Notice how Bill Clinton’s name is increasingly being inserted into the political byplay that is part of the Trump-presidency dynamic. It was inevitable. You can’t have a misogynist president, an era of outed, prominent male sexual predators and bypass Clintonian licentiousness. You can’t be a former Democratic president, the husband of Hillary Rodham Clinton and have Monica Lewinsky, Jennifer Flowers, Juanita Broaddrick and Paula Jones in your wake and not become rhetorically useful to today’s political partisans.
Talk about a deplorable perfect storm.
But here’s what was missed then–and now–about Clinton, and there could be an ironic parallel with the moral reprobate that is President Donald Trump.
The operative President Clinton issue was really not morals, per se, despite the headlines. It was about a character and temperament flawed in ways that could have jeopardized national security. Fortunately, Lewinsky was no Mata Hari or blackmail operative. Along with perjury, that should have always been the underlying rationale for even considering impeachment and what could conceivably qualify as a “high” enough crime or misdemeanor.
As for Trump, let’s see how the Mueller investigation plays out.
If Russian collusion and accompanying campaign lying and Trump complicity are proven, the wagons of impeachment will circle. Hell, five articles of impeachment have already been proposed by members of Congress. Yes, it’s a Republican Congress–for now–but, no, these mostly establishment sorts will not go to the mattresses for Trump, who is not one of them and likely is still channeling Steve Bannon.
Collusion would necessarily prompt a presumption of national security concern and potential quid pro quos with Russia. And a viable “dossier” may still be in play. And for the “clear and present danger” rationale, look no farther than ratcheting concern over the reality of Trump’s nuclear trigger finger disturbingly complementing his hair-trigger temperament.
This ultimately will come down to a national and global security threat, not to just a morally challenged, embarrassingly sleazy person in the White House.