but the nation's newspapers clearly thought they were big news. Banner headlines continued through the weekend and today. Several papers, including the Los Angeles Times, printed long excerpts of the testimony and the actual articles of impeachment.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Yesterday, the House Judiciary Committee -

TERENCE SMITH: By the time the Sunday morning television talk shows came along, impeachment was not a subject -- it was the only subject. On CBS's "Face the Nation," Henry Hyde, the Judiciary Committee chairman, was asked the $64 question by Bob Schieffer

BOB SCHIEFFER: Mr. Chairman, do you think it would be best if the president resigned to save the country this ordeal?

Hyde REP. HENRY HYDE: Well, it would certainly be a quick and radical solution to the dilemma that we have, but I believe the president when he says he won't resign.

BOB SCHIEFFER: Well, do you think he ought to?

REP. HENRY HYDE: Yes, I think the president should step down.

TERENCE SMITH: On "Meet the Press" on NBC, House Majority Whip Tom Delay echoed the thought in response to a question from Tim Russert.

Russert and Delay TIM RUSSERT: If on Thursday, the House of Representatives votes to impeach the president, should he consider then resigning rather than dragging the country through a trial?

REP. TOM DELAY: Well, yes, he should consider now.

TERENCE SMITH: But throughout it all, despite all the televised talk, it was far from clear whether Americans have yet to respond to the challenge thrown down on Friday by Congressman Robert Wexler.

Wexler REP. ROBERT WEXLER: Wake up, America! They are about to impeach our president. They are about to reverse two national elections. They are about to discard your votes.

TERENCE SMITH: There is another media moment coming up this Thursday, of course, when the full House begins consideration of the articles of impeachment. This time, two networks, ABC and NBC, say they intend to carry the proceedings live. CBS has yet to decide. PBS will offer complete coverage to its stations.