Home Invasion Targets Senate
House Manager Thugs Break Into Upper Chamber, Set Up Shop

January 7, 1999 --- New York (APJP) -- Watching the usual gang of talking heads and Beltway gasbags on the idiot box this morning was a pretty depressing affair.

With the exception of the sour and surly Don Imus, whose bipolar feelings toward the entire impeachment debacle provided The Doc with the only smiles of the morning -- especially his chat with Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) -- almost every talking head and Beltway gasbag spoke of the "pomp" and "ceremony" of the opening of the coup disguised as a senate impeachment trial of President Clinton as they described each detail of the day to come.

They also spoke of "the enormous consequences for the country" as The Doc fumed over the failure of the press to investigate or report the facts surrounding the abusive and harassing lawsuit filed by Paula Jones and the right-wingers who had glommed on to her, and their becoming stenographers for out-of-control Inquisitor General Kenneth Starr, himself the target of at least four ongoing investigations.

The "enormous consequences for the country" stem from press greed, zeal and laziness -- and are now culminating in abuse of the impeachment process.

Meanwhile, over on MSNBC, Tim Russert leaked a report that the House Managers were considering calling Kathleen Willey and Dolly Kyle Browning "in an effort to prove obstruction of justice." Russert, once again, demonstrated his failure to analyze even the most obvious of smear tactics -- these women were going to be dragged in front of the Senate and the cameras to further humiliate Bill Clinton and "prove" him a misogynistic bird-dog and a sexual harasser.

Of course, the fact of the matter is that the gang of Confederate House Manager thugs are the actual exploiters and abusers of women like Monica Lewinsky, Dolly Kyle Browning, Kathleen Willey and other "Jane Does," all of who should be entitled to at least a little privacy and dignity with respect to mistakes they might have made in their personal lives. But what more could you expect from the Manager Mob, who use women as chattel -- men like Henry Hyde, who carried on at least one marriage-ending affair, or Bob Barr, who reportedly knocked up one of his ex-wives and ordered her to have an abortion while supporting legislation that would strip women of Constitutionally protected reproductive rights.

A few minutes later, Laura Ingraham had cornered one of the House Managers, Rep. Chris Cannon. Laura set him up to bad mouth Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), who had called the attempted coup-by-trial a "peep show." Cannon lied about Lautenberg in saying, "I find it incredible that the President's lapdogs are saying this is all about sex." First, Lautenberg is one of the more independently-minded Dems in the Senate, and he could hardly be called a Clinton lapdog. Second, it is about sex -- as well as attempting to extort perjury and fabricate obstruction claims to overthrow a popularly elected President.

Cannon also called the President's attempt to thwart the Jones nuisance suit "interfering with how we do justice in America." Meanwhile, Cannon and his thug cronies have been doing everything in their power to obstruct, stall and stonewall Presidential judicial appointments, a tactic that has already had a degrading effect on the judicial branch of government. This effort to block the appointment of non-right-wing judges is interfering with how we do justice in America.

And Cannon continued with the lies and spin: "We're not going to be involved in a sham trial." On the subject of witnesses: "The president is terrified by that -- it's about obstruction of justice and perjury." How the blazes would Cannon have clue one about how the President feels about witnesses? Something tells The Doc he's spoiling to see a few witnesses called. He kept spinning the words "pattern and practice," a major spin point of the House Managers -- one which will come back to bite them in the butt when their own pattern and practice of legislative abuse is itself put on trial.

At 9:45, Senate President Pro Tempore Strom Thurmond struck the gavel and said "The Shenn'll come ta ordah!" and Ref. Lloyd Ogilvie, Senate Chaplain, read a solemn opening prayer invoking the gravity of the process, the patriotism of the Senators, and the hope that they would "come together."

Thurmond then said what sounded like -- The Doc is not making this up -- "The Yankee Majority Leader is reckonized." He meant "Ranking." While the quorum roll was being called, The Doc channel-surfed over to CNN, where Greta van Sustern was saying that these proceedings were going to be like playing the Super Bowl but not knowing the rules until each play had been made.

Shortly before 10 AM, the big three networks kicked in with coverage, no doubt irritating those viewers in need of their fix of Oprah, Leeza and Ricki with a dose of harsh reality -- the House Managers leaving their cage to walk over to the Senate chamber, with every network covering the slow procession past statues of the founding fathers -- who were themselves a motley and scandalous crew of privateers, slaveholders and opportunists.

"The Senate will be'n odah! Eethah take y'seats or go t'the Cokeroom!" shouted Thurmond shortly after the House Managers, picking up their pace, lined up in back of the chamber. Jim Ziglar, Sergeant-at-Arms, announced the Managers as they slowly entered the chamber, moving to the front of the Senate Chamber, and the Sergeant-at-Arms admonished the Senators to remain silent "upon pain of imprisonment."

It was supposed to be a solemn moment. But The Doc was struck by an opposite impression -- it was a Home Invasion of the Senate, with a gang moving in, gagging the tenants, and setting up shop to do ill to the tenants and the nation.

Henry Hyde began his preamble, introduced the House Manager "Crips" by name, and read the two articles of impeachment "against William Jefferson Clinton" in his best mock-serious tone. But there was enough in the tone of his voice to betray not only the nervousness but the glee and excitement he must have been feeling -- the beginning of his "moment in the sun."

The Doc predicts it is the beginning of the end for Hyde.

Thurmond thanked Hyde and said with severity, "The Senate will notify the House when it's ready."

And the House Managers slowly left the Senate Chamber -- as if it made a difference. The looks on their faces betrayed their joy -- invasion accomplished. They were calling the shots.

Lott asked the Sergeant-at-Arms to summon the Chief Justice, and notified the Senate that there would be a quorum call at 12:45 PM and swearing-in of the Senator-jurors at 1 PM.

CNN's John King reported from the White House that the Managers wanted to call some 15 witnesses -- and that the President's defense team may well want to depose each and every one of them.

If that's true, The Doc predicts that this gang invasion of the Senate may last well into the summer -- practically guaranteeing a full rupture within the GOP and Democrat domination of American politics for at least a decade.

'Nuff said.

-- Dave "Doctor" Gonzo