An Historical-Legal Analysis of the Impeachments of Presidents Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and William Clinton
| Author: | Leibowitz, Arnold | |
| Year: | 2012 | |
| Pages: | 640 | |
| ISBN: | 0-7734-2537-3 978-0-7734-2537-8 | |
| Price: | $339.95 + shipping | |
| (Click the PayPal button to buy) | ||
Nominated for the Law and Society Association's 2011 James Willard Hurst Prize
A first time legal analysis of three Presidential impeachments: Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and William Clinton. Leibowitz makes the case that the impeachment process is divisive to the cohesion of the United States. Leibowitz provides an historical analysis of the processes used by Congress during all three impeachments and presents a biographical sketch for each individual president in order to illustrate how they reached the presidency and how the attainment of that goal influenced their relationship with the public and Congress during the impeachment process. Leibowitz concludes by arguing that congressional censure may be a better option than impeachment.
Reviews
“In this groundbreaking book, Mr. Leibowitz argues that presidential impeachments have exacted a very high price on the nation in divisiveness and distraction, and have done little good … Mr. Leibowitz has provided a comprehensive discussion of these difficult issues which deserves wide and careful attention.” – Prof. Herman Schwartz, American University
“The result is an acute and entertaining critique of impeachment process, and a persuasive argument that censure of erring presidents can be more just and less damaging to the country.” – Prof. Robert F. Rogers, University of Guam
“The result is an acute and entertaining critique of impeachment process, and a persuasive argument that censure of erring presidents can be more just and less damaging to the country.” – Prof. Robert F. Rogers, University of Guam
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Abstract
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1. Andrew Johnson
War's End: The Mood of the Country
Accession of Johnson
Johnson's Background and Political Rise
The Selection of Andrew Johnson as Vice President
The Lincoln Vision
States Rights and Slavery
Right of Secession
Abolition as a Union Goal
The Thirteenth Amendment Abolishing Slavery
Reconstruction: The Lincoln View
Reconstruction: The Radical Republican View
Reconstruction: The Johnson View
The Freedmen's Bureau
Congressional Action
Revocation of the Black Codes; Military Governance
Expansion of the Freedmen's Bureau
Civil Rights Act
The Fourteenth Amendment
Military Reconstruction
Congress v. President
The Tenure of Office Act
The Initial Impeachment Motions
The Johnson Dismissal of Secretary of War Stanton
The Impeachment Proceedings
Chapter 2. Richard M. Nixon
Introduction
Early Life
Rise to Power
Nixon's Campaign for Vice President: The Checkers Speech
Nixon's Campaigns for President
The 1960 Campaign
The 1968 Campaign
The Re-Election Campaign
The Watergate Break-In
Reasons for the Break-In
Nixon's Reaction to the Break-In
Mitchell's Role in the Break-In
The Tell-All Option
Payments to the Watergate Seven
Congress and Nixon
The Trial of the Watergate Seven
The March 21, 1973, Nixon-Dean Meeting
The Sirica Sentences: McCord's Letter
The Roger's Option: Nixon's Speech of April 30, 1973
The Appointment of a Special Prosecutor
Nixon's May 22 Speech: The Senate Watergate Hearings
The Disclosure of the Tapes
Executive Privilege and the Tapes
The Resignation of Vice President Agnew
The Stennis Compromise
The Saturday Night Massacre
The Missing Tapes: The 18 ½ Minute Gap
The House Judiciary Committee
The House Procedures
The Question of Destroying the Tapes
The Vote
The Resignation
The House Vote
The Pardon: The Nixon Papers
Conclusion
Chapter 3. The Special Prosecutor
The Special Prosecutor Legislation
The Supreme Court Decision
The Special Prosecutor Experience
Chapter 4. William J. Clinton
Early Childhood and Young Adult Years
Whitewater
Clinton’s Gubernatorial Campaigns of 1982, ’84. And ’86: The Charge of Sexual Solicitation
Run for President in 1992: Whitewater Resurfaces
Presidency: The Early Days
The Vincent Foster Suicide
The Paula Jones Story
Whitewater: Redux
The Clinton Administration and the Special Prosecutor
Michael Espy
Henry Cisneros
Ronald Brown
Bruce Babbitt
Alexis Herman
The Appointment of an Independent Counsel
Paula Jones v. Clinton
The Early Starr Investigations
The McDougal Convictions
Monica Lewinsky
The Effort to Settle the Paula Jones Case
The Job Offer to Lewinsky
Discovery in the Paula Jones Case
Clinton's Deposition in the Paula Jones Case
Clinton's Denial Speech
Starr and the Grant of Immunity to Lewinsky
Clinton's Grand Jury Testimony
The Starr Report
Grounds for Impeachment
The Censure Option
Efforts to Settle the Paula Jones Case
The November 1998 Elections
The Settlement of the Paula Jones Case
The Administration Attack on Starr
The House Judiciary Committee Hearings
Clinton Responses to the House Judiciary Committee
House Judiciary Committee
The House Vote
The Senate Deliberations
The Senate Vote
Post-Impeachment Actions
Conclusion
Annotated Bibliography
Index
Abstract
Foreword
Introduction
Chapter 1. Andrew Johnson
War's End: The Mood of the Country
Accession of Johnson
Johnson's Background and Political Rise
The Selection of Andrew Johnson as Vice President
The Lincoln Vision
States Rights and Slavery
Right of Secession
Abolition as a Union Goal
The Thirteenth Amendment Abolishing Slavery
Reconstruction: The Lincoln View
Reconstruction: The Radical Republican View
Reconstruction: The Johnson View
The Freedmen's Bureau
Congressional Action
Revocation of the Black Codes; Military Governance
Expansion of the Freedmen's Bureau
Civil Rights Act
The Fourteenth Amendment
Military Reconstruction
Congress v. President
The Tenure of Office Act
The Initial Impeachment Motions
The Johnson Dismissal of Secretary of War Stanton
The Impeachment Proceedings
Chapter 2. Richard M. Nixon
Introduction
Early Life
Rise to Power
Nixon's Campaign for Vice President: The Checkers Speech
Nixon's Campaigns for President
The 1960 Campaign
The 1968 Campaign
The Re-Election Campaign
The Watergate Break-In
Reasons for the Break-In
Nixon's Reaction to the Break-In
Mitchell's Role in the Break-In
The Tell-All Option
Payments to the Watergate Seven
Congress and Nixon
The Trial of the Watergate Seven
The March 21, 1973, Nixon-Dean Meeting
The Sirica Sentences: McCord's Letter
The Roger's Option: Nixon's Speech of April 30, 1973
The Appointment of a Special Prosecutor
Nixon's May 22 Speech: The Senate Watergate Hearings
The Disclosure of the Tapes
Executive Privilege and the Tapes
The Resignation of Vice President Agnew
The Stennis Compromise
The Saturday Night Massacre
The Missing Tapes: The 18 ½ Minute Gap
The House Judiciary Committee
The House Procedures
The Question of Destroying the Tapes
The Vote
The Resignation
The House Vote
The Pardon: The Nixon Papers
Conclusion
Chapter 3. The Special Prosecutor
The Special Prosecutor Legislation
The Supreme Court Decision
The Special Prosecutor Experience
Chapter 4. William J. Clinton
Early Childhood and Young Adult Years
Whitewater
Clinton’s Gubernatorial Campaigns of 1982, ’84. And ’86: The Charge of Sexual Solicitation
Run for President in 1992: Whitewater Resurfaces
Presidency: The Early Days
The Vincent Foster Suicide
The Paula Jones Story
Whitewater: Redux
The Clinton Administration and the Special Prosecutor
Michael Espy
Henry Cisneros
Ronald Brown
Bruce Babbitt
Alexis Herman
The Appointment of an Independent Counsel
Paula Jones v. Clinton
The Early Starr Investigations
The McDougal Convictions
Monica Lewinsky
The Effort to Settle the Paula Jones Case
The Job Offer to Lewinsky
Discovery in the Paula Jones Case
Clinton's Deposition in the Paula Jones Case
Clinton's Denial Speech
Starr and the Grant of Immunity to Lewinsky
Clinton's Grand Jury Testimony
The Starr Report
Grounds for Impeachment
The Censure Option
Efforts to Settle the Paula Jones Case
The November 1998 Elections
The Settlement of the Paula Jones Case
The Administration Attack on Starr
The House Judiciary Committee Hearings
Clinton Responses to the House Judiciary Committee
House Judiciary Committee
The House Vote
The Senate Deliberations
The Senate Vote
Post-Impeachment Actions
Conclusion
Annotated Bibliography
Index