LETTERS: DEMOCRATS DON'T CARE WHAT'S BEST

To the editor:

I recently watched our U.S. House of Representatives in action during the debate over whether President Clinton should be impeached. To avoid being labeled as partisan, I want to set the record straight. I am neither Democrat nor Republican. I am an independent voter who votes for the candidate best qualified to serve his country rather than for one who serves his masters, the party bosses. In other words, I do my own thinking rather than letting someone else tell me whom to vote for.

The Democrats ranted and raved, questioning whether Clinton had committed an impeachable offense. They either can't read or have never acquainted themselves with the Constitution. It clearly states that the president can be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors. A high crime is a felony. Lying under oath is a felony. A misdemeanor is a minor crime such as a traffic ticket. In other words, if the president violates any law, he should be impeached. And why not? He expects all the rest of the citizens to obey all the laws he helps to pass, and all of these laws provide for penalties if they are broken.

The Democrats accused the Republicans of being partisan. That, of course, is another lie. A check of the results of the voting shows that the Democrats voted as a bloc, while many Republicans voted along with them. They also tried to pin the blame on the special prosecutor for Clinton's misdeeds. But the prosecutor isn't the one on trial. This is a childish attempt to muddy the waters by trying to focus attention away from the purpose of the debate.

It's all too obvious that the Democrats don't care about the good of their country. Their only concern is keeping their gang intact. I think they would have improved their image a great deal by keeping their mouths shut. I can't imagine anyone falling for their pitiful attempt at righteousness.

I tried to think of a term to characterize these people. I thought of "scum" but rejected it, because scum rises to the top. These people could only be on top of a pile of barnyard waste, and that's not the topic. "Dregs of humanity" was also rejected, because of the word "humanity." I though of some slimy underground inhabitants but couldn't decide which one deserved the insult. I finally decided to give up and admit I am not as adept at name calling as the left-wing extremists. I would rather try to do my best to stick to the facts and let the chips fall where they may.

Another thing that makes me gag is the people who say they think Clinton is doing a good job. A good job for whom? I must admit he is doing a great job for Russia, China and Israel, but he is president of the United States. Who is going to do a good job for us?

RAY UMBDENSTOCK

Cape Girardeau