Senate Vote to Censure

I have a little trouble understanding how the Senate can take on itself something the Constitution doesn’t speak to. What gives the Senate the right to censure or in any official way denigrate the president? It has the right to try him for allegations set out by the House of Representatives, and if found guilty of the charges, to require his removal from office. That’s it! Anything else is pure political shenanigans. If the president has not committed impeachable offenses, then put it to rest. His amorous peccadilloes are not a proper subject of official Senate comment. Let the Baptists handle that subject from their pulpits (and videotapes).

Senators, go back to doing the work you’re constitutionally required to do. Stop loafing about. Get back to work!

TITUS J. SANTELLI

Mar Vista

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As a lifelong Democrat who interned with the 89th Congress, I would like to share these observations as to the recent history of my party. When I became a Democrat, our president admonished us to “ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.� A few weeks ago I listened to our current president spreading out goodies to special interest groups.

Perhaps one of the major reasons I became a Democrat was because in my opinion the GOP was not interested in the civil rights of my fellow citizens and didn’t seem to care for the little guy. We now have a president who stands impeached for violating the civil rights of Paula Jones, a little guy, while our congressional delegation stretches arguments in support of him beyond any creditability.

We have lost our way, I pray we find it before we lose our soul.

J. WILLIAM STINDE

Torrance

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How much clearer can it be that this thing is over? Members of the hard-line faction in the GOP know they have failed in their “get Clinton� push; we all do. But their last-gasp attempts to accomplish something they obviously cannot accomplish will only serve to prolong the escape and glorify the success of their most hated foe, Slick Willie.

DAN JENSEN

San Clemente