There seemed to be no consensus on which phrases, exactly, were the offending phrases. Prosecutor Starr, whose very title indicates that he is not an unbiased participant in the proceedings, presented an 8-hour verbal summary of his 60,000 page report, a report compiled by his staff about the testimony of witnesses he himself did not talk to and about depositions he himself did not read. As Republican Rep. Christopher Shays noted, the accusations against Clinton that are provable are not impeachable, the accusations against Clinton that are impeachable are not provable. The most damaging testimony against the President was based on illegal recordings of phone conversations that would have been thrown out of court if the case took place in a courtroom instead of a committee room. Grand juries meet to determine if there is probable cause that a crime has been committed and to decide if a trial should be held.
Grand juries listen to only one side of an argument - the prosecutor's side.
Because the accused has not had the chance to rebut charges against him, grand jury testimony has always been considered secret. All Americans should be outraged that this traditional legal protection has been so trampled upon by Congress. The President is not above the law, and neither is Special Prosecutor Kenneth Starr nor Congress above the law. In the year 2000, vote to defend the President, the Constitution, and your rights. Vote as if your life and your freedoms depend on it, for they just might.