im•peach |(ĭm-pēch’)|
•call into question the integrity or validity of {a practice}
•charge the holder of a public office with misconduct
The questions surrounding the conduct of NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer have quickly turned to impeachment; whether to impeach, and how quickly. My concern about this line of thought is the same concern I had when Bill Clinton’s indiscretion became a national focal point: sexual matters are personal matters. Much like a person’s palate for food, amorous choices are private.
I see the irony in Gov. Spitzer on one hand prosecuting prostitution rings, and on the other, engaging in the illicit business himself; but this should be handled as it would for any private citizen. Impeachment should be reserved for crimes that are directly related to the interest of the public being represented.
A more serious question, and one that I think most people have already considered, is whether a president should be impeached when he’s lied to the public with the direct intention of misleading the country into war. That, I do believe, is a reason to impeach.
