Rep. George Gekas of Pennsylvania spoke without a prepared text, a passionate approach that had members of the Senate laughing and nodding in approval. Rep. James Rogan of California told how, in 1978, he was fresh out of college and a delegate to a mid-term convention of Democrats. There he met Bill Clinton, who was governor-elect of Arkansas. Clinton spent 15 minutes encouraging Rogan to go to law school and won his enduring respect. Rogan noted that he is now a Republican representing a heavily Democratic district and that he has been told his impeachment role could cost him re-election.
Dreams come, dreams go, but conscience goes forever.
When the managers gathered Monday morning, they were ready for their last day in a process that started in September, when independent counsel Ken Starr sent his impeachment referral to the House of Representatives. The managers are all members of the House Judiciary Committee, and impeachment has dominated their lives for the past five months. Their comments to each other Monday were light-hearted. There were jokes about how they knew the end was here because there were no doughnuts for their caucus meeting as usual. But beneath Monday's good humor was resentment against the Senate that had brewed throughout January.